It works with most phones, including the latest iPhones. (Express Photo)
Imagine a power bank that is small enough to slip into your pocket and which charges your phone or tablet at a brisk speed without needing any cables? And imagine getting it for as little as Rs 998? We are not talking out of our tech hats. We are just talking about the Stuffcool Snap Type-C power bank. It had seemed a little expensive when it was launched over a year ago at a price in the region of Rs 2,200. It is, however, now available for under a thousand Rupees (Rs 998 on Amazon India as this is being written). And at that price, it is a terrific deal. In fact, the Stuffcool Snap can actually be considered to be a wireless power bank if one looks at “wireless” in the strictest meaning of the word. This is because you do not need a wire to charge your device using the Stuffcool Snap, which does make it “wireless” in a manner of speaking.
Surprisingly small and light…and super easy to use (no wires needed)
A compact and affordable power bank. (Express Photo)
The Snap is incredibly compact and comes with a slightly cylindrical shape with a USB Type-C connector sticking out from the top with a tiny attached cover, a USB Type-C port on the left side and an on/off button on the left. The power bank is just about 47 mm tall, 77 mm wide and 24 mm thick, and weighs a mere 100 grams. In simple terms, it is small and light enough to be attached to a smartphone or a tablet without adding too much weight to it or making it too unwieldy. There is a tiny row of LEDS on the front of the power bank to let you know how much charge is left in it.
You have exhausted your monthly limit of free stories.
Read more stories for free with an Express account.
It is this lack of bulk and weight that makes the Stuffcool Snap an incredibly handy accessory. One can not only carry it easily but even keep using a phone even when it is charging off the Snap. And of course, as the Snap plugs directly into your tablet or smartphone, you do not have to worry about carrying an additional cable. Speaking of cables, the Stuffcool Snap comes with a Type-C to Type-C cable in the box, but interestingly, this is only to charge the power bank itself. The Type-C port on the left of the power bank is input-only, so you can only use it to charge the power bank and not any other device. Stuffcool warns about not placing a phone with the power bank attached to it in your pocket as this might damage the Type C connector, but that apart, the Snap has a tough feel to it and has a grippy matte finish to it. It fits snugly to phone and tablet USB Type C ports and does not fall off when the device itself shakes.
Snap-py charging speeds too
It snaps like a LEGO. (Express Photo)
There is more to the Stuffcool Snap than sheer utility – it charges devices very briskly as well. It can charge devices at 20W, which is pretty close to what a wall charger can deliver to an iPhone 16 (review). We found it could get both our Pixel 9 (review) and iPhone 16 from zero to about fifty per cent in 30-40 minutes. There is a tiny catch here, though. The Snap’s compact frame comes at the cost of capacity and charging efficiency – it is 5000 mAh, which means it can recharge an iPhone 16 to about 80 per cent capacity from zero, and the Pixel to about 70 per cent. That had seemed ridiculously insufficient at its launch price of about Rs 2,200, but at Rs 998, it makes the Stuffcool Snap the perfect device to carry around for a quick phone battery top-up. Of course, the Snap needs to be charged every day too if you use it regularly, but as it charges at a very quick 18W itself, you can get it from 0 to 100 per cent in about two and a half hours.
Of course, this is not to say that the Stuffcool Snap is perfect. The cap covering the Type-C connector seems a little fragile, and we suspect it might fall off after a while. It also can heat up a little (although never uncomfortably and Stuffcool assures us that it comes with safeguards in place), and at 5000 mAh, the capacity of the portable power bank is relatively limited. Also, the absence of a wire to charge a device can be a bit of a mixed blessing – if your phone or tablet has a cover that is too close to its charging port, the Snap might not be able to connect to it cleanly, which means removing the cover every time you need to charge your device, and that can be a little tedious. And yes, we do wish we had the option of charging off a cable too from the Type C port on the side of the power bank.
The small, speedy daily-use power bank
Despite its lower charge carrying capacity, this is a must have accessory for most users. (Express Photo)
However, all these quibbles faint away when you consider what the Stuffcool Snap Type-C delivers at its (now reduced) price. It can comfortably add 50-70 per cent to the battery life of your phone, and about 30-40 per cent to your tablet, which is more than enough for most users, making it the perfect power bank for daily use. It is small enough to be easily carried and light enough to be connected to a device even while using it, and it needs no wires. All for under a thousand Rupees. A no-brainer in our book if you want a compact, speedy and convenient-to-use power bank on a tight budget.
Technology on smartphone reviews, in-depth reports on privacy and security, AI, and more. We aim to simplify the most complex developments and make them succinct and accessible for tech enthusiasts and all readers. Stay updated with our daily news stories, monthly gadget roundups, and special reports and features that explore the vast possibilities of AI, consumer tech, quantum computing, etc.on smartphone reviews, in-depth reports on privacy and security, AI, and more. We aim to simplify the most complex developments and make them succinct and accessible for tech enthusiasts and all readers. Stay updated with our daily news stories, monthly gadget roundups, and special reports and features that explore the vast possibilities of AI, consumer tech, quantum computing, etc.
