You will not run out of options if you go browsing the web for wireless power banks. However, many of us are waiting for the Qi2 chargers to show up, which will bring additional features like magnetic locking and faster charging speeds. And while those have yet to arrive as power banks in India, many who require the wire-free convenience of on-the-go charging will have to go with the standard Qi chargers (and their limitations). I recently received a wireless charger made by Urbn for review. What makes it interesting is its small form factor, which is barely visible even behind a standard-sized iPhone model. However, after a few weeks of use, I discovered a number of limitations that make it hard to recommend this model when compared to other offerings available in India.
Urbn 5,000mAh Compact MagTag Wireless Power Bank Review: Design and specifications
The Urbn 5,000 mAh Compact MagTag Wireless Power Bank, henceforth referred to as the Urbn MagTag charger, comes with some interesting features. Key among them is its small and well-rounded pebble-like design, which has a really tiny footprint measuring just 9cm x 6.3cm, with a thickness of 1.6cm. It’s also very light at just 121 grams. While its outer shell is made of plastic, its outer surface is coated with a rubber-like texture, which offers a good grip and feels solid with no unwanted gaps. However, I noticed that the area on the charging pad is a proper dust magnet and gets quite messy after some usage.
LED battery charge indicators only reveal an estimate of battery life
The power bank has just one button on its back which is flanked by two LED indicators to display the amount of charging power left in the batteries. Unlike most other wireless power banks that I have used, the charging process does not activate upon placing a smartphone on the charging pad but only upon pressing the button.
While it was something I had to keep reminding myself to do, it has its advantages as you can have the power bank snapped on the back of your iPhone all day but you can activate the wireless charging only when needed at the press of a button.
While the LEDs are a handy indicator of the internal battery’s current capacity, you have to keep in mind that it’s just an estimate. The power bank showing a single LED (instead of all four) indicates that it could be holding anything between 25 percent to 10 percent of its charging capacity. So, one glowing LED does not mean that it currently holds 25 percent of the battery pack’s charging capacity. I would honestly prefer a digital battery monitor display at the back, which would give users a more accurate idea about the charge left instead of such estimates.
The Urbn MagTag rarely aligns itself perfectly because of its weaker lower magnet
I tested this power bank only with an iPhone, as they pack smaller batteries. The manufacturer claims both on the box and on its website that it’s MagSafe compatible, but I have my doubts about it. The magnetic ring and the dash below it were not powerful enough to hold my iPhone 14 Pro firmly in place. The circular surface had a better hold and so very often the power bank kept rotating as the magnet below it never latched on the phone properly.
As its product name implies, the power bank offers a 5,000mAh power backup. However, Urbn also sells another model with a higher 10,000mAh capacity. Urbn claims to offer a maximum wireless charging output of 15W with 10W input via a USB-C port.
Urbn 5,000mAh Compact MagTag Wireless Power Bank Review: Performance
While the power bank’s design seemed to check all the boxes for a budget charger, it does not hit the mark or meet expectations when it comes to the actual charging process.
Since this is a “MagSafe compatible” charger, it’s not really capable of hitting the advertised “Maximum 15W” when charging an iPhone wirelessly, but is obviously limited to 7.5W. Then, one has to also keep in mind the expected power loss, which occurs when charging devices wirelessly.
Keeping the above two factors in mind, the Urbn MagTag could not even deliver a full charge for the iPhone 14 Pro’s 3,200 mAh battery. It managed a 23 percent charge in 30 minutes and then carried on to charge the phone to 46 percent in 1 hour. 2 hours later, the power bank finally gave up and stopped charging the phone at 80 percent, with one LED indicator glowing, hinting at an estimated 25 percent charge left in the tank.
The Urbn MagTag’s 5,000mAh battery cannot fully wirelessly charge an iPhone 14 Pro’s 3,200mAh battery
Quite disappointed, I decided to try charging the iPhone 14 Pro using its official cable plugged into the power bank’s USB-C port. This delivered better results. I fully charged the phone in 2 hours and 3 minutes, with barely enough juice left for another charge.
Once drained, the Urbn MagTag takes about two 2 hours and 25 minutes to fully charge.
Urbn 5,000mAh Compact MagTag Wireless Power Bank Review: Verdict
Overall, the Urbn MagTag in its 5,000mAh flavour (priced at Rs. 2,499) cannot be used to fully wirelessly charge an iPhone and clearly won’t do justice to premium Android devices which already pack in 5,000mAh batteries (for various reasons). Its usefulness as a wireless charger is basically limited to short top-up charges when placed in a pocket (thanks to its compact size), but I’m not sure if that will pan out well, given its slightly weaker magnets. The power bank also supports pass-through charging, which charges up both smartphones (wirelessly) while charging the batteries inside its power bank itself, so it can be used as a desk charger when connected to a power cable and an adapter.
Indeed, it makes better sense to go for the bigger (and thicker) 10,000mAh model (oddly priced at Rs. 2,199) as it packs in a higher capacity, which should, in theory, be able to deliver one full charge for a regular-sized iPhone. While the market is flooded with options, I would recommend the Daily Objects Surge Magnetic MagSafe Battery Pack instead, as it offers plenty of features (and a better design) at a slightly higher price tag of Rs. 5,999.
Price: Rs. 2,499
Pros:
- Small and compact design
- USB-C port
- On/off button
- Doubles up as a desktop charger
Cons:
- LED indicators show the estimated charge left
- Magnets are a bit weak
- Cannot deliver one full charge
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