The idea of a power bank with a magnetic wireless attachment has always caught my attention. The idea is absolutely elegant – you get the luxury of extra power without dealing with tangled charging cables. Most third-party wireless power banks usually come with a 10,000mAh battery capacity and offer an additional connecting cable as a supplement (if the magnetic bit fails). These accessories are usually bulky and hinder the mobility of an already slim smartphone.
There has been an antidote, however, existing for years that nobody paid attention to. Apple’s MagSafe power bank for the iPhones has been packaged in a slim body, complete with a magnetic wireless attachment. As a concept, it works completely fine – it’s slim enough to stealthily attach to the back of a slim iPhone.
The only flaw? It doesn’t hold enough power. That’s where Xiaomi steps in with a clever idea.
Most smartphone makers are using the silicon-carbon battery chemistry to make modern smartphones retain their slimness while expanding the battery capacity. Xiaomi used the same for its powerbank. The result is Xiaomi’s Ultrathin Magnetic Power Bank, which manages to be just 6mm thin and weigh only 98 grams, while promising a full charge for a regular Android phone with a 5,000mAh battery.
Less of a powerbank, more of a card holder
The ultra-slim profile comes down to its silicon-carbon anode battery technology. By swapping out standard lithium-ion designs, Xiaomi crammed 5,000mAh of typical energy into a lightweight aluminium alloy shell paired with a fibreglass wireless charging surface. It feels solid in the hand, looks premium, and looks like an expensive accessory in the Glacier Silver.
To test out this slim power tank, I kept attaching it to two of my favourite phones – the iPhone Air and a Google Pixel 11 Pro. Two phones that luckily feature the MagSafe charging feature in my collection.
The magnetic hold is surprisingly strong on its own, snapping securely into place. With a thin MagSafe-compatible case, it locked on firmly without shifting. Standard cases thicker than 2.5mm (the silicon cases) severely degraded the magnetic pull. Google Pixel users will definitely need a MagSafe-compatible case or adapter ring to get that snap-on alignment working properly.
Real-world charging speeds
While Xiaomi advertises up to 15W wireless charging, that peak output is primarily tailored for Xiaomi’s own flagship devices. On my iPhone and Pixel, wireless output capped out at standard 7.5W Qi speeds (the iPhone showed “slow charging”). Plugging in via the USB-C port bumps speeds up to 22.5W, but using a cable defeats the purpose of buying a magnetic wireless charger. In practical testing, wireless charging pushed my phone battery from 20% to 41% in about 20 minutes—a steady, deliberate top-up rather than a rapid speed-charge.
However, when charging something like a Google Pixel 11 Pro, which has a 4,850mAh battery, the powerbank exhausts itself completely without fully charging it up. This is a drawback, considering regular bulky wireless powerbanks can fill up the same phone at least twice. Note that the process of wireless charging leads to a loss of a certain amount of charge via heat, and a slim chassis allows little space for heat dissipation.
In essence, consider this powerbank as more of a lifesaver in emergency situations, when you get just enough power to make a payment, or maybe make it home in the wee hours while your phone’s battery is dying. It won’t charge up the battery fully, but it will do enough to get you going for a while. And it can fit in your wallet!
Our quick verdict
At a price point of Rs 5,599 for Xiaomi’s Ultrathin Magnetic Power Bank, you aren’t paying for raw speed or maximum usable capacity. With a rated output capacity around 3,000mAh, it won’t fully juice a dead Pro-sized iPhone back to 100%. Instead, you are paying a premium for extreme portability, featherlight carry, minimal bulk, and, most importantly, style.