It’s not unusual to need to recharge your phone in a pinch, and that’s fortunately where battery charge packs can help a great deal.
However, it’s a problem when battery packs catch fire, a problem with packs that are either poorly made, somewhat combustible, or really a combination of the two. It doesn’t take much, and that’s one of the reasons why most international flights won’t let you use charge packs mid-flight anymore.
Safety is paramount, and so companies are looking into options.
One way is to ensure batteries undergo heavy testing to make sure they’re viable and stable, but the chemistry is still a risk. Another is to switch to a different type of power bank chemistry, such as Lithium Iron Phosphate, though it may not be the answer to everything.
Australia’s Journey is dabbling with another approach entirely, checking into a fairly recent area called “semi-solid-state batteries”, which basically uses materials that are less reliant on liquid and therefore safer and less likely to catch fire. That’s important, because batteries can explode.
The Journey Fortix range uses that semi-solid-state design with either 5000mAh or 10,000mAh of power, connecting using Qi2 and MagSafe, but also have a USB-C connector.
It’s distinct to some of Journey’s other variations, such as the Glyde, a model that packed in lithium-ion alongside chargers for phone, earphones, and even an Apple Watch. By comparison, the Fortix is fairly simple, providing a basic power bank with some new, slightly safer tech inside.
While a switch to semi-solid-state is unlikely to change how airlines consider in-flight battery use, the fact that safety and to an extent combustibility is being considered is very important. The Fortix models also arrive in an aluminium casing, giving them a little resistance against bumps, as well.
Pricing in Australia sees the Journey Fortix range start from $80 for the 5K model, while the 10K variant is around $100, with availability both from Journey and JB HiFi locally.
