If you are looking for a small one today powerbanku to the iPhone, you will probably see various MagSafe models popping up at you from all sides, which actually makes sense at first glance. In my experience, clipping a power bank to the back of the phone is very convenient, elegant, and at first glance, therefore everything seems like an ideal solution. However, after several years of using various wireless power banks, I began to realize more and more that wireless charging brings convenience, but at the same time it loses a surprisingly large amount of energy.
That's why I was interested in the new FIXED Zen 5 Plug-in. On paper, it's a relatively inconspicuous power bank with a capacity of 5000 mAh, which connects directly to the phone via USB-C.oneSo you could almost say that this power bank is old school, so to speak. However, after using it for a few weeks, I quickly discovered that its greatest strength lies in its simplicity.
Technical specifications, processing and design
FIXED Zen 5 Plug-in is a compact power bank with a capacity of 5000 mAh that supports fast Power Delivery charging with a power of up to 20 W. It charges via USB-C and the sameonewhich also serves for direct connection to the phone, eliminating the need to carry a cable with you, which is something I quickly grew to like.
In terms of design, this is a very inconspicuous product. The manufacturer did not try to come up with any design experiments and focused on practicality, which in my opinion is the right way. This is also why the power bank is small enough to fit comfortably in your pocket, but at the same time it looks sturdy and high-quality. You will also be pleased with the integrated flip-up stand, thanks to which you can iPhone while charging, you can place it on a table and comfortably watch videos, make video calls or read messages. By the way, the stand is one of the features that at first glance does not seem essential, but after a few days of use you will find that you use it more often than you expected. At least in my case it was.
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Testing
The biggest question, of course, was how the FIXED Zen 5 Plug-in would perform in practice, and I'll tell you right away that it pleasantly surprised me. I've used several 5000 mAh wireless MagSafe power banks in recent years, and they all had one thing in common. Although they offered the same capacity on paper, in reality I never got as much power from them as I expected (or rather, as much as one would probably wish). In most cases, they managed to charge iPhone about once more and that was it.
The reason is simple. Wireless charging is convenient, but at the same time relatively inefficient. Some of the energy is lost during transmission and some is converted into heat. The result is that the actual usable capacity is often significantly lower than the number on the box would indicate. This ultimately means that if you wanted to ensure real energy comfort, you had to oversize the capacity of the power bank you purchased, because otherwise you would just buy a backpack for your phone that will "feed" it only once, even though it has a higher capacity on paper.
However, the FIXED Zen 5 Plug-in uses a direct USB-C connection, which results in significantly less energy loss and the difference is really noticeable in practice. When tested with iPhoneThe 3998mAh m 17 Pro gave me one full charge and about a fifth more battery. At first glance, this may not sound like a dramatic difference, but when you're out and about all day and every percent of battery counts, it's a very nice bonus.
I was also pleased with the charging speed. Thanks to the 20W Power Delivery support, the phone charges noticeably faster than with regular wireless charging (except for the Qi2 25W standard, of course). If, for example, you need to quickly top up your energy for the rest of the day during lunch, the difference compared to wireless powerbancYou will recognize it immediately.
Another advantage is the method of use itself. Because the power bank is connected directly to the USB-C portu, you don't have to worry about the phone sitting properly on the back or possibly shifting while walking. Everything works simply and without any complications. Sure, you need to get used to operating the phone with the power bank connected and you also have to be careful not to accidentally break the USB-C, but I think that given the charging speed and capacity, these are things that can be tolerated. Because after all, this is really not a power bank that would be designed as something that you should ideally have connected to the back of your phone all the time, but on the contrary, as a quick "canister" for refueling your phone.
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Summary
For me, the FIXED Zen 5 Plug-in is a power bank that may not seem revolutionary at first glance, but after a few days of use it starts to make a lot of sense. It offers compact dimensions, fast 20W charging, a practical stand and, above all, much more efficient use of the available capacity than most wireless alternatives.
I consider the last point to be its biggest advantage. While wireless 5000mAh power banks often only manage one full charge of your phone, and even that is not exactly the rule, the FIXED Zen 5 Plug-in can get significantly more power to your phone thanks to the direct USB-C connection, which is something you will appreciate every time your battery starts to run low.
So if you're looking for a small power bank for a modern iPhone with USB-C and don't need MagSafe at all costs, I dare say that this is one of the most interesting choices in its category. Sometimes the most important thing is not how much power a power bank promises on paper, but how much it can actually deliver to your phone. And that's where the FIXED Zen 5 Plug-in excels.
