No matter how big the batteries get on our smartphones and other gadgets, one accessory that continues to remain a part of our digital lives is the power bank. And while it can be a lifesaver, it can also often be a pain to carry around. In fact, mention power banks and most people will think of bulky, heavy devices, packed with ports. Add wireless charging and quick charging to the equation, and a relatively expensive price tag is added to the mage. So it is kind of amazing that one can get a power bank that is as slim and much lighter than a modern smartphone for about a thousand Rupees. We are talking of the Nu Republic Powerpop X1.
Nu Republic Powerpop X1.
The power bank comes with an official price tag of Rs 1999, but is actually available for about Rs 1300 with many online and offline retailers and often dips below Rs 1,000. It is an absolute steal for those who want a reasonably quick and yet super portable power bank, without spending a bomb.
Slim, smaller and lighter than most phones
The Nu Republic Powerpop X1 is one of the most compact power banks we have seen. Most smaller power banks tend to be on the thick side, but the Powerpop is incredibly slim at a mere 9 mm (about the same as the OnePlus 13) and at a mere 115 grams, is lighter than most phones out there. It is also at 96 mm length and 66 mm width, significantly smaller than any smartphone out there. In fact, the Powerpop looks more like a sleek visiting card holder than a power bank. Although it is made of plastic, it has a metallic finish and has a very solid feel to it.
Most importantly, it is very easy to slip into a trouser or coat pocket – something that is very rare in power banks.
Packed with features, but with no cable!
The Powerpop X1 brings a lot to the charging table in that very compact frame. It is not the biggest battery at 5000 mAh (which accounts for its size and lightness), but it comes with a number of handy features. NuRepublic says that the power bank supports MagSafe charging, which means it can. attach itself magnetically to the back of supported phones and charge them. It comes with a magnetic wireless charging area on its back, and claims 20W wired as well as wireless charging, and even supports passthrough charging, which means that you can connect the power bank to an outlet and use it as a wireless charging mat. The power bank comes with a single USB Type-C port for charging other devices and to charge itself as well. However, there is no cable in the package, which is surprising. There is a button to switch in the power bank on the lower right side of the power bank, and in a very good move, there are five LED indicators right on top of the power bank, letting you know the status of the battery – in most power banks, these are on the sides, making them difficult to spot, but here you can see them by just hitting a button and without having to tilt the power bank. It is also very handy when the power bank is attached to a phone, as you just have to look at the lights to see the battery status, without peering at the sides of the power bank.
It is compact than most smartphones. (Express Photo)
Pocket-friendly power, in every sense of the word. Some might consider the 5000 mAh capacity of the Powerpop X1 to be on the lower side, but we found it to be more than adequate for daily use. Yes, you will end up having to charge the power bank almost every day (it takes about two hours to charge with a 25W charger), but that is a very minor issue compared to the convenience it brings to the table. The Powerpop is small and light enough to let one use a phone even when it is attached to it, and while its capacity is not enough to totally recharge most phones, we were able to get about 50-60 per cent of our iPhone 16 Pro Max charged using it. Half an hour of wireless charging added about 20-25 per cent of battery to our iPhone 16 Pro Max, which is kind of handy. Use the wire to charge the phone, and you get close to 40 per cent, which is again very useful. Charging speeds differ from device to device but by and large, we found the power bank comfortably increasing our phones’ battery lives by about 50-70 per cent, which meant we could get through a day without worrying at all about running out of charge, and that too without being burdened by a hefty brick-like device.
The Nu Republic Powerpop X1 is not without its issues. The single Type-C port limits the number of devices it can charge, and so does its 5000 mAh capacity. Let’s be honest: this is a power bank that is great for topping up your device and giving it enough charge to get through a day, rather than charging multiple devices from scratch to full! It also does get warm while charging a device wirelessly, although never uncomfortably so, and its charging speeds are a little slower than expected. We would also have liked a charging cable in the case, as well as a magnetic ring or two that can be stuck on devices that have no magnetic charging support. And well, if it is capacity you are chasing, you can get 10000 mAh power banks with similar charging speeds and more ports. However, what makes the Nu Republic Powerpop X1 special is its incredibly compact size and support for wireless charging. It is the most portable and yet effective power bank for those on a budget, and one that is pocket-friendly in every sense of the word.
