MagSafe Battery Packs vs Traditional Power Banks: Which One is Right for You?
Nowadays, power banks are practically everyone’s go-to travel companions. Even though our phones have evolved to be extensions of ourselves and have become increasingly intelligent, their battery life is still a major drawback for most smartphones. Nevertheless, we are fortunate to have power banks and MagSafe battery packs to ensure that we have a problem-free day.
As new ideas are dawning on the technological space, we begin to see competition as well as variations in products. However, we all know that the Apple line has always stood out and will continue to. For this reason, some people are curious to know whether or not the MagSafe battery pack is better than the traditional power banks. If you’re still in the dark, count yourself fortunate because this article will illuminate your path in making the right choices between Magsafe Battery Packs and traditional power banks.
Power banks have been a chief in the game until the advent of MagSage technology brought about more advanced devices like the MagSafe Battery Packs which have undoubtedly boosted users’ confidence over time. At first, when the MagSafe Battery Pack was launched, the controversies and worries surrounding its use, durability, and effectiveness were pretty much exaggerated. Power banks and MagSafe battery packs all have drawbacks just like everything else. Even though these drawbacks won’t stop you from purchasing one, you still need to be aware of its restrictions and the type that is most suitable for you.
Now, Let’s See Some Of The Key Differences…
Easy to Carry, Use Attach to Your Phone
When we look at things just the way they are, it is obvious that the MagSafe battery packs are easier to carry, use and also attach to your phone. If you look at the traditional power banks, they do not have any magnetic technology that would allow them easily get affixed to your smartphone. In some cases, you either look for a safe place to keep both your phone and power bank or you suffer the stress of holding both in your hands. However, with the Magsafe battery pack, you can seamlessly hold your phone and battery pack together as though they are one. You do not have to worry about fall-offs because the MagSafe technology ensures your Phone and battery pack’s safety.
Wireless Effortless Charging
The only way to use the traditional power bank (which is true for virtually all types of traditional power banks) is to connect it to your phone with the aid of a USB cord. Apart from the stress of going about with your cord, you also have to deal with its maintenance. This is because cords get spoilt easily when they’re not properly kept. But the MagSafe battery pack offers you heart-warming wireless charging. Just attach your battery pack to your phone and you’re good to go. No worries about cords.
In addition to the above, the MagSafe Battery Pack has Smart Battery Cover which guarantees additional protection. It also allows you to charge with the least amount of user involvement possible while making use of the MagSafe accessory technology present in iPhone 12 and later.
Efficiency/Effectiveness
We all know that the greater the capacity (mAh) of your power bank, the long-lasting it would be. As a result, when buying traditional power banks, people look for Power banks with the highest possible capacity that they can afford to purchase. In other words, if you have a phone with 4000mAh, a 10000mAh power bank would charge your phone twice over. Although third-party battery packs could still be attached via magnets, MagSafe battery packs are still the ideal choice because they trade size for power and efficiency.
Take for instance, the iPhone 14 Pro Max has a 4,323mAh battery, however, due to the low efficiency of Qi charging, it could only be charged to roughly 50% with a 5,000mAh battery. On the other hand, a 1,460mAh MagSafe Battery Pack could charge an iPhone 14 Pro Max to around 40% of its capacity. The reason why these figures might not even seem to make much sense is that a vital quantity ( which is voltage) is lacking. To make up for the iPhone’s lower 3.81V, the MagSafe Battery Pack’s 7.62V rating converts to an effective 2,920mAh. Given this figure and the great charging efficiency of MagSafe, it is understandable how the MagSafe Battery Pack can effectively supply 1,729mAh to the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
So, Which One is Right for You?
