I’ve been using an iPhone as my daily driver for a while now, mostly because I’m already deeply invested in the ecosystem. I have a MacBook, an Apple TV and an Apple Watch, among other devices. There are other conveniences too, including features such as AirDrop, iCloud syncing, and family sharing.
I’m currently using the iPhone 17, but there’s one thing that keeps causing me trouble – its battery life.
I use my phone fairly power-intensively. I run a couple of AI tools and keep the always-on display enabled. I also use a tool called Wispr Flow that lets me type using my voice, which consumes quite a bit of battery. On top of that, I record a few videos and take photos almost every day, adding to the drain. Plus, the temperature where I live is close to 45°C, which I also think contributes to battery usage.
the iPhone 17 isn’t the only model that has caused me problems. It was the same situation with the iPhone 16 before it and, while the Pro Max has decent battery life, the Pro and other models in the lineup struggle with my use. I barely get five hours, which is a problem, especially because the iPhone doesn’t charge quickly.
In the Android world, there are phones with 6,000-7,000 mAh batteries that also charge at 90W. Give them half an hour, and they’re full. You get longer battery life and, when it’s run down, you’re back up quickly. There’s nothing you can do about the iPhone’s charging speed, but there’s a power bank from Better Mobile Xperience (BMX, $59.99) I’ve been using for almost a month now that’s helped me get around the battery problem.
The design actually makes sense
Anurag Singh / Foundry
Power banks tend to be bulky, easily adding 150g-200g to your pocket – and they look clunky. I’ve been using the BMX SolidSafe Air 5K power bank, and it feels different.
It’s a 5,000mAh ultra-thin power bank with a semi-solid-state battery and a titanium case. The SolidSafe Air 5K doesn’t stray far from the usual length and width of most magnetic wireless power banks at 4.1 x 2.8 inches (103 x 70mm), but when it comes to thickness, it’s notably slimmer at only 0.27 inches (6.8mm). This makes a real difference when you attach it to your phone and carry it around.
To give you an idea, here are the measurements of some of the most popular MagSafe portable power banks out there:
- Anker MagGo Power Bank (Amazon US, $79.86; Amazon UK, £52.99) – 200g, around 0.57 inches (14.7mm) thick
- Baseus PicoGo AM52 (Amazon US, $74.99; Amazon UK, £59.99) – 196g, slightly thicker at 0.62 inches (16mm)
- EcoFlow RAPID Magnetic Power Bank 5K (Amazon US, $99.99; Amazon UK, £29.99) – 180g, around 0.5 inches (14mm) thick
- Belkin BoostCharge Pro (Apple, $59.95; Amazon UK, £49.99) – lighter at 136g, but still around 0.5 inches (14mm) thick
When you look at the numbers, most of these power banks fall in a similar range, usually between 0.5 inches (14mm) and 0.62 inches (16mm) thick and close to or above 180g in weight. That’s where this BMX power bank stands out.
BMX calls it the world’s thinnest Qi2 SolidSafe battery. It’s worth noting, though, that it’s not the thinnest power bank out there. Xiaomi already has a silicon-carbon power bank that measures just 6mm, although it isn’t yet widely available. Still, the BMX device is one of the slimmest options you can actually buy right now and, for iPhone users dealing with mediocre battery life, it gets the job done without making your phone feel bulky.
Because it’s that thin, even when it’s connected to the back of my iPhone, it doesn’t add much weight and it doesn’t look ugly. That has always been my biggest issue with power banks. They tend to look bad and feel worse – but this one attaches seamlessly.
The titanium build has a premium look, and it’s easy to slip into your pocket without thinking about it. It’s MagSafe-compatible, so with a compatible iPhone it snaps on magnetically and stays in place. I tested it on an iPhone 17 Air and it locks on properly, so it’s clearly built for that form factor. I also tested it on a 16 Pro, and there is slight movement, but it’s not a deal-breaker.
A solid all-rounder
Anurag Singh / Foundry
On the specs side, it supports 15W wireless charging on iPhones and 20W via USB-C for phones that don’t support wireless charging, and it meets TSA carry-on guidelines. The semi-solid-state battery reduces the flammable liquid found in traditional lithium cells, which lowers the risk of fire and heating issues. That’s increasingly relevant since airlines have started restricting or flagging conventional power banks. These batteries are also safer and should last longer, with more charge cycles before they start to degrade.
In terms of compatibility, it works with the iPhone lineup, Samsung Galaxy S22, S23, and S24, the Z Fold and Flip series, Pixel 7 and above, and Sony Xperia phones. Tablets are supported via USB-C. I tried it on a Xiaomi phone I have and it didn’t work, though it did work on the Pixel I tested.
At 5,000mAh, it does run out fairly quickly, but since an iPhone battery is well under that, you’re getting close to a full charge from it. I tested the power bank by running an iPhone 17 down to 0% and then checking how much charge the power bank could deliver. In this test, the BMX SolidSafe Air 5K managed to charge the phone up to 90%, which is among the highest results I’ve seen from magnetic wireless power banks.
…But I’d still like to see Apple makes improvements
While the $60/£45 power bank makes up for the battery life on my iPhone, I’d still like to see Apple improve battery performance on the non-Pro iPhones. If not a larger battery, then at least faster charging would help make up for it.
Next, you can read up on what we expect to see from the iPhone 18 lineup, and find out why we think it’s all over if Apple makes an iPad Neo.