This could be the smallest UPS ever made — someone has combined a 5,000mAh battery with a wall plug and added some pretty handy charging safeguards to create a nifty gadget that’s very different from your standard power bank

Japanese electronics company Elecom, best known for inventing the first oval mouse in 1988, has released a new device that combines a wall charger with a portable battery to create an incredibly versatile power station.

The DE-AC08-5000 is ultra-portable, with a slim design that easily fits into small bags or pouches. It has a 5000 mAh battery and a plug, and also supports USB Power Delivery 20W, which allows you to quickly charge your smartphone to make sure that the battery never runs out unexpectedly.

Elecom claims that the battery can charge a typical 1800mAh smartphone about 1.6 times, and a 3000mAh smartphone about 0.9 times when the phone is turned off. What sets the device apart from other power banks is that you can plug it into a wall outlet and connect your smartphone directly, using it like a regular charger. It supports charging both the power bank and the connected device simultaneously, which is useful because it prioritizes the latter until it’s fully charged.

Black or white (with face)

The power plug has a rotating mechanism, so it can be stored in the main body when not in use. The battery level can be checked with a four-stage LED indicator, so you always know how much power is left.

The Elecom 2-in-1 Wall Charger and Mobile Battery comes in two versions: black and Shiro-chan, Elecom’s quirky line of products that is white with a cartoon face (as seen in the top photo). Both are priced the same at 5,980 yen, about $37.

Elecom says the device uses a lithium-ion battery that lasts for about 500 charge cycles and includes five protection functions: overcharge, overdischarge, overcurrent, short circuit protection and temperature detection. It is also safe for air travel, meeting UN38.3 standards.

Elecom DE-AC08-5000 Black

(Photo source: Elecom)