GoKawiilis a senior reporter who’s been covering and reviewing the latest gadgets and tech since 2006, but has loved all things electronic since he was a kid.
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Belkin is joining companies like BMX, Kuxiu, and Zens with the launch of its first power banks featuring semi-solid-state battery technology. The company claims the new accessories have been “engineered to last up to 3x longer than other power banks” with the addition of a “gel-like layer” alongside the liquid electrolyte typically found in lithium-ion batteries.
Other advantages of what Belkin is calling its BoostSolid Cell technology include a reduced risk of overheating that could cause swelling or fires and consistent power delivery across a wider temperature range. They’re more expensive than power banks with comparable specs, but a longer functional lifespan should outweigh the premium pricing.
Belkin’s new semi-solid-state wireless power bank maxes out at just 15W of power delivery, and even less when charging two devices. Image: Belkin
The UltraCharge Pro Slim Magnetic Power Bank 5K Qi2 15W with BoostSolid Cell is the smaller and cheaper option of Belkin’s two new power banks at $69.99. The company claims it’s 40 percent slimmer than other 5,000mAh power banks and is designed to magnetically hang on the back of compatible mobile devices and wirelessly deliver up to 15W of power. A USB-C charging port can also be used to power other devices at up to 22.5W, but charging two devices simultaneously drops the output to just 5W wirelessly and 12W with a USB-C cable.
You can charge up to three devices using Belkin’s 10,000mAh semi-solid-state power bank using two USB-C ports and a single USB-A port. Image: Belkin
The larger UltraCharge Pro Power Bank 10K 60W with BoostSolid Cell and Display offers twice the capacity with a 10,000mAh battery for an extra $20. The $89.99 power bank is also slimmer than competing options with similar capacities thanks to the increased energy density of its semi-solid-state battery tech. Power output maxes out at up to 60W when charging a single device over USB-C, but that drops when up to three devices are connected and charging using a pair of USB-C ports and a single USB-A port. And because putting screens on batteries is now en vogue, this one has a display showing charge level, power output, and the internal temperature.