Apart from the difference in cost price (which is reasonably fair) between traditional chargers and MagSafe battery packs, I would definitely opt-in for a MagSafe Battery Pack with those sizes and charging capabilities. Upon start-up, a launch animation for the MagSafe Battery Pack displays how much battery is still inside. If a 20W external power supply is connected, it can also function as a 15W MagSafe charger and it nonetheless provides a large capacity with magnetic attachment in the smallest available form. Apple’s power pack is so compact that it easily fits in any or backpack. Apple even added to the MagSafe Battery Pack’s utility with a mid-life update. Apple upgraded the battery pack’s charging rate in April 2022 from 5W to 7.5W. Depending on the model, settings, use, and environmental factors of your iPhone, the MagSafe Battery Pack offers an extra charge that you won’t find with traditional power banks. If you’re unsure about what to buy, check out the wireless power bank below.
HaloLock 10,000mAh Kickstand Wireless Power Bank (59.99)
It is compatible with all caseless iPhone 14/13/12 series phones and iPhone 13/12 series phones with a MagSafe or HaloLock case or standard case with the HaloLock Universal Ring. With this device, your phone starts charging automatically as soon as you magnetically attach it. interestingly, you can transform your power bank into a stand for browsing or FaceTiming on the go. If you’re always busy on your phone or the type that does not appreciate any interactions, pass-through charging lets you simultaneously charge your phone and power bank without interruptions.
Conclusion
Without a large battery, you can now keep your iPhones charged in a compact style while moving around. Also, because it is MagSafe, it is compatible with every iPhone as long as it is an iPhone 12 or later and had a MagSafe cover. Other battery packs can accomplish the same thing, but some of those first models, which were introduced in the summer of 2020, are so large that they would not work with the iPhone 14 Pro’s enormous camera bump.
Considering everything, the MagSafe Battery Pack is undoubtedly a great investment and we’re eager to see what Apple will do next in this area.
Hands-on: How Apple’s new iPhone 12 MagSafe Battery Pack compares to Anker’s for on-the-go charging
A few weeks ago, I wrote an article where I called MagSafe the defining feature of the iPhone 12 line. Little did I know that Apple was about to release its own official MagSafe battery pack. So, of course, I bought it immediately because I wanted to see how it compared in day-to-day use with the Anker Magnetic Battery Pack. Let’s dive into my comparison of the Apple MagSafe Battery vs. Anker Magnetic Battery Pack.
Table of contents
As I’ve mentioned in my iPhone 12 mini diary, the battery in my iPhone doesn’t last nearly as long as it did when I was on the “Max” lineup, but that’s the trade-off you make to have an iPhone you can fit in your
While I haven’t traveled as much as I usually would since the iPhone 12 mini was released, I’ve done enough to feel how it functions when not at my desk. The truth is that if you travel with the iPhone 12 mini, you’ll need external batteries to make it through the day with normal to heavy usage. So it’s not a matter of if you’ll need an external battery, but which one.
One of the benefits of MagSafe is that you won’t need to use a cable to charge your iPhone. If you want the absolute biggest external battery you can find, you’ll want to go with an actual external battery that you’ll plug your iPhone into. I own a handful of models similar to these, and for extended trips, I always keep one in my bag.
For shorter trips, I am going to rely on MagSafe batteries from now on. Now that I have three options, which one will be my go-to model for trips and days when I’ll be away from home most of the day?
Apple MagSafe Battery vs. Anker Magnetic Battery Pack
Before we look at the key features, one thing to keep in mind is that only Apple’s battery is MagSafe certified. The other options are MagSafe compatible, though. In practice, I’ve never had an issue with charging from the non-Apple ones.
Price
One of the biggest considerations when choosing a MagSafe battery pack is the price. Both the Anker and the Charge Fast models are less than 50. Apple’s MagSafe battery is 99, so right away, that’s a reason to look elsewhere.
iOS integration
The second thing to consider is integration with the iPhone. On the Apple MagSafe battery, there is a widget showing the current charge of the battery. For obvious reasons, none of the third-party options can deliver that. Is that feature worth spending an extra 50 on? It’s hard to justify, in my opinion.
