Skip to main content

This iPhone case can make your battery last 60 percent longer

Rubix, a start-up based in Hong Kong, has come out with an iPhone case/ power module combo that promises true mobile charging. The company’s Augment mobile charging solution can be assembled like Lego pieces, and has a geometric design that looks like rubber tiles on the floor of a kindergarten classroom. 

Spotted by 9to5Mac, Augment’s charging solution consists of a modular case made of thermoplastic polyurethane (the same material used for inflatable rafts), a 1,200mAh power module, and a Micro USB charging cable. The case and the power module snaps together and can boost battery life by 60 percent. The power module is said to be small enough to fit in a coin pocket and can be used even without the battery case. It also has an LED indicator on the side to tell you how much power is left. Once you’ve ran out of juice, the power module can be charged by connecting to a computer’s USB port with the Micro USB cable.   

Recommended Videos

If you feel like this is something you need in your life, you’ll have to wait a bit. Rubix is currently in the middle of a fund-raising campaign on Kickstarter, and the cases are scheduled to go out to backers around August. 

The charging solution is only compatible with the iPhone 5 and 5S. Rubix, which has already received approval for its Made for iPhone product plan, is also expected to come out with something for the iPhone 6 once the model comes out. 

If you want to see the charging solution in action, you can check out Rubix’s demo video below. 

Christian Brazil Bautista
Christian Brazil Bautista is an experienced journalist who has been writing about technology and music for the past decade…
These three iOS 26 beta features are my favorite so far
The Liquid Design lock screen on the iOS 26 developer beta 1 running on the iPhone 16 Pro

For fans of the Apple ecosystem, it’s been an incredible week. Apple’s annual WWDC 2025 keynote revealed a whole new Liquid Glass design that’s unified across all its platforms. Also unified across all platforms is the numbering scheme, with iOS 26 designed to represent the year of release… plus one. 

The new platform doesn’t deliver one of the key things I asked for — multitasking, which is available on iPadOS 26 — but it does bring several new features that make the iPhone far more usable. 

Read more
Will my iPhone get iOS 26? Here’s every supported model
We've got the full list of iOS 26 supported devices - find out if you're getting the new iPhone update
iOS 26 features on a series of iPhone screens

Apple announced iOS 26 at WWDC 2025, and the new iPhone update comes with a fresh new 'Liquid Glass' look and plenty of features - and there are loads of iOS 26 supported devices, which is great news.

And no, you haven't missed a volley of updates since iOS 18 in 2024. Apple has skipped a bunch of numbers, so instead of giving us iOS 19 in 2025, we got iOS 26 alongside iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26 and tvOS 26. In short, Apple's brought its operating system numbering into line. Nice.

Read more
3 big iOS 19 changes that I hope Apple reveals at WWDC 2025
iOS 19 sample logo.

We’re less than two days away from Apple’s big WWDC 2025 keynote, where the company will reveal new versions of each of its software platforms. One of the biggest changes this year is the expected shift from iOS 19 to iOS 26, with new versions of macOS, iPadOS, tvOS, watchOS, and visionOS also set to follow suit. We're also expecting to see the evolution of Apple Health, including a new AI doctor and Health subscription.

iOS 26, if it is to be named that, is expected to introduce one of the biggest evolutions in design for Apple software since the first iPhone was launched. Inspired by visionOS and the Apple Vision Pro, it’s expected to be a monumental redesign, but I hope that Apple also takes the time to make a few improvements.

Read more