Although the lithium-ion batteries inside phones and power banks have mostly remained the same, other areas related to batteries and charging have seen significant improvements. Gallium nitride or GaN charging technology, for example, is allowing chargers to be smaller and power banks to be more efficient despite the same battery size. This, in turn, opens the door to more design possibilities, including those that don’t conform to the rectangular convention of most power banks.
Cute branded power banks are not exactly new, but most of them simply lap on some skins or decorations to achieve that effect. Changing the design’s shape can actually do more for less, even without making excessive modifications. This concept, for example, adds a playful flavor to a power bank, figuratively, by mimicking the appearance of a popular treat for people feeling drained and empty, especially under the summer sun.
Designer: Ming Sheng Shih (SHS Shih/Stone Shih)
Conventional power bank designs are practical and practically boring. They often come in different shapes of boxes, whether flat or large. After all, they have to contain rectangular battery packs, but that doesn’t mean the rest of their design has to follow the same shape. If phones themselves are becoming more expressive, why can’t their accessories follow suit?
PoPsic is a concept that bucks that trend by looking nothing like a boring box. It adopts the shape of a popsicle, which is actually also a rectangle with one end curved. For the stick, it uses a somewhat flat and rigid USB-C cable that folds in half to take that form. Both ends of the cable are inserted into the popsicle’s body to maintain that illusion and prevent the cable from dangling away.
Almost like a sticky popsicle, PoPsic attaches to the back of a phone magnetically. If the phone is MagSafe-compatible, then it can already start charging that way. Otherwise, the USB cable offers a more direct and faster route, though the popsicle might not stick to the phone’s back in that case, depending on the design.
PoPsic doesn’t actually offer any new functionality you haven’t seen in other power banks already in the market. The strength of its appeal is, instead, found in its appearance and the emotions it can call up. While most power banks have an air of professionalism, the image of a popsicle never ceases to bring a smile to someone’s face, even those who might not care for eating such a sweet delight.
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