Capacity
Capacity is where the problems crop up for Apple’s MagSafe battery. Apple’s MagSafe battery is 11.13Wh, where the Anker model is 18.5Wh. So for double the price, you’re getting a much lower capacity battery.
Size
Both battery packs are compatible with each other in physical size. Both will fit the iPhone 12 mini as well as the iPhone 12 Pro Max. The underside of Apple’s battery case is slight softer than Anker’s, but if you’re using a case, you won’t likely notice a difference.
Wrap up on Apple MagSafe Battery vs. Anker Magnetic Battery Pack
After spending some time with Apple’s MagSafe battery pack, I can firmly say that it’s not the best value. It might be the best one if you want the whole Apple experience, but it’s double the price of the Anker Magnetic Battery Pack.
While this might seem like a trivial thing, I am over devices that charge by lightning. Because of MagSafe, I want to go to USB-C for everything wired charging. My MacBook Air charges over USB-C, my iPad Air charges over USB-C, my Logitech MX3 charges over USB-C, and my Airpods Pro charges over wireless charging. I almost never use lightning now. The Anker Magnetic Battery Pack charges over USB-C, and that’s a significant benefit of using it.
Pros of Apple MagSafe Battery Pack
- iOS integration with a battery widget
- Apple logo on the back, with quality and reputation that go with it
Pros of Anker Magnetic Battery Pack
So what’s the final verdict on the Apple MagSafe Battery vs Anker Magnetic Battery Pack? Unless you want to charge with a lightning cable and like the iPhone battery widget integration, I can’t recommend it over the Anker model. So if you have a budget of 100 to spend, grab two of them. If this product had come out simultaneously with the iPhone 12 without competitors, it might be a different story, but charging power is charging power. Sadly, the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack is the first Apple product I’ve ever returned. There’s nothing major wrong with it other than it gives about half the charge of third-party brands at double the cost.
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The Best MagSafe Power Banks for Your iPhone
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Greg Dickinson
Greg Dickinson Freelance Writer
Greg Dickinson is a freelance writer for Review Geek. Greg grew up in the early stages of the Information Age, so he has developed an appreciation for how technology and gaming have evolved and become a part of our everyday lives. He’s an avid board gamer as well as a regular video gamer. Greg studied at Mineral Area College where he was an honors student in Elementary Education with a secondary FOCUS on Language and Literature. Read more.
Whether you’re at a festival, on a camping trip, or streaming an extra-long show, sometimes you need your phone to go the extra mile. A MagSafe wireless charger can extend your smartphone’s battery life without having to plug it into a charger. Check out the best MagSafe battery packs below.
Amazon 49.99 63.99 Save 22%
Amazon 119.99
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Amazon 69.99
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Amazon 59.95
Review Geek’s expert staff has decades of experience testing and reviewing products. Our recommendations come from countless hours of digging into every product to find its strengths and weaknesses. We then compare that with other related products to help you find the best one for your needs. All of our reviews and product recommendations are done without bias, and we never accept payment in exchange for a review or recommendation. Read »
Best Overall: ESR HaloLock Kickstand MagSafe Battery
ESR earns our top spot overall for the HaloLock Kickstand MagSafe Battery that delivers both power and quality. In terms of charging, this battery touts a 10000mAh capacity. That’s plenty of juice to give you more than a full charge and can get you through an entire day, even in the most demanding scenarios.
One nice little feature is the metal kickstand, which is a rare find in power banks. It works well in portrait or landscape. Another is the ergonomic curve of the battery itself. Even though the battery is a little bulky, the curvature fits nicely in the palm of your hand.
The standout feature, though, is the connection strength. “HaloLock” refers to ESR’s patented magnet technology. You can feel safe knowing that your phone is being held securely to the charger, but not overwhelming to where it would be a danger to the phone’s components or difficult trying to pull them apart after charging. The ESR HaloLock Kickstand MagSafe Battery comes available in white and black color choices.
