iMore Verdict
Native Union's (Re)Classic Power Bank is a lightweight and stylish power provider for your iPhone, slim enough to live in your pocket without discomfort.
Pros
- +
Slim design
- +
Stylish looks
- +
Good capacity
Cons
- -
Faster chargers exist
- -
Bigger phones might need a bigger capacity
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I love a good MagSafe power bank. Conveniently topping up your iPhone battery with a magnetic snap, the technology is one of my favorite features of the iPhone line in general. And though I’ve tested some of the best portable power banks on the market, they all tend to be temporary, utilitarian additions to my iPhone arsenal, even with MagSafe included. Either a bit ugly or a bit chunky, they’re only ever gainfully employed when my iPhone’s battery is about to breathe its last.
That’s not the case with the new Native Union (Re)Classic Power Bank though. It’s so slim and chic, I’m thinking about leaving it attached to my iPhone 15 Pro permanently.
Available now and costing $69.99 / £59.99, the (Re)Classic Power Bank is about as good-looking as they come.
Slim style
Despite being a mere 86mm thick and 123g in weight, it squeezes in a 5,000mAh capacity — that’s enough for a full charge of an iPhone 15 Pro, without the heft and weight that similar power banks add to your device. With a textured finish made of Yatay (a plant-based material that feels somewhere between leather and plastic), it adds little bulk to my iPhone, but does add some much-needed grip to proceedings.
Four LEDs indicate remaining power in the bank, with a 15cm USB-C to USB-C braided cable included in the box. With passthrough charging available through the bank’s USB-C port, you can keep both phone and battery topped up with juice when plugged into a wall socket. In terms of charging speed, it’ll max out at 15W when wirelessly charging your handset, but jumps to 20W if you use a cable from the battery pack to your phone’s charging port.
I’ve been using the black version, but a ‘kraft’ (cheese) yellow, and slate green options are also available.
One thing worth noting is that this isn’t a Qi2 charger — it’s not taking advantage of the faster charging times that newer Qi standard offers. A Native Union representative explained that, when temperature management comes into play (particularly pertinent in a charger this slim) charging speed boosts end up in play only temporarily. So for the sake of a cheaper, slimmer charger that doesn’t lose out on too much charging speed, the trade-off of the older tech in this instance has been worth it.
And I wouldn’t argue with that — the design here allows me to comfortably leave the power bank on my phone at length and it never gets unduly hot. So with the (Re)Classic an almost permanent companion to my phone, I rarely see the difference.
I’ve gotten so used to it sitting on the back of my phone that I sometimes forget it’s even there now after a few weeks of use. And, seeing how many MagSafe power banks I’ve got stashed in drawers around the house, that’s about the highest praise I think I can give. Go grab one.
Bottom line: This stylish power bank will comfortably become a permanent companion to your iPhone.
