When my iPhone battery needs a quick boost, the Twelve South PowerCapsule is ready to keep it going for the rest of the day. It conveniently clings to the handset magnetically so no cable is needed.
As a bonus, the accessory looks great. It closely matches the look of my iPhone 17. And it fits easily in a pocket.
I tested the PowerCapsule in my home and on the go. Here’s how it stands up in real-world use.
Twelve South PowerCapsule review
The advantage of this slim MagSafe power bank for the iPhone is that it adds extra battery life without significantly changing how the phone feels in everyday use. Because it attaches magnetically to the back of the phone and charges wirelessly, I can carry on using my iPhone while it’s charging.
The Twelve South PowerCapsule gives me the confidence that if my iPhone battery starts to run low, I can power it up wherever I am without much hassle.
This magnetic power bank snaps onto your iPhone and delivers Qi2 wireless charging in a slim, pocket-friendly design made to feel as good as it looks. Built to be carried and used while you scroll, text, or navigate, it keeps your phone powered without adding bulk or breaking your routine.
- Adds hours of battery life
- Matches look of iPhone
- Gets warm in use
Table of contents: Twelve South PowerCapsule review
- Power bank that’s perfect for iPhone or pants pockets
- The MagSafe/Qi2 advantage
- Speedy charging performance
- Recharging and USB-C
- Twelve South PowerCapsule review: Final thoughts
- Pricing
Power bank that’s perfect for iPhone or pants pockets
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
This device proves that power banks don’t have to be big, bulky lumps. They can be slim so that they fit on your iPhone… and in your pants pocket, too.
The version of the Twelve South PowerCapsule I’m testing holds 5,000 mAh, and it measures 4.0 inches by 2.75 inches and it’s 0.6 inches thick. It weighs 0.27 pounds. There’s also a 10,000 mAh version that’s (unsurprisingly) thicker and heavier.
My test unit fits neatly on the back of my iPhone 17, and doesn’t interfere with holding the handset. That’s a standout feature — I don’t have to put the device down to charge it. This external battery magnetically clings to the iPhone and I can carry on with my game or whatever.
And the design matches the look of the iPhone. My test unit is slate-colored, and it blends well with my black iPhone 17 — rounded corners and everything. There’s also a version in dune (AKA tan) that you might prefer with lighter-colored handsets.
As a bonus, Twelve South covered the back of the PowerCapsule with cactus leather that looks very professional and feels comfortable. This isn’t the first MagSafe power bank I’ve used, but it is the best-looking.
And there’s another benefit to the slim design: this accessory fits easily in a pocket. The power bank is about the size of my wallet, actually. Or it can easily go in a purse, etc.
The MagSafe/Qi2 advantage
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Twelve South PowerCapsule is designed to work with magnets around the wireless charging mat built into the back of the iPhone. Together, they eliminate the need for cables or carefully positioning the wireless charger.
It’s very convenient. Just put the power bank on the back of the iPhone and then carry on with what you were doing. You don’t even have to push a button to start power flowing.
On iPhone, this system is called MagSafe. There’s a larger industry standard for it too — Qi2. Few Androids fully support it, though. They require a special case for the handset that adds magnets. Oh well, their loss.
Speedy charging performance
In my tests of the 5,000 mAh version of the Twelve South PowerCapsule, it was able to raise the battery level on my iPhone 17 by about 70%. I did several test runs, and all came out close to that figure. That’s a respectable amount — enough to last me through a day of fairly heavy use.
Because it supports Qi2, the power bank can send my iPhone 15W. That bumps its battery level up about 30% in half an hour. To be clear, that’s when the battery level starts out low. iPhone charging always slows way down as it approaches 100%.
The closest thing to a disadvantage to MagSafe power banks is that they warm up in use. That’s an inescapable result of the chemistry going on to release the electricity being transferred. The battery doesn’t get hot, but you’ll notice it getting warm in your hand if you use the iPhone while charging. Though if your hands are cold, you might find this to be an advantage.
In my testing, the charging mat in Twelve South’s accessory reached just over 100 degrees during a very long charging session.
Recharging and USB-C
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Four LEDs provide a ballpark figure on how much energy remains in the power bank.
On one end of the Twelve South PowerCapsule is a USB-C port. Plug this into a wall charger to juice up the external battery when it runs dry. Mine went from empty to full in 2 or 3 hours, taking in power at 18W.
Of course, getting that speed requires using a wall charger that can put out 18W or more. One is not included, but you can use your iPhone or MacBook charger.
And that USB-C port has another use: it can charge up a device that doesn’t support MagSafe, like an iPad. Just connect the two with a cable (included).
When testing this feature, the power bank increased the battery level on my 13-inch iPad Pro by 20% — a useful amount in a pinch. Electricity was moving at 20 watts.
Twelve South PowerCapsule review: Final thoughts
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
To me, the primary advantage of this wireless iPhone power bank is that I can stop worrying about accidentally forgetting to charge my phone overnight. If it slips my mind, I need only put Twelve South’s external battery on my handset to get enough juice to last through the day. And using it doesn’t mean I have to stop and plug in the iPhone.
Plus, I love how the product looks, and how easy it is to carry around.
★★★★☆
Pricing
The Twelve South PowerCapsule 5,000 mAh version costs $49.99. The 10,000 mAh variant sells for $59.99.
This magnetic power bank snaps onto your iPhone and delivers Qi2 wireless charging in a slim, pocket-friendly design made to feel as good as it looks. Built to be carried and used while you scroll, text, or navigate, it keeps your phone powered without adding bulk or breaking your routine.
- Adds hours of battery life
- Matches look of iPhone
- Gets warm in use
Twelve South provided Cult of Mac with a review unit for this article. See our reviews policy, and check out more in-depth reviews of Apple-related items.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh SE/30 (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer.
That’s because he’s a “tablet first” type of guy. Rather than use a Macbook, he connects a keyboard case to the iPad. And instead of a desktop Mac, he connects his tablet to a 27-inch display and full-size keyboard. (So don’t try to tell him that everyone has to use a Mac to be productive.)
Before coming to Cult of Mac, Ed wrote for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
