The Swippit Hub ensures that your iPhone is always supplied with fresh batteries
There’s so much AI-powered nonsense at CES that it’s kind of refreshing to see a device as simple, classic as the Swippitt. It’s a breadbox-sized hub that holds five batteries that fit into a custom-made iPhone case. When the battery is in the case, it works like a similar product and keeps your phone powered. The trick is that when the battery runs out, you put your phone in the top of the box and the battery is automatically removed from the case and replaced with a new one.
Charging our phones is definitely a problem, but it’s fair to question whether Swippitt is an overdeveloped (or possibly too expensive) solution. For $450 you get the Swippitt hub and five batteries, but you also have to buy a separate $120 case for your iPhone. The team makes cases for the iPhone 14, 15 and 16 series and is also working on cases for Samsung. If you’re planning this as a family solution for multiple phones, it can quickly get expensive.
Still, there’s something charming about having a little box that allows you to fit a fully charged battery into your phone case in a matter of seconds. I wish you could see the inside and actually see how the batteries change – maybe we’ll get a transparent model in the future. Of course, there’s also an app that lets you check the status of all five batteries, whether they’re on the charger or not currently in use. Parents can even be notified if their children’s phone performance drops below 15 percent.
Swippitt’s biggest challenge is probably keeping up with the phones, as they undergo slight tweaks and revisions every year that change their dimensions – and more importantly, their batteries. Phone batteries are certainly getting bigger and require more power to charge, so Swippitt needs to stay on top of both case design and battery pack design. It feels like a lot to ask for a small startup, but they’ve already struggled with changes like this – Apple’s introduction of a dedicated camera button in the iPhone 16 series meant they had to quickly redesign the case.
As for availability, Swippitt says the first orders will begin shipping in April, but it’s expected to take a few more months to reach full availability. And even though the $450 price tag is steep, Swippitt is offering 30 percent off first orders in January. Plus, you can score $100 off CES through January 17th, significantly changing the financial equation. If you want to conserve your phone’s batteries and power it without much hassle, this convenience might be worth it.
