Beaver Electronics Co. has debuted a unique fast-charging external battery for the iPhone, which it's dubbed "Quarter," because it takes less than a quarter of the time to charge compared to a normal external battery. The secret lies in the charging method -- Quarter has a built-in MagSafe port that allows it to be connected to MacBook's MagSafe Power Adapter.

Apple does not allow third-party companies to use its MagSafe technology, so Quarter has been created without Apple's permission and with components Apple likely would not approve of, but its super fast charging capabilities are undeniably enticing.

quarterwithmagsafe
Design wise, Quarter is similar in size to an iPhone 6 Plus. It's just as wide and a bit shorter, but quite thick and heavy. It's 12.5mm thick and it weighs 180 grams. It's made from aluminum and has an an extra lip at the top with a hole that could be attached to a bag or backpack, but given its size, I'm not sure anyone would want to use it that way so that extra bit of material is extraneous and an unusual design choice.

quarterexternaldesign
There are four indicator lights on the Quarter that are lit by a built-in LED. These lights let you know how much power is left, activated by shaking or tapping the Quarter. A shake or a tap is also how the Quarter is turned on to begin charging a device it's plugged in to.

quarterleds
On one end of the Quarter, there's a MagSafe port, a USB port, and a micro-USB port. The USB port can be used to charge an iPhone or other iOS device, while the micro-USB port and the MagSafe port are both used to charge the Quarter itself. Charging with MagSafe is fast, but if the only available option is a micro-USB cable, it's also able to charge that way. As seen in the photo below, the ports on the Quarter don't quite line up, which is an unfortunate design decision.

quarterports
The Quarter claims to charge much faster with MagSafe than an external battery that's charged over micro-USB, and in my testing, that was an accurate claim. It has a 5,000mAh battery and after draining it completely, it took about 35 minutes to charge to full capacity. I plugged it in at 3:35 p.m. and it was full just before 4:10 pm using a Retina MacBook Pro MagSafe Power Adapter. You'll need to supply all of your own cables, of course.

quarteriphonesizecomparison
With a full charge, Quarter was able to charge my iPhone 6s Plus from a totally dead battery to 100 percent in two hours and 15 minutes. Charging my iPhone 6s Plus to fill used up approximately 3/4ths of the battery (with one bar left on the indicator), leaving enough to also charge my iPad from 78 percent to 87 percent. At that point, the battery pack was exhausted.

While the Quarter only has enough capacity to provide one charge for the iPhone 6s Plus, it will be able to provide more power to the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6s, both of which have smaller batteries than Apple's larger devices. It will charge an iPad Air 2 or another iPad, but likely not to full.

According to the Quarter's advertising, it can garner enough power to charge an iPhone 5s after just 15 minutes of charging. This was also accurate. After draining the battery, I charged the Quarter for 15 minutes and then plugged it into a completely dead iPhone 5s. It was able to charge the iPhone 5s to full on that single 15 minute charge.

quarterwithmagsafeenhance
Charging the Quarter via MagSafe caused it to become uncomfortably hot, which was concerning. I wasn't able to measure the temperature, but it was hot enough that I wouldn't want to touch it or hold it in my hand when it's charging. When charging via micro-USB or when used to charge an iPhone, it stays cool to the touch.

To achieve fast charging via MagSafe, Beaver Electronics designed Quarter with a battery core voltage of 7.4V and redesigned the internal circuit. "We managed to reduce the internal resistance by optimizing the Li-Ion polymer battery," reads the site.

Beaver Electronics is also selling an optional MagSafe car charger that can be used to speedily charge the Quarter in the car. Though it has a MagSafe connector on the end, it's not suitable for charging a MacBook in the car.

quartercarcharger

Bottom Line

Quarter does exactly what it claims to do. It works with MagSafe and it charges in a fraction of the time that it takes standard external batteries to charge. Being able to charge an external battery enough to charge an iPhone 5s in 15 minutes or an iPhone 6s Plus in 30 minutes is undeniably useful.

