Xiaomi Magnetic Power Bank 6000mAh Review: MagSafe Power Bank

Xiaomi sells almost everything, from air fryers to fans and smartphones, so it was inevitable that power banks would follow. Curiously, the company's own handsets are not compatible with magnetic wireless charging, yet the Magnetic Power Bank 6000mAh is aimed squarely at phones that do charge wirelessly and, first and foremost, at Apple's iPhone. The formula is straightforward: 6000 mAh of capacity tucked inside a slim, elegant and light block. Convenience is the selling point, and the design work is genuine, although the emphasis on styling occasionally overshadows more fundamental priorities.

The look is minimalist and very likeable. The Magnetic Power Bank 6000mAh is sold in a single beige colourway; there is no attempt here to reproduce the Apple-specific orange used on the UltraThin Magnetic Power Bank 5000 15 W.

In keeping with that restraint, the only marking on the body is a discreet pictogram indicating wireless-charging compatibility. Connectivity is pared back to the bare minimum: a single USB-C port, a power button with one LED, and a second LED on the left-hand edge that confirms wireless charging is running. That really is all, which is a rarity among power banks. In particular, there is no precise charge indicator — no four-LED array, for instance — to show how much energy is left in the pack.

The Magnetic Power Bank 6000mAh compensates for those omissions with one clever idea. Its "nano-tech leather" back folds out into a kickstand, so the battery can double as a prop for the phone it is charging. The execution is sensible: the panel is rigid yet thin enough not to add meaningful bulk, and the assembly feels balanced, with no sense that a phone on charge might topple the arrangement. When the panel is folded flat, the leather tab that holds the stand in place doubles as a grip loop.

At 10.5 x 6.8 x 1.5 cm the battery is compact, although that is relative. Its measurements are practically identical to those of Anker's MagGo Power Bank 10K Slim, which packs 10,000 mAh where the Xiaomi holds 6000 mAh. The Xiaomi does claw back an advantage on the scales, at 182 g, which makes it well suited to carrying around all day.

The materials are pleasant in the hand. The edges are plastic, but the magnetic face is covered in a soft-touch material and the leather back gives a secure grip. Xiaomi describes the finishes as stain- and wear-resistant; even so, the company has not found the magic formula for stopping dust and hair clinging stubbornly to the surfaces.

Given how little capacity is on offer — rivals generally opt for 10,000 mAh, enough to completely refill a recent-generation Android smartphone — the Magnetic Power Bank 6000mAh cannot afford to deliver much less than it advertises. Fortunately, measurement returned 5388 mAh, a loss limited to around 10 per cent. That is a good result, because competing packs tend to shed more than 15, and sometimes 20, per cent of their stated capacity.

In practice the pack is designed to top up other devices, provided those devices carry fairly small batteries. It is enough for 1.08 charges of a Galaxy S24 Ultra (or a Galaxy S26 Ultra, which also carries 5000 mAh), 1.65 charges of an iPhone 15 Pro, or 1.25 charges of a Nintendo Switch. Anyone hoping to refill an iPad will get only a brief reprieve.

This is not a battery that sets out to be powerful, and there is a clear reason for that: it is not compatible with the Qi 2.2 standard, which allows outputs of up to 25 W. It sticks to Qi 2, which does not exceed 15 W, along with Apple's equivalent, MagSafe. In everyday terms, there is no formidable turn of speed to expect, particularly as devices without MagSafe support are limited to 7.5 W. What it does provide is a stop-gap that lets you carry on using the phone while it charges. It is also possible to recharge the battery itself while wireless charging is in use — by resting the phone on the pack in stand mode, for example.

Xiaomi makes no extravagant claims. Where wireless and wired charging run at the same time, the total is capped at 10 W. Over a cable, which was the mode tested, Xiaomi promises 18 W, and the measured figures came out at 11.38 W at 5 V and 19.93 W at 9 V, so the promise is kept. The Magnetic Power Bank itself accepts a 20 W input, and a full recharge takes at least two hours.

Xiaomi's battery runs into Ugreen's MagFlow 10000mAh, which is admittedly a little more expensive but is more powerful, adds an integrated cable and includes a control screen. Anker's MagGo Power Bank 10K Slim is also pricier, yet earns its place by supporting Qi 2.2 and offering greater capacity in a body practically the same size as the Xiaomi's. If your budget stretches a little further, both of those models are sound choices.

The Magnetic Power Bank 6000mAh is a practical pack to use, aimed principally at iPhones using MagSafe charging. The kickstand system is well thought out and the usable capacity lives up to the specification sheet, but the power output is too limited and there is no indicator of the charge level, an omission that is hard to justify on a product otherwise so carefully considered in its ergonomics. Xiaomi does, however, lead with a low price, and in the world of wireless power banks that is an undeniable asset.