While most smartphone hardware has appeared to stagnate in recent years, a new power bank utilizes a form of battery that could be exactly what phones need.
The SolidSafe 5K Solid-State Magnetic Power Bank ($79) comes to us from a new company called BMX. Offering four color options that match the iPhone 17 series, BMX promises that its product offers twice the longevity of traditional power banks, while also being safer.
To explain how this works, it's first important to note that the power bank's batteries might be referred to as “solid state,” but that’s not exactly accurate. As reported by The Verge, the actual cell uses a solid-liquid mixed electrolyte, also known as a hybrid electrolyte. In comparison, lithium-ion cells, which are used by most phones currently, use primarily liquid electrolytes.
What are the advantages of combining solid and liquid?
By combining solid and liquid electrolytes into a single cell, you should get the best of both. In real-world terms, a device with a semi-solid battery should offer boosted safety and performance while offering better stability compared to purely solid or liquid systems.
BMX showed off one of the biggest advantages of the cell in the above video, which shows how the hybrid battery can be pierced, bent and even cut without bursting into flames. Even more impressive is that it appears to still charge a phone after being damaged.
In comparison, the lithium-ion battery reacted in the way that I would expect when put through the same test: it exploded. The reason that it did so is due to a chain reaction known as thermal runaway, where excessive heat causes massive temperature spikes that in turn can lead to fires and, as you guessed it, explosions.
Will we see these batteries in phones in 2026?
While the semi-solid cells seem compelling, there are some potential issues with them at this point. First and foremost, the cost of sourcing high-purity solid materials can be expensive, especially when compared to mass-produced liquid electrolytes.
The Verge's article indicates that they can be mass-produced, but this new power bank costs about twice as much as a typical Li-ion power bank that you can find on Amazon, such as the TRKOY Magsafe Power bank (which is currently reduced to $18.) This is an issue considering phones are already expected to see a price increase due to the RAM shortage.
Secondly, there are concerns around the lifecycle stability of semi-solid state batteries. Essentially, the issue boils down to increased internal resistance that can occur over time. When the resistant layers within the cell form, you'll see a reduction in overall efficiency. There are strategies to mitigate this, but we're still in the early days of the technology, so nothing is certain yet.
Regardless, these new power banks indicate that the technology certainly could have a place in modern hardware, especially if combined with another push in smartphone batteries, silicon carbon cells. For example, the OnePlus 15 in our Tom's Guide Battery Test proved to be the longest-lasting phone of 2025, with about two days' worth of charge.
For now, we'll have to wait and see what phone makers have planned for new devices in 2026 and beyond. Until then, you can grab BMX's power bank for pre-order on its site or on Amazon from January.
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds.
More from Tom's Guide
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
