Packing your tech for a trip is always a trade off between function and form. Yes, you want to make sure you’ve got all the powerbanks, cables, and connection options you need to keep your gadgetry juiced. No, you don’t want to carry loads of different cables and chargers and have to untangle them when you unpack. A smart new charger with a clever design could have perfected the form, and make itself your go-to charging solution when travelling with your iPhone.
Currently seeking backers on Kickstarter (and already fully-funded at the time of writing), the IVYCable Gen 2 combines a portable power supply with its own built-in cable system.
The key quirk here, though, is its magnetic, folding design. The IVYCable Gen 2 actually employs four individual power banks, each connected by a short length of cable, with two longer cables at either end. These power banks can magnetically clip together to form one tidy whole or unfurl to give you some flexibility in the cabling to plug in your depleted devices more easily. The snake-like design also supports pass-through charging, letting the IVYCable Gen 2 power a device directly from a plug-in wall outlet.
Smart engineering
It’s a super-smart idea, satisfyingly solving the mess of cables an on-the-go worker can have to wrestle with.
Available in black or an Apple-matching silver finish, the 3.2-foot cable has a USB-A input, and USB-C output, compatible with the latest iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 15 Pro Max handsets. Plus, if you’re still using a Lightning cable device, an adapter for the IVYCable Gen 2 means it’ll work just as happily for those items, too.
The one downside? It’s relatively small capacity. At 2800mAh, that’s not going to fully charge any of the handsets mentioned above. But that keeps the weight to a slim 130g, at least.
Set to sell for $69 with a launch window pencilled in for April 2024, early-bird buyers can get a 38% discount currently, bringing the price down to $43.
