Compact power banks have gotten a lot faster in the past year — and it’s not just their USB-C charging speeds that have received a boost. The newest Qi2.2-certified models can wirelessly charge an iPhone 16 or later at up to 25W. Combine that with their ability to magnetically snap on via MagSafe, and you’ve got yourself an essential add-on that’s easy to take on the go.
Qi2 is a magnetic wireless charging standard that’s based on Apple’s MagSafe tech, so almost all modern iPhones support it. While the latest iPhones offer the fastest charging rates, older models (dating back to the iPhone 12) support 15W Qi2 charging speeds, which is still suitably quick. (The iPhone 17E also maxes out at 15W, and the 16E doesn’t have wireless charging at all.)
On the other hand, Android phones are a mixed bag, with very few models supporting Qi2, let alone Qi2.2. Google’s Pixel 10, 10 Pro, and 10 Pro Fold support Qi2 charging at up to 15W; the 10 Pro XL supports Qi 2.2 at up to 25W. Samsung’s Galaxy 26 lineup is “Qi2 Ready,” which means they can use Qi2 chargers at up to 15W if they have a magnet case. And that’s pretty much it.
We know you want the best, whichever phone you have. Some of you may be willing to pay a lot for it, while others may simply want the best possible model for the least amount of money. Of the seven we tested — which vary in features, design, and charging speed — we landed on two picks that should satisfy most people’s needs.
How we tested
We slapped each power bank onto an iPhone 17 Pro Max for an hour at a time, then onto a Google Pixel 10 Pro XL (both without cases on). We picked these phones because they support Qi2.2 25W speeds and they have big batteries, making it a tough job for power banks to refill them. We observed that the Pixel is generally slower to charge wirelessly. Using plug-in wireless chargers (like Google’s Pixelsnap Charger) with the Pixel 10 Pro XL resulted in faster wireless charging.
Modern phones rarely charge at full speed. They adjust their charging rates dynamically based on factors including current charge level and temperature. They charge fastest when the battery is near empty and slowest when it’s above 80 percent. Thanks to the battery killer that is Honkai: Star Rail, we were able to test each phone from a completely dead state (and each power bank at 100 percent). We then set a 1-hour timer to measure how long each model took to charge the phones, first wirelessly and then via USB-C. I used a USB-C power meter to verify the wired charging speeds.
The Qi2.2 battery with the fastest wireless charging speeds
Dimensions: 2.6 x 4 x 0.6 inches, 196 grams / Wireless charging speed: Qi2.2 25W, Qi2 15W / Wired charging speed: Advertised as 45W, but a bit slower / Passthrough charging: Yes / Ports: One USB-C port / Built-in cable: Yes, non-removable / Advertised battery capacity: 10,000mAh, 36Wh
The Baseus PicoGo AM52 is about as no-frills as power banks come, both in design and features. The all-black battery pack has a sleek aluminum case, with soft-touch silicone on the magnetic side to prevent it from scratching your phone while charging. It can charge devices via Qi2.2 and USB-C simultaneously, but using both requires you to press the power button (and there’s a steep speed penalty as it splits the power).
The AM52 consistently offered the fastest wireless charging speeds of any power bank I tested, and it’s often the most affordable of the bunch. It wirelessly charged an iPhone 17 Pro Max to 65 percent in one hour and the Pixel 10 Pro XL to 50 percent, which is on par with the slightly pricier Sharge Icemag 3. The Iniu SnapGo Air slightly outperformed the AM52 in some wireless tests, but lagged behind in others. Baseus’s model lacks a built-in display — meaning you can’t see the remaining charge — but two of the four LED indicators were still full after an hour of wireless charging, indicating it still had some juice left.
I tested the version with a built-in USB-C cable, which usually retails for $64 at Amazon if you’re a Prime member ($4 more than the cordless version). Sometimes, it drops to $40 or so with a coupon, and in terms of wired charging speeds, it was also among the fastest of the seven batteries I tested. It charged both the iPhone and Pixel to about 90 percent capacity within an hour, though it’s not necessarily hard to find a battery that supports fast wired charging.
Qi2.2 batteries compared
iPhone 17 Pro Max | iPhone 17 Pro Max | Google Pixel 10 Pro XL | Google Pixel 10 Pro XL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| After one hour of wireless charging | After one hour of wired USB-C charging | After one hour of wireless charging | After one hour of wired USB-C charging | |
| Baseus PicoGo AM52 | 65 percent | 89 percent | 50 percent | 90 percent |
| Sharge Icemag 3 | 64 percent | 85 percent | 49 percent | 70 percent |
| Iniu SnapGo Air | 60 percent | 89 percent | 34 percent | 88 percent |
The Baseus AM52 advertises a top speed of 45W via USB-C, though it didn’t reach those speeds with any of the devices I tested. It topped out at about 38W while connected to the iPhone 17 Pro Max and 33W while attached to the Pixel 10 Pro XL, both of which advertise higher wired speeds (the Iniu SnapGo Air topped out at 39W). The Baseus also topped out at 39.1W while plugged into my M2 MacBook Air, which isn’t far from its advertised rating, while the Iniu reached 43W. In other words, get the Iniu if you value fast wired speeds and the Baseus if you want fast wireless charging.
