The landscape of external batteries for laptops is getting crowded, with more startups working on their own methods and designs. With that said, we had yet to see one concept, or prototype, that is impressive enough for consumers. In most cases, the problem is bulk. Squeezing enough power into a unit capable of powering up a small laptop is problematic, in a sense that the manufacturer of the battery has to match, and exceed the limitations posed by the laptop manufacturer.
Taiwan-based tech startup Maximas, is looking to solve this problem with bulky external laptop batteries, with Xtron, an external battery that promises to be small enough to fit in one hand, and powerful enough to add 8 hours to a 12 inch MacBook’s battery. Xtron is being crowdfunded on IndieGogo, with a $30,000 goal.
What makes Xtron so special?
Xtron is a small battery that shares some interesting similarities with larger battery backup units, in that it’s capable of powering up devices, charging itself from a wall outlet, simultaneously.
The big winning factor for the Xtron is also that it’s one of the first true USB-C ready batteries to hit the market, and, as we mentioned in the title of this post, it’s “literally” built for the MacBook, because it features the identical Texas Instruments USB Type-C controller chip, found on the 12 inch MacBook Retina.
This allows, for the first time, rapid charging of a laptop, from an external battery.
The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of a rapid charging battery, is how to dissipate heat resulting from high-power throughput. Maximas seems to have found the solution, by increasing the amount of copper used to thermally insulate the printed circuit board within the battery, up to 2 ounces, which is twice as much as other batteries on the market. By this token, this battery is capable of extending a 12 inch MacBook Retina’s battery life for an extra 8 hours, in under a 3 and half hour charging cycle.
The company has also put particular care in the external casing, by using UL 94-V0 flame-retardant materials, which makes this battery safe to use outdoors.
Caveats
While the Xtron does seem like the best option available on the horizon for owners of small laptops like the 12 inch MacBook or most Chromebooks, it’s important to remember that a battery does not equate to a wall outlet and shouldn’t be used like one, and high-power batteries like the Xtron still require a change of mindset, to where consumers should develop the habit of powering down their laptops completely before initiating a charge.
The power throughput required by a laptop is different, depending on whether the device is running or not, and in most cases, trying to charge a running laptop with an external battery will result in the device eating through more power than it takes in, making the charging process futile.
The 13400mAh Xtron battery is not only capable of charging an iPhone 6 Plus every day for a week, it’s also compatible with any device with a Lightning, or a Micro USB connector, which includes the iPad Mini 4, the Apple Watch, and the iPad Pro.
Availability
According to Xtron’s IndieGoGo page, as long as Maximas reaches its $30,000 goal, the official shipping date to all backers is set to December 15, with a first run, set optimistically a month earlier.