Solid-state vs. graphene heat dissipation: Why my portable battery of choice is easy

2 hours ago 5
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pros and cons

Pros

  • Exceptionally bladed and light
  • Can complaint 2 devices simultaneously
  • Keeps chill adjacent erstwhile being utilized hard.

Cons

  • Aluminum and solid aren't peculiarly robust.

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There are galore "MagSafe" magnetic wireless artillery packs connected the market. Some are great, immoderate are assorted grades of dismal. And sometimes, devices are caput and shoulders supra the rest. These packs are well-built, utilizing prime components, and assembled with care.

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The Momax Q.Mag X is 1 specified powerfulness bank. It's thin, it's light, it's stylish, and it's chill -- successful each consciousness of the word. And it's efficaciously replaced the solid-state artillery pack I've been utilizing for months. Here's why.

It's a good-looking powerfulness bank

The Q.Mag X is simply a 5,000 mAh/19.35 Wh powerfulness slope that magnetically clamps to your iPhone to complaint it up portion you're connected the move. The capableness is specified that it won't gully attraction astatine airports, and the CCC logo means that it volition adjacent marque it past the stringent information astatine Chinese airports. 

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The portion has a premium look and feels bully successful the hand, acknowledgment to its solid and aluminum construction. It's not the astir robust powerfulness slope connected the marketplace -- for that, you request thing similar the Nitecore NW5000 oregon the Dark Energy Poseidon Nano -- but if bully looks are what you're after, this is the instrumentality for you.

One of the fewer  powerfulness  banks that comes with a polishing cloth.

One of the fewer powerfulness banks that comes with a polishing cloth.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

But there's much to the Q.Mag X than bully looks. And to support it looking good, the slope adjacent comes with a microfiber polishing cloth.

Thin, light, and cool

First off, it's thin. In fact, it's spookily thin, astatine lone 8.3 mm/0.33 inches. That's the thickness of a pencil, and it's lone fractionally thicker than the thinnest constituent connected an iPhone 17, which is 7.95 mm/0.31 inches thick.

It's a beauteous  powerfulness  bank!

It's a beauteous powerfulness bank.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

The slope is besides precise lightweight, astatine lone 125 g/4.4 oz, making it lone 5 g/0.18 oz heavier than the c fiber-clad Nitecore NW5000. 

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On the beforehand is simply a 15W Qi2-compatible wireless charger that works with iPhones ranging from the 12 to 17 series, AirPods with the wireless charging case, and Android handsets with wireless charging. For everything else, there's a 20W USB-C larboard connected the bottom. And bully quality for those with much than 1 instrumentality -- the powerfulness slope supports simultaneous wireless and wired charging. 

It besides supports pass-through charging, truthful you tin complaint a wireless instrumentality arsenic the powerfulness slope charges, which is cleanable for overnight charging. The portion supports each fashionable charging protocols, and it has the accustomed built-in information features. 

The Momax Q.Mag X is lone  8.3 mm/0.33 inches thick!

The Momax Q.Mag X is lone 8.3 mm/0.33 inches thick.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

The Q.Mag X is besides chill during use, amazingly truthful for a 15W MagSafe powerfulness bank, which tin sometimes consciousness similar manus warmers. This instrumentality lone ever got somewhat lukewarm astatine most. The Amazon listing mentioned graphene vigor dissipation, which wouldn't astonishment maine successful the least, arsenic determination were nary blistery spots connected the portion either portion charging oregon being charged (I'll get backmost to this country successful a bit).

I truly similar the Q.Mag X. I cognize it's conscionable a powerfulness bank, but it's truthful good made. The instrumentality perfectly combines quality and functionality. I've enjoyed utilizing it for the past fewer weeks erstwhile retired and about.

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Which is wherefore the adjacent spot broke my heart. Yes, I needed to spot if the powerfulness slope utilized graphene for cooling, and determination was lone 1 mode to find out. 

Time to instrumentality     a look   inside!

Time to instrumentality a look inside.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

Time to ace it open

It was clip to get the spudger out, beryllium destructive, and look wrong (I cognize I shouldn't beryllium utilizing a metallic spudger adjacent a unrecorded lithium-ion battery, but I've been doing this for years). I regretted having to bash this task, but it had to beryllium done. 

It took immoderate   getting into!

This instrumentality took immoderate getting into.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

I learned a fewer things.

First, yes, the artillery has a graphene coating. Graphene looks similar achromatic paint, but it's a signifier of c with fantabulous thermal conductivity and infrared emissivity, truthful it's sprayed onto metals, plastics, and electronics to dispersed and dissipate heat. 

That achromatic  coating connected  the artillery  is graphene, a large  worldly  for dissipating heat.

That achromatic coating connected the artillery is graphene, a large worldly for dissipating heat.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

I besides recovered retired that the portion is precise good built. It took immoderate getting into, and there's ample sealant, adhesive, and thermal silicone keeping it together. 

Well, it's ne'er  going backmost  together!

Try putting this instrumentality backmost together.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

Also, Momax hasn't skimped connected the parts that you can't see. The components utilized are top-notch, and it's been enactment unneurotic well.  

ZDNET's buying advice

I've tested a batch of wireless powerfulness banks, but the Momax Q.Mag X is simply a standout, some extracurricular and in. And for conscionable nether $30 (the terms varies depending connected the deals available), it's a steal. You should particularly see 1 if you often find yourself successful heated environments that tin enactment batteries successful danger.

If you request much power, Momax person a scaled-up 10,000 mAh version. Same quality, much capacity, for little than $10 more.  

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