Hyper USB-C battery can charge a 15-inch MacBook Pro and more
The $300 charger carries more than a laptop's charge but isn't too big to carry on a plane.
- I've been covering the technology industry for 24 years and was a science writer for five years before that. I've got deep expertise in microprocessors, digital photography, computer hardware and software, internet standards, web technology, and other dee
The 7-inch HyperJuice battery pack can fully charge a 15-inch MacBook Pro at the same pace as a wall socket.
You've long been able to buy portable batteries that'll keep your phone running even through a heavy day of thumb-typing. Soon you should be able to get one of those even for your beefy 15-inch MacBook Pro , too.
Hyper, a Sanho product line specializing in accessories that fill gaps in an Apple-centric digital life, on Monday announced the new HyperJuice portable USB-C battery that packs a whopping 100 watt-hour capacity. For comparison, the current 15-inch MacBook Pro has a 83.6-watt-hour battery.
The 7-inch-long HyperJuice has three ports -- one 100-watt USB-C port for the 15-inch MacBook Pro, one 60-watt USB-C port for smaller laptops that don't draw as much power, and one quick-charge 18-watt old-style USB-A for phones and tablets . You can charge devices with all three of its ports at the same time.
The 1.2-pound HyperJuice battery pack has two USB-C ports and one old-style USB-A port.
The device shows the versatility of the USB-C standard, years old but still a relative novelty for much of the computing world. The same port can be used for many types of devices, and now it can handle charging PCs as well as power-sipping phones. If you don't have USB-C today, you might well have it on your next laptop or phone, though Apple still hasn't embraced it for mobile devices.
The HyperJuice battery pack will cost $300, although an early KickStarter price is half that. It's scheduled to start shipping in October.
It'll charge a 15-inch MacBook MacBook Pro as fast as its power cable, Chief Executive Daniel Chin said, since it can pump out more power than that laptop's 87-watt charger. And it holds its charge well while you're on the road, losing only about 20 percent of its power per year, he added.
Because of the cleverness of modern USB charging, you can plug the HyperJuice into the wall to charge it at the same time it's charging a laptop. It takes 60 to 90 minutes to fully charge the 1.2-pound, aluminum-case HyperJuice.
Its battery capacity is right up against the current Federal Aviation Administration limit for battery packs.
Other Hyper products include USB-C dongles for the many MacBook Pro customers who still have older peripherals and a newer wireless AirPod charging adapter.
Security: Stay up-to-date on the latest in breaches, hacks, fixes and all those cybersecurity issues that keep you up at night.
Blockchain Decoded: CNET looks at the tech powering bitcoin -- and soon, too, a myriad services that will change your life.
Mobile Guides
Phones
Foldable Phones
Headphones
Mobile Accessories
Smartwatches
Wireless Plans