At a look
Professional’s Score
Professionals
- Tremendous-compact energy financial institution
- May give iPhone a 30% cost
- USB-C/Lightning/USB cables inbuilt
Cons
- You in all probability will neglect to cost it
Our Verdict
The tiny Tau 2 is a good and inexpensive back-up battery that may squeeze out sufficient juice to recharge the iPhone to almost a 3rd of its full potential whereas weighing subsequent to nothing and taking on barely any area.
Value When Reviewed
This worth will present the geolocated pricing textual content for product undefined
Finest Pricing Immediately
Value When Reviewed
$39.90
Finest Costs Immediately: Rolling Sq. Tau 2
We’ve seen plenty of tiny energy banks undergo the Macworld Labs: some super-slim, some capable of recharge an iPhone practically twice over, others with cables included and flashy shows exhibiting you the way a lot battery life is left. One energy financial institution even has a elaborate gentle that may brighten up a cloudy day.
GaN (Gallium Nitride) know-how makes transistors smaller and due to this fact units akin to chargers extra diminutive. That is now placing fairly critical performance into very small issues certainly.
And we’ve by no means seen an influence financial institution as small because the Rolling Sq. Tau 2, which desires to be the important thing ring that saves you simply as your iPhone’s battery offers up the ghost of the sub-10% you might be shocked to appreciate by no means acquired a cost up earlier than you left the home.
The place most energy banks are cumbersome—though the newest 5K magnetic energy banks are positively skeletal—the Tau 2 is smaller than an AirPods case however hosts a 2000mAh (7.4Wh) battery pack that in our exams refilled an iPhone 16 Professional by simply over 30%. We overview the greatest magnetic energy banks if you’re prepared to sacrifice some bulk for higher battery capability.
Simon Jary
In measurement it measures 2.2 x 1.7 x 0.7 inches (5.6 x 4.3 x 1.9cm). It’s just a little smaller and lighter (1.7oz vs2.2oz; 49 vs 61g) than an AirPods Professional case.
The intelligent factor concerning the Tau 2 is that it doesn’t require you to all the time have a cable on you if you’re out and about—how many individuals do? In the event you’re canny sufficient to pack a cable each time you exit, try to be vibrant sufficient to have remembered to cost your cellphone within the first place. Most of us generally fail on each counts.
Take away the key-friendly hooked lid to disclose two cables: a USB-C for something new (iPhone 15 and later) and Lightning for older iPhones and AirPods instances.
Simon Jary
The Lightning cable even works as MicroUSB—the fiddly little connector that historical past ought to have consigned to the dustbin, however which doggedly lives on in low-cost Chinese language devices.
In the event you do nonetheless personal an iPhone older than the 15, it can supply pass-through charging with USB-C as enter and Lightning as output.
You may even cost two units on the similar time, which is the place a second USB-C cable slightly than Lightning could possibly be helpful to early adopters.
If in case you have all USB-C Apple devices the Lightning cable is slightly superfluous. We’d have most popular an possibility with two USB-C so the pass-through can go each methods, however I do personal an older Lightning AirPods case, so it’s nonetheless helpful to me. If solely it might cost my Apple Watch too.
Maker Rolling Sq. guarantees that “you’ll always remember to re-charge it”, which in fact is nonsense, however the firm does offer you choices. You may plug in straight right into a USB-C charger utilizing its little cable, or energy it up by way of its personal its Charging Dock that—with the included double-sided adhesive—may be firmly caught to a wall, desk, or any clear, flat floor that can maintain it.
It’s also possible to plug it straight into considered one of your MacBook’s Thunderbolt ports to cost it up from the laptop computer.
Simon Jary
In the event you maintain your keys on a hook, simply connect the Tau 2’s charging dock proper subsequent to it.
I’m pleased with my AirTag keyring and will join the Tau 2 to that however choose to maintain the tiny energy financial institution in a pocket in my backpack for emergencies—however you possibly can observe Rolling Sq.’s suggestion and use it as your most important key ring in case you fancy. The hook is safe, though not as gripping a repair as an old school steel ring.
The Tau 2 does work with an NFC tag to create a Misplaced Mode, in addition to probably share your Digital ID by way of the identical route, however to suit higher into the Apple ecosystem a FindMy perform could be appreciated.
Simon Jary
Value
The Rolling Sq. Tau 2 is priced at $39.90 / £39.90 / €39,90. Examine our price-comparison widget for extra stay costs close to you.
Do you have to purchase the Rolling Sq. Tau 2?
I’m comfortable to hold round a slim magnetic energy financial institution in my backpack, and more often than not I bear in mind to maintain it charged prepared for when my iPhone offers out miles away from a wall charger. However I’m generally caught out and must limp round in Low Energy Mode on a number of share factors of battery life.
The tiny Tau 2 is a good and inexpensive back-up battery that may squeeze out sufficient juice to recharge the iPhone to almost a 3rd of its full potential whereas weighing subsequent to nothing and taking on barely any area.
