Belkin today is launching the first power bank with Lightning input to be officially certified under Apple's MFi licensing program, assuring that the product meets Apple's standards for quality and compatibility. Belkin's BOOST↑CHARGE Power Bank 10K with Lightning Connector, priced at $59.99, offers 10,000 mAh of charging power and is recharged over a Lightning connector using either a USB-to-Lightning cable or a compatible Lightning dock sold separately.
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On the output side, the Power Bank 10K with Lightning includes a pair of USB-A ports, one at 2.4A for faster charging of iPhones and iPads and one at 1A for slower charging. A button-activated set of four LEDs on the top of the Power Bank shows the current charge level, and the button also lets you toggle between charging input and output modes if needed.
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While power banks most commonly use micro-USB for charging input and a few are shifting over to USB-C, Lightning offers the benefit of needing only a single cable to both charge the battery pack and use the battery pack to charge your phone. If you've got a Lightning dock on your desk, you may also be able to use that to recharge the power bank, although it is significantly thicker than an iPhone so not all docks will be able to accommodate the power bank.
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The Power Bank 10K measures about 6 inches long, around 2.75 inches wide, and a little under 0.75 inches thick, so it's slightly smaller but substantially thicker than a Plus-sized iPhone. It weighs a little over 8 ounces, about 25 percent more than a Plus-sized iPhone.
In my testing, the power bank worked well, efficiently charging an iPhone connected to the 2.4A USB port. It also appeared to be able to maintain rated charging speeds with devices connected to both USB ports simultaneously. Recharging the power bank took three hours or so when connected to an iPad charger.
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Beyond standard power banks, the launch of the first MFi-certified Lightning battery may also bode well for future similar accessories from other manufacturers, including the possibility of iPhone battery cases with Lightning input, a product family long requested by users.
Belkin's $59.99 BOOST↑CHARGE Power Bank 10K with Lightning Connector will be available in black or white and is available for pre-order starting today through Belkin. It should begin shipping around the beginning of August.
For peace of mind, the BOOST↑CHARGE Power Bank 10K with Lightning Connector includes Belkin's $2500 Connected Equipment Warranty, offering protection for any equipment damaged by power spikes or surges while properly connected to the power bank.
Note: Belkin provided a sample of the Power Bank 10K with Lightning Connector to MacRumors free of charge for the coverage purposes. No other compensation was received. MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Belkin and may earn commissions on purchases made through links in this article.
Top Rated Comments
USB-C can charge power banks faster, a USB-C to Lightning cable can charge a phone faster, and wireless is starting to take root with the promise of faster charging to come.
I envision a future power bank with a fast Qi charger, but if we’re stuck with Lightning we might as well take advantage of fast charging USB-C tech.
That said, WHY would they do one port at 1 amp and 1 at 2 amps? WHY make it complicated?
How so?
Apple is not killing Lightning in favor of USB-C, lol. And they likely won't until they go fully wireless for charging. Apple is using USB-C to Lightning in upcoming iPhone models. Nobody seems to understand that Apple isn't switching to USB-C in iOS devices because USB-C is nearly twice as thick as Lightning and it's a more fragile connector with the center piece that can snap off. Lightning is solid and thin and can take higher charging rates once it's supported in hardware.
What makes you think Lightning has limited time left? True wireless charging is still several years away at a minimum. Until then we have the Lightning port.
The basic power control chips that 90% of all these battery packs use only supports a certain maximum output in W. Usually I see 18W max output is the limit on the battery packs of roughly 10,000mah size. So that's 3.6A total at 5V. My bet is the 1A port is actually 1.2A, as they usually are.
Putting in smart switching USB ports adds expense to the control circuit, so they just do the lazy/cheap thing and split it as 1.2A (6W) and 2.4A (12W), which are roughly the power outputs of the stock Apple chargers for iPhone and iPad (5W and 10W).
Splitting it as 9W each, making an equal 1.8A per port doesn't make much sense because it's neither here nor there. It's more power than needed to charge an iPhone at a normal speed but less power than needed to charge an iPad at the normal speed. This way, you have at least one port capable of charging an iPad.
Even good reputable companies like Anker sometimes do this. Their 20,000mah battery pack has a 12W output and an 18W output (2.4A and 3.6A).
Though honestly, for $60, Belkin shouldn't have cheaped out on the controller circuit. They should have both ports supporting 2.4A at least.