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Compact power banks have gotten a lot faster over the past year – and it's not just their USB-C charging speeds that have improved. The newest Qi2.2-certified models can wirelessly charge an iPhone 16 or later at up to 25W. Combine that with their ability to snap on magnetically via MagSafe, and you have an essential, easy-to-take-on-the-go add-on.
The best Qi2 batteries for iPhone and Pixel
We tested seven Qi2 and Qi2.2 batteries to find the best ones to install on the back of your MagSafe or Pixelsnap phones.
Qi2 is a magnetic wireless charging standard based on Apple's MagSafe technology, so almost all modern iPhones support it. While the latest iPhones offer the fastest charging rates, older models (going back to the iPhone 12) support Qi2 charging speeds of 15W, which is still fast enough. (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 line is "Qi2 Ready," meaning they can use Qi2 chargers up to 15W if they have a magnetic case. And that's about it.
We know you want the best, no matter what phone you own. Some of you may be willing to pay a lot for it, while others will simply want the best possible model for the least amount of money. Of the seven we tested – which varied in features, design and loading speed – we stuck with two choices that should satisfy most people's needs.
How we tested
We placed each external battery on an iPhone 17 Pro Max for an hour at a time, then on a Google Pixel 10 Pro XL (both without a case). We chose these phones because they support 25W Qi2.2 speeds and have large batteries, making it difficult for power banks to charge them. We observed that the Pixel is generally slower to charge wirelessly. Using pluggable wireless chargers (like Google's Pixelsnap Charger) with the Pixel 10 Pro XL allowed for faster wireless charging.
Modern phones rarely charge at full speed. They adjust their charging rates dynamically based on factors such as current charging level and temperature. They charge faster when the battery is almost empty and slower when it is above 80%. Thanks to the Honkai: Star Rail battery killer, we were able to test every phone from a completely dead state (and every power bank to 100%). We then set a one-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 check 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 25 W, Qi2 15 W / Wired charging speed: Advertised as 45 W, but a little slower / Direct charging: Yes / Ports: One USB-C port / Built-in cable: Yes, non-removable / Advertised battery capacity: 10,000 mAh, 36 Wh
The Baseus PicoGo AM52 is about as simple as power banks come, both in terms of design and features. The all-black battery features a sleek aluminum casing, 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 to use both you have to press the power button (and there's a big speed penalty because it splits the power).
The AM52 consistently offers the fastest wireless charging speeds of any power bank I've tested, and it's often the most affordable of the bunch. It wirelessly charged an iPhone 17 Pro Max to 65% in an hour and the Pixel 10 Pro XL to 50%, which is comparable to the slightly more expensive Sharge Icemag 3. The Iniu SnapGo Air slightly outperformed the AM52 in some wireless tests, but fell behind in others. Baseus' model doesn't have a built-in display, meaning you can't see how much charge remains, 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 typically costs $64 on Amazon if you're a Prime member ($4 more than the wireless version). Sometimes it drops to around $40 with a coupon, and in terms of wired charging speeds, it was also among the fastest of the seven batteries I tested. It charged the iPhone and Pixel to around 90% capacity in an hour, although it's not necessarily difficult to find a battery that supports fast wired charging.
Qi2.2 battery comparison
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 an hour of wired USB-C charging | After one hour of wireless charging | After an hour of wired USB-C charging | |
| Baseus PicoGo AM52 | 65 percent | 89 percent | 50 percent | 90 percent |
| Sharge Icemag3 | 64 percent | 85 percent | 49 percent | 70 percent |
| Launch SnapGo Air | 60 percent | 89 percent | 34 percent | 88 percent |
The Baseus AM52 claims a maximum speed of 45W via USB-C, although it didn't reach those speeds with any of the devices I tested. It topped out at around 38W when connected to the iPhone 17 Pro Max and 33W when connected to the Pixel 10 Pro XL, both of which advertise higher wired speeds (the Iniu SnapGo Air topped out at 39W). The Baseus also reached 39.1W when plugged into my MacBook Air M2, which isn't far from its advertised power, 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.
