The power bank industry is about to undergo a significant change! The new national standards set to be implemented in 2026 are akin to a “college entrance examination” for power banks—complete units, circuit boards, and battery cells must all pass stringent tests, with standards so strict that even a mosquito couldn’t slip through! It is said that the current “three-no” battery cells on the market will be in for a rude awakening, as under the new regulations, they might not even make it to the examination room.
This upgrade won’t come cheap, with costs rising sharply, but we must acknowledge that safety comes first! In the future, power banks will no longer transform into “mobile bombs.” Among the three key components of a power bank, the battery cell is the star, the power control chip is the brain, and the fast charging protocol is each manufacturer’s unique secret weapon. Some manufacturers are playing with proprietary protocols, which is not just a power bank; it’s a combination of technology and sheer audacity!
The most amusing part is the price difference in battery cells, with the price of mobile phone batteries being about four times that of power bank battery cells! Those cheap products are probably bulk purchased from some discount zone. The power control chip is even more mysterious; cheap power banks often switch to “energy-saving mode” unexpectedly, with power dropping faster than the stock market, and some even perform the “spontaneous explosion” trick.
But don’t panic, high-end power banks have already quietly met the standards; they never relied on volume sales. In the future, power banks might have to pivot to become “exclusive caretakers for tablets and laptops,” especially since mobile phone batteries have swollen to 10,000 mAh, with endurance comparable to a camel. Who still needs to carry a brick around every day?
Fast charging is the future’s path to success, but it relies on cylindrical batteries for support, and it seems that power banks will soon be competing for the same market as mobile phone battery cells. The current power bank market is as competitive as a vegetable market, with manufacturers all caught up in a battle for market share, reminiscent of the fierce competition in the mobile phone industry years ago. As for whether older power banks can be taken on flights? That’s a question for the 3C certification “gatekeepers”; after all, in the face of safety, even power banks must be certified to operate!