Customer Reviews

Mophie Juice Pack Air Case and Rechargeable Battery for iPhone 3G, 3GS (Black)

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(43)
3 star:		(23)
2 star:		(30)
1 star:		(48)

 

 

Length:: 4:21 Mins

In this video, I show the Mophie Juice Pack Air in action: from inserting the iPhone to using its features, from comparing its thickness to connecting/syncing it with your computer. The review covers both pros and cons. (Note: I use the iPhone 3G, but the product info claims that the Juice Pack will also work with the 3G S.)

-- Debbie Lee Wesselmann

This battery / case about doubles the thickness of your iPhone 3G. It adds a little weight, not really a significant amount. Battery time is just about doubled. I have the black model.

The good - this is an excellent case for the back and sides of your iPhone. It does not protect the screen (use this protector invisibleSHIELD for the Apple iPhone 3G (Front)). The new charge time is impressive, actually a usable phone now. Whatever time you've gotten with your iPhone, this will just about double that time. For me personally, I used to get right around 24 hours until the red light (<20% charge) came on. Now I can go 2 days before the red light. The plastic is very nice, glossy and looks just about like the iPhone body.

The bad - dump your iPhone connector, you will now use one of those micro-USB connectors to charge and connect your iPhone to your computer. No this is not the small USB connector used by digital cameras (you probably have about 50 of these standard cables laying around), this is that new flat connector that is very easy to flip upside down and have no idea you are ruining the connector. It's actually a pain in the rear to use. In addition the connector is recessed pretty deeply into the Mophie case, so some micro-USB connectors won't work. You can sync the phone with this connector.

The mediocre, or of no real consequence. The microphone and speaker are covered up by the bottom of the Mophie. There are slots that redirect the sound (down toward the microphone and out toward you for the speaker). The slots don't change the sound at all. This is a two piece device, the battery is in the bottom 3/4 with a plastic cap on the top 1/4. All the controls are now recessed - so it's not super easy to reach the mute switch. All others are easy to get at.

This is much much better and thinner than the incase version (Incase Power Slider for iPhone 3G - Black (EC20003)). It looks much better than the other Mophies.

There are 4 blue LED's on the back that show how much charge is in the battery. There's also a switch to turn off the battery.

Overall, a good case and a very good battery extender. Given that my iPhone now has a useable charge, I don't mind the extra thickness and weight.

August 3, 2009 Update - Thank you to Esanta for their comment that I originally called the connector a mini-USB. The connector the Mophie uses is in fact a micro-USB connector (I have corrected the review). Still a pain in the rear, and a lot less common than the mini-USB connector.

I owned this product (past tense) for one week; purchased at the same time as my new iPhone 3GS. It was so tightly fitted that I had to take it back to the Apple store at one point to get them to pry it off.

This pack *does* increase the battery life of the iPhone, and it *is* pretty well thought out in that regard - power meter on the back, ability to turn the battery on and off with a physical switch (the iPhone will use more energy to keep itself at a full charge than if it's just using battery power, so this actually increases life a bit more), and you never have to take the case off to charge or sync.

Unfortunately, in my experience, it KILLED the signal strength on my phone. In my house, I normally get 3-5 bars, depending on where I'm standing. With this case, it would fluctuate wildly between 1 and 5 bars - even when I wasn't moving around - and it had a tendency to be at 1 or 2 bars most of the time. As the case was too tight to get off, for the first week I had the iPhone, I thought my AT&T reception was just that bad.

The separate cable that some other users have mentioned wasn't too bad in my experience, but this case does preclude the use of any docks you may have - could be more of a hassle for others.

The cost is also a bit on the high side, although if signal isn't ever an issue for you and you tend to be out of power a lot, it might be worth considering.

I purchased the Juice Pack Air at my local Apple store for added battery life for my iPhone 3G. If you're like me, I find I could use a little more batter life during the day.

PROS:
- Slick design, looks like part of the iPhone
- Standby mode is extremely useful - Use battery when needed
- Cutouts are positioned correctly (Camera, volume, ringer silence switch)
- Easy installation
- Can sync while installed (must use micro USB cable)
- Can use the Apple compact wall charger that came with the phone

CONS:
- Uses micro USB charging cable (not standard Apple 20 pin connector)
- Cannot dock iphone with Juice Pack Air installed
- Adds a little bulk and weight
- Limits use of cases/shields (relatively new someone should make a case soon I hope)

I rarely dock my iPhone so this is not a problem for me. If you are a person who dock's their phone regularly in a docking station/iPhone compatible clock radio to charge at night then this item may not be for you. In order to dock your iPhone the juice pack air must be removed.

There are four LED lights on the back with a status button to let you know the charge level of the battery pack. When activated, the Juice Pack Air actually charges your iPhone and the phone will display and chirp that it is charging. When charging and when you place the battery pack in active mode, the iPhone and battery pack get warm on one side.

I have seen some reduction in signal strength in weaker cell signal areas (especially on the edge network) but works well in areas with stronger cell signal. I live in a major metropolitan where you would expect cell service to be exceptional, however at time my iPhone 3G would display searching or no service (strange).

As many of you may have experienced, surfing the Internet or using applications can cause the iPhone to generate heat and I'm not too sure placing an external battery pack on the back will help dissipate the heat.

Overall, it does what it claims. I would have like Mophie to stick with the standard Apple 20 pin connector or provided an adapter for docking the iPhone with the juice pack air installed. Additionally, for those who like a full body skin or protector (like me)it would have been nice to have one included or one available on the mophie website.

This is my first review, but since I am a tech geek and one who wants to keep his gadgets safe, I thought I'd share some quick thoughts on this model. There are both some really good things about this products and some not to so great things, which I hope you will appreciate.