ESR HaloLock Kickstand MagSafe Battery Pack, 10,000mAh MagSafe Charger Portable, MagSafe Power Bank with USB-C Cable, Magnetic Wireless Portable Charger Compatible with iPhone 14/13/12 Series, Black
This power bank doesn’t skimp on power, has a convenient, metal kickstand, and keeps your phone securely connected with patented, magnetic technology.
49.99 63.99 Save 22%
Best Premium: Anker 633 MagGo 2-in-1 Charging Station
Getting the best of both worlds is usually a good thing and Anker supplies in this version of their most recent battery pack. The 633 MagGo 2-in-1 acts as both a battery pack and a charging station. Use the battery on the go, and when you are ready, just slide it into the base for charging both your phone and the bank. The base also has a Qi (pronounced “chee”) wireless charging area at the bottom of the base for your Airpods.
The battery is 5000mAh, so you can get a fairly good charge out of it. The only drawback is that many power banks offer the ability to wirelessly charge your phone while allowing for a second device to be charged through a wired connection simultaneously. This version of the MagGo does not. The 633 MagGo 2-in-1 comes in three available colors: Interstellar Gray, Dolomite White, and Misty Blue.
Anker Magnetic Wireless Charger, 633 MagGo 2-in-1 Wireless Charging Station, Detachable Portable Charger, Only for iPhone 13/13 Pro / 13 Pro Max / 12/12 Pro and Airpods Pro (Interstellar Gray)
Get the best of both worlds with a MagSafe battery pack and a wireless charging station for your phone and your Airpods.
119.99
This MagSafe battery clone can triple your iPhone’s charge [Review]
Power banks in the new MyCharge Mag-Lock series use the magnets from Apple’s MagSafe system to attach to an iPhone. They come in 3000mAh, 6000mAh and 9000mAh capacities, with the largest able to triple the length of time a handset can go between charges. No power cable is needed and you can use your iPhone while it’s charging.
I put all three sizes of the power bank to the test. Read on to find out how they stood up.
MyCharge Mag-Lock review
These accessories are meant to be used in public and MyCharge it a lot of thought into their appearance. All of the three devices are available in the five iPhone 12 colors: graphite, Pacific blue, white, red and purple. Their finish has been designed to protect against scratching, stains, and fading colors.
Every edge and corner is rounded so these products fit with the look of an iPhone.
Wireless charging
Traditional external batteries are useless if you don’t have a power cable with you. Mag-Lock power banks, on the other hand, use wireless charging. Just place your iPhone on the battery and power starts flowing.
The accessories include a raised coil for some separation between pack and phone, helping to dissipate heat better than typical flat battery packs.
As noted, these devices take advantage of the MagSafe system. This includes magnets built into the back of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 series. The magnets attach to ones in MyCharge Mag-Lock power banks and line up the charging coils every time. And they hold the two devices together while you’re using your handset. The connection is solid — I had no problems with them slipping apart.
However, the Mag-Lock batteries do not offer the faster charging capabilities of MagSafe. They put out 5 watts, which is far less than the 15W of some MagSafe accessories. This means it can take about 3.5 hours to give an iPhone a complete charge.
MyCharge built in a audible “twing” when you connect or disconnect your iPhone. Or begin recharging any of these power banks.
Non-wireless charging
The Mag-Lock series gets its power through a USB-C port on the bottom edge. A charging cable comes in the box for just this, or you can use the one for a Mac or iPad.
As a bonus, you can use the USB-C port to charge a device that doesn’t have MagSafe. And this works while an iPhone is also charging. I tested with my iPad Pro to be sure.
The smallest of the three Mag-Lock options is 4.0 inches by 2.6 in. by 0.4 in. It weighs 0.24 pounds. I found it entirely practical to clip this to the back of my iPhone and keep using the handset while it charges.
The two cling together tightly, and the combination isn’t too bulky. It’s not ideal — you’re only going to want to use the Mag-Lock when you need it, not all the time. But it adds hours of use.
