Updated

Updated · Boy Genius Report · Aug 20

BGR Picks 4 Smart Lanyard Accessories, Including $12 Trackers and 2TB Flash Drives

Updated

Updated · Boy Genius Report · Aug 20

BGR Picks 4 Smart Lanyard Accessories, Including $12 Trackers and 2TB Flash Drives

Q: Why are experts warning that your emergency lanyard power bank might not actually save your dying phone?

Experts say a lanyard-size emergency power bank may not save a dying phone because its advertised capacity is far smaller in real-world use than many buyers expect. The key issue is efficiency. Tiny keychain and lanyard power banks such as the 2,000mAh Rolling Square TAU 2 lose a meaningful share of energy during voltage conversion and heat, so usable output is often only about 1,600 to 1,700mAh. That is not enough to fully recharge most modern smartphones, whose batteries are commonly around 3,500 to 5,000mAh. Independent testing backs that up. Reports cited in the supporting material found TAU 2 could recharge an iPhone 16 Pro by only a little more than 30%. Experts therefore describe these devices as “rescue chargers,” useful for a short top-up to make a call, show a boarding pass, or book a ride, but not as a dependable full recharge. Charging speed and condition also matter. A small power bank can deliver power more slowly than larger models, and performance worsens as batteries age or if the unit has been exposed to heat. Safety specialists also warn that swollen, overheating, or rapidly self-discharging power banks should not be relied on at all. The practical advice is to treat a lanyard power bank as a backup of last resort. If you need guaranteed all-day phone power, experts recommend carrying a larger 5,000mAh to 10,000mAh bank instead, along with the right cable.

2 articles · Updated · Boy Genius Report · Aug 20

BGR highlighted four lanyard add-ons aimed at commuters and professionals: a Bluetooth tracker, compact power bank, mini USB-C flash drive and programmable NFC tag.
The list favors lightweight gear with practical daily uses, such as finding a misplaced lanyard through Apple Find My or Google Find Hub, topping up a phone, moving files offline and triggering phone or smart-home actions.
Examples include the $12 MiLi Air Tracker Tag, Rolling Square's 50-gram TAU 2 power bank with 2,000mAh capacity, and SanDisk's dual-drive line with models up to 2TB.
BGR also pointed to low-cost NFC tags such as a $13 10-pack from TimesKey, saying the battery-free tags can be reprogrammed for tasks like sharing Wi-Fi, opening a digital business card or starting routines.