The other Qi2.2 batteries I tested
- Sharge’s Icemag 3 (39.1Wh) is the coolest battery of the seven that I tested, and it delivers great wireless and wired charging speeds (25W and 30W, respectively). No issues here, but it usually costs a fair amount more than the Baseus or Iniu model.
- Iniu’s SnapGo Air (39.2Wh) came close to being our top pick thanks to its fast wired charging, relatively low price, and LED display that shows remaining charge. But its wireless charging performance was inconsistent.
The Qi2 battery with the most power for the least money
Dimensions: 2.6 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches, 215 grams / Wireless charging speed: Qi2 15W / Wired charging speed: 30W / Passthrough charging support: Yes / Ports: One USB-C port / Built-in cable: Yes, removable / Advertised battery capacity: 10,000mAh, 38.5Wh
I wasn’t expecting one of the best-performing batteries to be the least expensive model I called in. The iWalk PowerHybrid is a 15W Qi2 charger that’s bulkier than our top pick, and honestly, pretty cheap-looking. But I can’t argue with its charging speeds, or the fact that it’s commonly available for about $35 — half the typical cost of the Baseus AM52. The PowerHybrid also includes a USB-C cable fashioned into a lanyard; however, this one is fully detachable, unlike Baseus’s.
The iWalk charged the iPhone 17 Pro Max to 55 percent in an hour via Qi2 wireless charging. It performed similarly to our Qi2.2 pick while charging the Pixel 10 Pro XL, too, delivering 46 percent of the phone’s total charge in an hour (with 59 percent of the power bank’s battery remaining). Yes, that’s slower than the AM52, but ask yourself: Is a 10 percent speed boost worth nearly twice the price? No judgment if your answer is yes, but those shaking their heads are my kind of people.
Qi2 batteries compared
iPhone 17 Pro Max | iPhone 17 Pro Max | Google Pixel 10 Pro XL | Google Pixel 10 Pro XL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| After one hour of wireless charging | After one hour of wired USB-C charging | After one hour of wireless charging | After one hour of wired USB-C charging | |
| iWalk Power Hybrid battery ($50) | 55 percent | 90 percent | 46 percent | 85 percent |
| Anker MagGo Power Bank ($90) | 57 percent | 86 percent | 46 percent | 72 percent |
| Aulumu M10 battery ($90) | 58 percent | 90 percent | 12 percent | 84 percent |
| Statik SmartCharge Gen 2 ($70) | 25 percent | 32 percent | 18 percent | 36 percent |
The PowerHybrid’s wired charging speeds were in line with other models I tested, allowing me to take the iPhone 17 Pro Max and the Pixel 10 Pro XL to 90 percent and 85 percent in an hour, respectively. It also didn’t have any issues reaching its peak 30W charging speeds across multiple devices, which, again, was the case with the AM52.
The iWalk battery has a pretty big quirk, however: It doesn’t automatically turn on when you place a device on its magnetic surface. For Qi2 charging to work, its display (which shows the remaining charge) must be illuminated, which requires you to either press the power button or charge something via its USB-C port. It’s not a big deal, but it might be annoying to some.
The other Qi2 batteries I tested
- The Anker MagGo Power Bank (38.5Wh) is hefty and deluxe, with a durable kickstand and a slick display that shows remaining charge and time to charge. But it’s slow considering its high $90 price, managing 15W Qi2 and 27W USB-C charging.
- No other battery I tested looks as quirky and futuristic as Aulumu’s M10 (36Wh). It supports Apple Watch charging, plus USB-C charging and Qi2 15W speeds, but it’s costly at $90 and delivers inconsistent wireless charging speeds.
- Statik’s SmartCharge Gen 2 (38.5Wh) delivers what a lot of people are likely looking for: a power bank that can plug directly into an outlet, with two built-in USB-C cables, a few ports, not to mention Apple Watch charging. It’s cool and not terribly expensive at $70, but it’s very slow to charge devices.
Photography by Cameron Faulkner / noti.group
A note on efficiency and capacity
Battery packs are convenient, but slower and less efficient than wired power adapters. All the batteries I tested claim 10,000mAh capacity. Milli-Ampere-hours, unlike Watt-hours, depend on battery voltage, so they can be misleading. For example, the Anker MagGo 10K battery I tested is advertised as having 10,000mAh capacity at 3.85V, or 38.5Wh total energy. The Baseus battery I tested is advertised as having 10,000mAh capacity. Fine print on its label reveals that its actual rating is 5,000mAh at 7.2V, or 36Wh. That doesn’t mean it can deliver only half the energy of the Anker; it’s actually only a little bit less. The Watt-hours are what to look for. And none of that has anything to do with the output voltage from the Qi2 charger, anyway.
Wireless charging is also much less efficient than wired. Qi2 is the least bad, but still loses about a quarter of the battery’s energy compared to charging over USB-C. If you want to squeeze the most charge out of your battery, it’s wired all the way. And finally, claimed charging speeds are typically measured in ideal lab conditions; in my tests, charging speeds were rarely as fast as advertised.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