On the downside, this is not an Apple-sanctioned product. Apple does not let third-party companies use its MagSafe technology, and there's certainly a chance that Apple could get sales of the product shut down.

quarterdesignfinal
Quarter is limited to 5,000mAh and it is rather large comparative to some of the other solutions that are on the market, but its relatively inexpensive pre-order price tag and its fast charging capabilities make it worth the cost.

Pros:

  • Charges fast
  • Enough capacity for a full iPhone 6s Plus charge
  • Optional car charger
  • Reasonably priced

Cons:

  • Not Apple approved
  • Gets hot when charging
  • Somewhat bulky

How to Buy

Quarter is available for pre-order from crowd-funding site Pozible for $39. The company plans to begin shipping orders out in the middle of November.

Top Rated Comments

Dan-- Avatar
130 months ago
I think it's biggest issue is the heat generated. That doesn't speak well to product longevity, nor safety.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ignatius345 Avatar
130 months ago
Let's be clear here, it's not MagSafe, it's MagSafe 2. Which means even though I have four MacBook Pros and five MagSafe power adapters in my house right now, this wouldn't be compatible with any of them without a MagSafe to MagSafe 2 adapter. Because as of yet I've had no good reason to buy any new MacBooks when mine are holding up just fine even after being 5-7 years old.
Oh no. They lost the "I never upgrade my electronics" market segment.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Aston441 Avatar
130 months ago
The MagSafe patent is BS, there's fifty years of prior art, but no little battery company can go up against Apple's hired guns.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RedBear Avatar
130 months ago
Let's be clear here, it's not MagSafe, it's MagSafe 2. Which means even though I have four MacBook Pros and five MagSafe power adapters in my house right now, this wouldn't be compatible with any of them without a MagSafe to MagSafe 2 adapter. Because as of yet I've had no good reason to buy any new MacBooks when mine are holding up just fine even after being 5-7 years old. If this doesn't come with an adapter that will be an extra expense for tens of millions of potential buyers who own the older Mac portables with the original MagSafe connector. ($19.95 on Amazon, down from its original price of $29.99).

Not sure what legal rights Apple really has to stop them using the MagSafe style connectors, but it seems like it would have been much smarter to design something like this to have a USB Type-C connector since USB Type-C is supposed to handle up to 100W and is poised to become a universal standard connector. The MacBook Pro MagSafe power adapter is at best rated for 85W and regular MacBook/MacBook Air adapters are something like 65W or 45W. Plus it's proprietary.

That being said, the idea of a power bank that charges much faster and has higher internal voltage so that it can also charge the end devices faster is all very appealing. And I'm actually quite shocked at the $39 price. With its supposedly advanced Lithium-Polymer battery design, nice body construction and fast-charging capabilities I would have guessed at least $79 even for an early bird supporter price. Not sure how they can do this for just $39. If it's legit it seems like a pretty good deal for what you get.

One thing I don't like is that the linked page doesn't specify anywhere that I can see what the total mAh capacity is, although by the slickness of the rest of presentation this might just be a marketing decision, an attempt to keep things simple. All other relevant specs are listed though. If it takes about 7 hours to charge at 5V/1A, how does that translate into total mAh?

EDIT: Doh. Didn't read the MacRumors article carefully enough. I says 5,000mAh. Seems a bit small, there are a lot of 10,000mAh power banks available, though they don't have this quick-charge capability generally so I guess it depends on your use case which would be better in the end.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Benjamin Frost Avatar
130 months ago
This sounds impressive.

However, won't it quickly kill batteries from charging them so fast?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
appledefenceforce Avatar
130 months ago
I've bought a few unauthorized accessories in China and they all work well and are a fraction of the price and better. I have a 15" lightening cable. Paid like $2 for it and went out on a date with the sales girl lol

Apple likes to make out like the Chinese Apple accessories are ridiculously inferior. Some may be, but I've never run across any issues. Apple accessory prices are ridiculous.
People die from electrocution when using cheap Chinese charger. I guess when you "see" the problem we won't see you on here to report it. Just saying.

