The iPhone 16 line-up offers an impressive boost to battery life, but there are still occasions when our iPhone needs some help to make it through a long day.
If you can’t rely on being in one place long enough to top-up by cable, a portable battery pack can save the day. I tested out two very different battery-powered wireless chargers …
OneAdaptr OneGo
The OneAdaptr OneGo is a three-in-one charger for iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods.
It’s very cleverly designed, with a folded form factor for pocketability, and fold-out Watch and AirPods chargers. The AirPods charging pad doubles as a kickstand for the device.
At a little over 8.5 ounces, this is not a device you’re going to leave attached to your iPhone while you use it. The idea is that it provides a go-anywhere charging while you’re on the move. You could, for example, use it as a charging stand on a plane or train without the hassle and uncertainty of needing a power or USB socket.
For me, the airline scenario is one of the best arguments for this kind of device. Even if there is a power socket at your seat, it can be awkward to have a cable across your table, all the more so if you don’t have a window seat and anyone else needs to get past you during the flight.
I used it on a long return train journey where it kept my iPhone fully charged throughout both rides so that I was arriving at each end with a fully-charged phone.
Another potential usage scenario is an overnight stay, where it’s great to have the freedom to just put it on the nightstand without having to consider power socket placement. This would have been especially useful when I stayed in a place which only had a bedside power socket on one side.
The 10,000mAh capacity is enough to charge three devices at once. It’s unfortunately not MagSafe certified, so wireless charging is limited to 7.5W, but that’s not much of an issue when you are able to use it on the move – this is not a ‘charge as quickly as possible before boarding a plane’ scenario.
There is, though, a USB-C socket which offers 18W wired charging if required. The same socket is used to charge the pack itself, and it comes with a neat right-angled USB-C to USB-C cable to keep the cable neatly out of the way during charging.
I wasn’t so much of a fan of the previous version of the OneGo, where the charging stand was separate from the battery pack itself, but this all-in-one device is really neat. At $99, I think it’s decent value for the ultimate in charging flexibility.
I don’t own AirPods, but it’s also compatible with the wireless charging case for my Master & Dynamic MW09 in-ear headphones. The pack fully charged my iPhone 16 Pro Max, Apple Watch (yeah, I still haven’t gotten around to selling it) and MW09s overnight with one bar remaining.
The OneAdaptr OneGo is available from the company’s website for $99, with discounts for multiple units.
InfinaCore M3 Mini
The M3 Mini is kind of at the opposite end of the scale – a small and light battery pack which can be used either as a portable top-up charger, or left attached to your iPhone while in use.
At comfortably less than 2.5 inches by 1.5 inches by 0.5 inches, and weighing a touch less than four ounces, you can still comfortably hold your iPhone in your hand with the pack attached to the back of your case. But despite it’s compact form, it still delivers a respectable 5,200mAh capacity.
The M3 Mini can be used in the same way as the OneGo while on the move – either as a way to keep your iPhone fully charged for when you arrive, or for an overnight charge.
I tested it in both ways. It recharged my iPhone 16 Pro Max from almost empty overnight, and when left attached to power the phone it kept it at 100% charge for a little over nine hours with the screen on throughout that time and normal usage while mobile.
One feature I love is that there’s no need to press the power button: The M3 Mini senses when it has been attached to an iPhone and automatically switches itself on.
The InfinaCore M3 Mini is available from the company’s website for $59.99.
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