October 16, 2019

RapidX MyPort is a smooth all-in – one desk and wireless portable charger

apple authority rapidx myport review wireless charger phone stand powerbank

We saw the OtterSpot back in August, a wireless charging pad system providing tabletop and portable charging. The RapidX MyPort is the same idea, but it does not have a flat pad with a charging stand design.

All devices aim to be the only wireless charger you’ll ever need, offering outlet-powered domestic charging and power bank charging on the move.

The OtterSpot’s strength is the ability to stack stack pucks in order to charge more than one at a time.

However, I personally prefer charging stands to pads, as I find it easier to see notifications when the phone is upright, and it’s also easier to briefly interact with the phone–like switching a light on or off in the Home app–without picking up the phone. And with a power bank of 10,000mAh, I will never need more than one.

RapidX MyPort feel and look

The MyPort looks like any other wireless charging stand. With a semi-rubberized surface it’s black plastic. It has a USB-C port in the back and comes with a USB-C to a USB-A cable, but not a brick for charging. On the front, there is a white indicator light to show when it is powered up.

So far, that is the standard.

The warning lights on the side of the sloped support are the first sign that this is not a regular charging stand. Four LEDs show the power bank’s charging status in increments of 25%, while a fifth LED at the top indicates the phone or bank’s charging status. Yellow indicates that it is ready to charge, blue indicates that it is charging.

RapidX MyPort charging indicators

Lift the dock back and you’ve got a portable power source. Four contact points for charging the unit in the base are on the bottom, and two USB ports, one USB-A, and one USB-C.

In use – at home

It’s just like any other charging stand when you use it at home. Leave it attached and simply place your phone on the charging stand. The outlet charges your phone as well as the power bank.

Sensibly, your phone is given priority by the RapidX MyPort. If it is not charged 100%, it will direct all the power available to the phone. It only turns to charging the power bank once your phone is fully charged.

The bank will be almost always completely powered in practice though, as it charges if the phone is not on the stand.

I’ve found two drawbacks. Next, the power bank branding is more popular than I like. I prefer branding to be discreet as I use it as a default on the Choetech charging stands. Although the brand name of Choetech appears prominent in product shots, it actually appears to be very fading and subtle. The branding and logo of RapidX is also somewhat faded, but it stands out more than I would ideally like–particularly because writing is used sideways as a stand.

Additionally, the scope of wireless charging. I use a Mujjo wallet case with two cards in the back. My iPhone charges very happily through the case and cards with my Choetech stands, but with the MyPort, it’s pretty sensitive to card placement. It happily charges through them sometimes, sometimes it doesn’t. It’s okay with one card.

In use – mobile

There are two options for mobile use: wired and wireless charging. You get two ports USB-A and USB-C, as described above, and you can use either one or both together to charge two different devices.

As someone who just bit the bullet and swapped all my USB-A cables to USB-C cables, I would have preferred two USB-C ports, but that’s the more versatile arrangement. Both USB ports support fast-charging of 18W.

Ports

But the selling point, of course, is that both on the go and at home you get wireless charging. I noticed that both a jacket pocket and a bag’s phone sleeve were sufficiently large to fit both the power bank and the phone – and held them together tightly enough for wireless charging.

RapidX MyPort in a jacket pocket and bag

This makes it a very simple system. Fill normally at the stand at home. Once you go, either pick up your phone alone or take the bank and phone together if you need more power to see you through the day and slip them into your pocket or bag sleeve to keep your phone charged.

Instead, if you’re going to be mostly one-place away from home, hold the power bank separate and just put it on your coffee shop table or wherever and put your phone on top to keep it charged.

Once you disconnect it from the port, MyPort power down: just press the power button to turn it on once, and click it to switch it off for a long time.

The device supports 5W, 7.5W, and 10W charging in wireless charging mode. The iPhone 11 is 7.5W compatible.

Last but not least, the USB-C port also supports two-way power supply, so you also have the option to charge it from a MacBook, which is a perfect coffee shop option to keep both bank and phone charged.

conclusions

The MyPort RapidX is costing $79.99. For less than half of that value, you can get a wired 10,000mAh power bank. Add to a wireless charging table, and you’re well under 80 bucks.

So MyPort only makes sense if you want both a wireless charging stand and an all-in – one solution, and you’re willing to pay a premium for the wireless charging feature and/or convenience.

But it’s a very cool device that’s totally painless to use, and I honestly think it’s worth the money for anyone whose iPhone struggles to make it on one charge throughout the day.

The RapidX MyPort, priced at $79.99, is available directly from the RapidX website.

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