Power banks are great until you actually have to carry one. Plenty of models add enough weight and thickness to make a phone feel awkward, especially when attached magnetically.
Baseus is taking a different approach with the PicoGo Air, a new 5,000mAh magnetic power bank that measures just 6.9mm thick. That makes it the thinnest model in the company’s PicoGo lineup.
The capacity is not huge, but that is really not the point. This is meant for quick top-ups during the day, not for keeping a laptop and three phones alive during a weekend camping trip.
Baseus says the PicoGo Air uses semi-solid-state battery cells inside an aluminum-alloy body. The charging surface is made from fire-resistant glass fiber, while graphene and aerogel insulation help control heat.
There is also a temperature-monitoring system that checks conditions as many as 18,000 times per hour. That number sounds excessive, but extra attention to heat is probably not a bad thing when a battery is sitting directly against the back of a phone.
The PicoGo Air includes NFC support as well. Tapping a compatible phone against it opens battery information in the Baseus app, including temperature, battery health, and charge-cycle count.
For people who care more about capacity than slimness, Baseus also offers the PicoGo AM52. It has a 10,000mAh battery, a built-in USB-C cable, up to 25W Qi2.2 magnetic wireless charging, and up to 45W wired charging. It can power as many as three devices at once.
The AM52 is clearly the more practical choice for travel or heavier use. Still, the PicoGo Air is probably the more interesting product. A power bank people actually carry is more useful than a larger one left sitting in a drawer.
The Baseus PicoGo Air is available from Amazon for $69.99 in black and silver. Meanwhile, the PicoGo AM52 is priced at $69.99.
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