Solid-state batteries are the future. They’re more powerful, compact, safe, and sustainable than Lithium-ion alternatives, but true all-solid state batteries can’t be mass-produced cost-effectively. That’s why Kuxiu has gone semi-solid state for what it calls the “world’s safest” power bank, while calling dibs on it being a world first.

Kuxiu’s $79.99 S2 Qi2 5000mAh MagSafe Solid-State Power Bank supports Qi2 for 15W wireless charging. And with a 5,000mAh (19Wh) capacity, it holds enough energy to easily charge the latest iPhone 16 models – with batteries ranging from 3,561mAh to 4,685mAh – from zero to full at least once. And despite using the truncated “solid state” in the S2 name and product page, the company confirmed to me that it’s built around a semi-solid state battery and that distinction matters.

I’ve been carrying the Kuxiu S2 for the past few weeks. While I didn’t hammer, pierce, or tear the battery apart or expose it to fire like Kuxiu did, I can at least confirm that it otherwise works as expected.

“Solid state” ambiguity

It’s not just you, the battery industry itself can’t seem to agree on what qualifies as a solid-state battery. There’s all-solid state, se …

Read the full story at The Verge.