This “baby bear” version stores 3000mAh. In my real-world test, it gave a 6.1-inch iPhone 12 a 53% charge. That’s enough to get you through the rest of an extra-long day after the built-in battery starts to run out.
Exactly how of a battery bump you’ll get depends on your device. The Pro Max models have significantly larger built-in batteries and so this power bank is relatively smaller. It’s still the same amount of power, though.
MyCharge Mag-Lock 6000mAh
The “mama bear” version of MyCharge’s new power banks is 4.0 inches by 2.6 in. by 0.7 in. It weighs 0.36 pounds.
In my testing, I found it possible to keep using my iPhone with this clipped to the back, but the combination is somewhat unwieldy. The battery is thick and a bit heavy.
But don’t lock yourself into the idea that the only way to use a Mag-Lock power bank is while holding it. You wouldn’t expect to do that with a standard 6000mAh battery. In this case, the real advantage of MagSafe is that you don’t have to worry about having a charging cable. Just put the iPhone onto the battery and you’re good to go.
Also, the battery can act as a stand with an 6.1-inch iPhone 13 or iPhone 12. Attach it to the back of your handset, put the combination in landscape mode and you’re ready to watch a movie. I’m not sure how well this will work with an iPhone Pro Max or mini, however.
Over multiple test runs, the 6000mAh version of the MyCharge Mag-Lock gave a 6.1-inch iPhone 12 a 120% charge. That’s enough to get you though a second day of use.
Again, you’ll see a smaller increase in battery percentage if you have an iPhone Pro Max but will get the same amount of power.
MyCharge Mag-Lock 9000mAh
And now we get to “poppa bear.” This largest version is 4.0 inches by 2.6 in. by 0.9 in. It weighs 0.49 pounds. You may have noticed a theme here: the only dimension in which the three accessories vary in is thickness. And weight, of course.
Part of MyCharge’s marketing for this series says, “the larger the Mag-Lock — the easier the hold.” True, it’s easier to hold the power bank because it’s almost an inch thick. But it also adds almost half a pound. To me, only in case of emergency should you should hold your iPhone with this version of the series attached. The rest of the time, put your handset down to charge like you would with any other hefty battery.
That said, the trick of using the battery pack as a stand works in both portrait and landscape mode with this jumbo-size accessory.
During my tests, the 9000mAh version of the MyCharge Mag-Lock gave a 6.1-inch iPhone 12 a 189% charge. (Which took multiple test runs, of course.) That’s enough to get through a long weekend of camping without access to a wall socket.
Final thoughts
Having to carry around a cable to charge my iPhone with a power bank is an unnecessary irritant. And with MagSafe accessories like the MyCharge Mag-Lock series the cable becomes unnecessary.
The range in storage capacity for these external batteries means each is likely to appeal to different customer. The 3000mAh version can be used to give a quick boost while clipped to an iPhone. The 9000mAh one can keep your device going for days and days but you’ll probably only want to attach it overnight. The 6000mAh is a mix of the two — your iPhone is heavy but usable with it clipped on, and the power bank is capable of more than doubling the battery life.
Pricing
You can pick up the 3000mAh battery pack for 49.99 on the myCharge website.
The “mama bear” 6000mAh version is 59.99 on the myCharge website.
And the “big daddy” 9000mAh one is 69.99 on the myCharge website.
Comparable products
Other companies make their own MagSafe batteries that clip to your iPhone. There’s the Mophie Snap Juice Pack Mini that holds 5000mAh. Don’t miss my review.
And there’s also the Sanho HyperJuice Magnetic Wireless Battery Pack (39.99). It has a 5000mAh capacity as well. I reviewed this one, too.
Or there is Apple’s MagSafe Battery Pack. This has a few tricks, like iOS integration, but holds less power and costs 99.
MyCharge provided Cult of Mac with review units for this article. See our reviews policy, and check out other in-depth reviews of Apple-related items.