Uniq iPhone battery is also wireless charger and phone stand [Review]

The Uniq HydeAir isn’t your standard 10,000mAh external battery. Beyond USB-A and USB-C ports, it also lets you enjoy the benefits of wireless charging when traveling. And it even has a built-in stand for your phone.

Charge into our hands-on review to discover if HydeAir is right for you.

Uniq HydeAir review: Mobile battery with wireless charging

Despite being something of a mobile Swiss army knife, the HydeAir fits into a relatively small package. It measures 3.75 inches by 2.4 inches by 0.9 inches, and weighs 0.45 pounds (7.2 ounces). While not really pocketable, it slides easily into a gear bag or purse.

This battery offers an unusually wide array of charging options. On one end, you will find a USB Type-C port that can recharge the HydeAir and power up your iPhone or iPad. This offers up to 18 watts, which is the most an Apple handset or tablet can receive.

There’s also a USB Type-A port for sending 18 watts of power to other devices, as well as a micro-USB port as a second option for charging up this external battery.

And, of course, the top of the HydeAir offers wireless charging at up to 10 watts, though iPhone tops out at 7.5W. A small raised circle helps users know they have the right side. To be clear, this external battery cannot itself be wirelessly charged. It does support pass-through charging though, so this accessory can be plugged into a wall socket while also charging an iPhone.

My favorite part of Uniq’s battery is the LCD that displays the remaining charge as a percentage. Virtually all others offer rough approximations through blinking LEDs, but you know exactly how full the HydeAir is at any given moment.

A small power button on one side is necessary to activate any of the charging options, and the LCD, too.

An innovative addition from Uniq is ChargeView, a small stand that slides out of one side of this accessory. The handset does not wirelessly charge while in the stand, but you can hook up wires if the phone is in landscape mode. Portrait mode is also an option.

The stand held my iPhone XS Max quite securely, without needing to take off the case. It’s very useful for watching video on the go.

When it comes to appearance, Uniq offers this accessory in red, blue or black. The look is fine — a good balance between professional and fun.

Uniq HydeAir performance

The HydeAir offers 10,000 mAh (37 Wh), but we tested how that plays out in the real world. Over multiple charges through its USB-A port, this battery gave an iPhone XS Max a 191% charge. That handset packs a 3,174 mAh battery, so Uniq’s offering is 60% efficient, the same as all good consumer-grade batteries.

In simpler terms without all the details, our tests show you can expect the HydeAir to fully recharge your iPhone at least a couple of times. It can give a 12.9-inch iPad Pro a 60% boost.

Take careful note that this is only through a wired connection, though. Wireless charging wastes a lot of electricity. Our tests showed that it took roughly twice as much power to wirelessly charge an iPhone XS Max as with a USB connection.

The wireless charger goes up to 10 watts but iPhones only support 7.5 watts. Still, any Androids you might need charged will be happy.

As for charging speed, connecting the test iPhone XS Max through USB-A for an hour brought a 63% increase in battery level. An hour on the wireless charger brought a 37% bump to the battery.

The HydeAir can recharge up to three devices at once, but it can only output a total of 18 watts at any given time. That will be divided up between the various ports.

When it comes time to fill the HydeAir back up, three hours with an 18-watt wall charger brings it up roughly 90%.

Uniq HydeAir final thoughts

The HydeAir easily stands out from the pack of generic mobile batteries. Wireless charging would have done that on its own, but the LCD display showing the exact battery level, as well as the ChargeView built-in stand, make it truly a winner.

Pricing

Uniq is asking $49.95, which is a reasonable price for a 10,000 mAh battery with some nice extras.

Consider that the new Mophie Powerstation, which offers the same storage capacity but lacks the extra features, also runs $49.95.

Uniq provided Cult of Mac with a review unit for this article. See our reviews policy, and check out more stuff we recommend.