Other Qi2.2 batteries I tested
- Sharge's Icemag 3 (39.1 Wh) is the coolest battery of the seven I tested, and it offers excellent wireless and wired charging speeds (25 W and 30 W, respectively). No issues here, but it usually costs a lot more than the Baseus or Iniu model.
- Iniu's SnapGo Air (39.2 Wh) was almost our first choice thanks to its fast wired charging, its relatively low price and its LED screen indicating the 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 15 W / Wired charging speed: 30 W / Passthrough charging support: Yes / Ports: One USB-C port / Integrated cable: Yes, removable / Claimed battery capacity: 10,000 mAh, 38.5 Wh
I didn't expect one of the best performing batteries to be the cheapest model I called. The iWalk PowerHybrid is a 15W Qi2 charger that's bulkier than our top pick and, honestly, pretty cheap. But I can't argue with its charging speeds, or the fact that it's usually available for around $35, half the typical cost of the Baseus AM52. The PowerHybrid also includes a USB-C cable transformed into a lanyard; however, this one is fully detachable, unlike the Baseus one.
The iWalk charged the iPhone 17 Pro Max to 55% in an hour via Qi2 wireless charging. It also performed similarly to our Qi2.2 pick while charging the Pixel 10 Pro XL, delivering 46% of the phone's total charge in an hour (with 59% of the external battery's battery remaining). Yes, it's slower than the AM52, but ask yourself: is a 10% speed increase worth nearly double the price? No judgment if your answer is yes, but those who shake their heads are my kind of people.
Qi2 battery comparison
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 an hour of wired USB-C charging | After one hour of wireless charging | After an 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 Pixel 10 Pro XL to 90% and 85% in an hour, respectively. It also had no problem reaching its maximum 30W charging speeds across multiple devices, which, again, was the case with the AM52.
The iWalk battery has one pretty big quirk, though: it doesn't automatically turn on when you place a device on its magnetic surface. For Qi2 charging to work, its screen (which shows the remaining charge) must be on, requiring you to either press the power button or charge something via its USB-C port. It's not serious, but it might bother some people.
Other Qi2 batteries I tested
- The Anker MagGo Power Bank (38.5Wh) is heavy and luxurious, with a durable kickstand and a sleek display that shows remaining charge and charging time. But it's slow considering its hefty $90 price tag, handling 15W Qi2 charging and 27W USB-C.
- No other battery I have tested is as original and futuristic as the Aulumu M10 (36Wh). It supports Apple Watch charging, as well as USB-C charging and 15W Qi2 speeds, but it costs $90 and offers inconsistent wireless charging speeds.
- Statik's SmartCharge Gen 2 (38.5 Wh) offers what many people are probably 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 very expensive at $70, but it's very slow at charging devices.
Photography by Cameron Faulkner / The Verge
A note on efficiency and capacity
Batteries are convenient, but slower and less efficient than wired AC adapters. All the batteries I tested claim a capacity of 10,000 mAh. Milliamp-hours, unlike watt-hours, depend on battery voltage and therefore can be misleading. For example, the Anker MagGo 10K battery I tested is advertised as having a capacity of 10,000 mAh at 3.85 V, or 38.5 Wh of total energy. The Baseus battery I tested is advertised as having a capacity of 10,000 mAh. The fine print on its label reveals that its actual capacity is 5,000 mAh at 7.2 V, or 36 Wh. That's not to say it can only provide half the power of the Anker; it's actually only a little less. Watt-hours are what to look for. And anyway, none of this has anything to do with the output voltage of the Qi2 charger.
Wireless charging is also much less efficient than wired charging. Qi2 is the least bad, but still loses about a quarter of the battery power compared to charging via USB-C. If you want to get the most out of your battery, it comes fully wired. And finally, claimed charging speeds are typically measured under ideal laboratory conditions; In my testing, loading speeds were rarely as fast as advertised.