Looks very cool. I hope they will be successful!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Tuesday October 7, 2025 11:27 am PDT by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, prior-generation AirPods Pro 2, and the AirPods 4 models. The firmware has a build number of 8A358, up from 8A356. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the prior 8A356 update added iOS 26 features to the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4 with ANC. The software introduced better audio quality ...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.1 Beta 2

Monday October 6, 2025 3:54 pm PDT by
Apple released the second beta of iOS 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1, introducing useful changes to alarms, multitasking on the iPad, and more. There are also subtle tweaks to some of the Liquid Glass design elements as Apple continues to refine iOS 26. Alarms and Timers Alarms set using the Clock app now have a slide to stop button rather than a tap to stop button on the Lock Screen. To snooze an...
john ternus on stage

Gurman: Major Apple Leadership Shakeup Impending With John Ternus as Next CEO

Monday October 6, 2025 6:21 am PDT by
Apple is entering its most significant leadership transition in more than a decade as multiple senior executives prepare to depart and CEO Tim Cook begins to shape the company's next generation of leaders, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained that Jeff Williams, who was viewed as Cook's potential successor for several...
ios 26 1 slide to stop

Apple Fixes Alarms in iOS 26.1

Monday October 6, 2025 11:56 am PDT by
With the second beta of iOS 26.1, Apple updated the design of alarms set on the iPhone, making them harder to dismiss than before. Stopping an alarm in iOS 26.1 beta 2 requires a new Slide to Stop gesture rather than a simple tap. You can continue to tap to snooze an alarm, but if you want to turn it off entirely, you need to use a swipe. Transitioning from a tap to a slide gesture to...
ipad mini 7 feature blue

iPad Mini 8 on the Way: Expected Features and Release Timeline

Monday October 6, 2025 5:05 am PDT by
A new iPad mini is "absolutely" on the way, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. So what should we expect from the successor to the iPad mini 7 that Apple released a year ago? Processor and Performance Apple is working on a next-generation version of the iPad mini (codename J510/J511) that features the A19 Pro chip, according to information found in code that Apple mistakenly shared in...
tag heuer made for iphone

New TAG Heuer Smartwatches Now 'Made for iPhone'

Wednesday October 8, 2025 8:41 am PDT by
TAG Heuer today announced the Connected Calibre E5 smartwatch, now featuring "Made for iPhone" certification as the watchmaker abandons Google's Wear OS. Three years after launching the Calibre E4, the Connected Calibre E5 comes in two case sizes: 45mm and a new, more compact 40mm. They are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 5100+. The 45mm model features a 1.39-inch AMOLED display, while ...
macbook pro pink

M5 MacBook Pro Could Launch in October as M4 Model Faces Supply Constraints

Monday October 6, 2025 3:23 pm PDT by
Supplies of the 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro model appear to be constrained amid rumors that an upgraded M5 model could launch as soon as this year. As noted by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, custom configurations of the M4 MacBook Pro model have a delayed shipping date and will not be delivered to customers until October 23 to 28. The restricted supply could be an indication that Apple is planning to...
iphone 17 magsafe silicon rings 1

Apple Modifies In-Store MagSafe Stands to Prevent iPhone 17 Marks

Wednesday October 8, 2025 4:41 am PDT by
Apple has quietly added a protective silicone ring to its in-store MagSafe charging stands following reports of marks appearing on some iPhone 17 series display models, according to Consomac. The apparent move comes after Apple last month confirmed that worn MagSafe chargers in retail stores were causing what appeared to be scratches on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. There have...
iOS 26 Feature

iOS 26.1 to iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Wednesday October 1, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
iOS 26 was released last month, but the software train never stops, and iOS 26.1 beta testing is already underway. So far, iOS 26.1 makes both Apple Intelligence and Live Translation on compatible AirPods available in additional languages, and it includes some other minor changes across Apple Music, Calendar, Photos, and Safari. More features and changes will follow in future versions,...