Background
I've had my iPhone for about 6 months and I had an iSkin on it. However, I noticed how poor the battery life was on the iPhone when I was out for more than 6 hours. I didn't want to buy the bulky extensions to add battery life, but didn't know what I would get.

I visited my local Apple store and the Morphie was relatively brand new. I had heard about them and since there were other battery options, I spent some time looking at all of them, but chose the Morphie for about $70ish bucks.

The product comes in a two piece sleeve which is amazingly easy to get off and on. It's made of a hard coated platic, which is supposed to keep it safe, but it doesn't seem like it is "shock" drop safe (i.e. - if it fell from a big distance). The holes for all of the key buttons are designed relatively well (one is harder which I'll mention later) and doesn't compromise the integrity of the phone.

One cool feature is that you can always tell the level of back-up by pressing a built in button on the back that shows up to four little lighted buttons on back. When it is plugged in, it'll stay lighted to let you know. It's kind of like those AA battery ones that when you press two buttons, it'll show you how much juice is left.

What I love:
It absolutely doubles your battery life: I couldn't believe how much this little gadget helped me get through the day. I've only used it to it's capacity one time and I believe I had full power for more than 11 hours. They tell you to switch on the battery when you get to 20% battery life, but most times you could go until 10%.

The case makes it easy to carry: While it is quite a bit heavier than most over covers, it's sleek enough and easy enough to take out of the case, unlike iSkins.

It doesn't cause any interference to talk or internet connections. I thought the big case would cause some connection or reception issues, but I haven't experienced it?

Recharging time doesn't take long: I haven't been in a pinch to recharge in a rush, but when I do, regardless if I have the "back-up" switch on or not, it'll recharge both when just sitting there. They tell you to turn the Morphie off so that it'll charge the phone first, then the Morphie, but I don't noticed it either way. It makes sense though...

What I don't love:
The power plug in isn't standard. When I bought it, I thought that I would just plug in the existing power clip and it would recharge it quickly. This is the dirty little secret of the Morphie. The plug in for the case is actually a unique size (almost looks like a USB plug) that only fits that specific case. What this means is that if you charge your iPhone in your case like I do, you have to bring the cord with you everytime you want to charge it somewhere else. Either that or you take out your iPhone and charge that only.

This gets frustrating when you are out and about and you didn't bring the power cord and need a refill. I end up taking the phone out of the case and charging it separately.

The switch is flush against the case: Okay, I'll admit it, I have no fingernails. If you have some, then flipping the switch is just fine. If not, then it's a pain and somewhat difficult. Not impossible, but definitely difficult.

The corners crack easily: I only noticed this recently. I accidently dropped my phone from a height of 3 feet as it slipped out of my hands a couple of times. The phone and the Morphie were okay, but I noticed that the top corners of the case had cracked due to the direct impact from the fall. This would have never happened with an iSkin and is the only drawback to this model. If in future models, Morphie could put a bit more protection at the corners, it'd make it much better.

Also, I haven't looked yet, but I hope they offer replacement top covers, because it looks like I'll be needing some.

Overall, I would tell you that it has been an incredible buy for me and for the money and the benefits, it's well worth it. I really dislike the specially designed plug, but it's one that is more annoying than anything else.

I just received my new Black Glossy Juice Pack Air on Dec 01, 2009.

Its important to note date as many things reported about this item have either been improved or the user was not treating the Mophie correctly. But don't stop reading as it has a few flaws.

First off are the things people reported as negatives that do not show on my unit.

1) The top plastic piece was weak and could break.
It will not break if you are taking care that it is plastic and one of the goals was to be small, light
and thin. If you insert your finger nail between the 2 pieces it is simple to slip it off.

2) The base would get pressure stuck to the iphone.
Use a clean cloth to wipe it out before you insert the iphone and you will have no trouble sliding it
off again. Also make sure your iphone doesnt have scratchs or iregularities on its case.

3) You need to carry a iphone charging cable as well as the mophie cable.
You do not need the iphone cable if you leave the iphone in the mophie, because the mophie cable charges both
at the same time with iphone in the mophie.

4) You can not sync to itunes with the mophie attached to the iphone.
I found no problem to sync the mophie/iphone using the usb cable provided by mophie

5) The mophie will only charge to 65% when iphone is attached & some said the iphone would not charge to 100% &
in addition the charge would take a very long time.
Not true, just had iphone almost drained and the mophie was down to 2 lights of a possible 4 and both were
completely charged 100% withing 3 hours.
Note: Per Mophie employee, when iphone is in the mophie, and they are charging, 75% of the charge goes to
the iphone and 25% to the mophine. Once the iphone is 100% it will devote all charge to the mophie.
Likewise if the mophie is fully charged and the iphone is not, then the iphone gets 100% devotion.

6) The spot for the speaker is blocked by the mophie case.
Wrong, Actually the iphone sounds louder in the mophie case ther is an opening that is angled outward
and reflects the sound in the same way that Apple suggested you hold the iphone to make it sound louder.


Now the Negatives, or hopefully soon to be changed.

1) Your iphone is in a hot zone and is showing 5 stars, and once you attach the mophie it drops 2-3 stars within 30
seconds. I found this to be TRUE. I called Mophie and they said to get with Returns and they would accept a
return and they would either repair or replace with a new one. So, I asked if it was the battery that was
blocking the antenna in the phone and he said they have a repair that can solve the problem. He didnt say to
much but it sounds as if they are addressing the issue with a repair or something added, he did say he was aware
of the problem. Seems like most people dont even check for this, but the few admitted this was true for them.

2) The earphone recess at the top is not wide enough to handle a L-shaped pin connector.
True but with a little personal surgery that can be fixed.

3) Glossy is slippery.
True and I have already applied some thin strips of leather looking stick-on material that are hard to see but
give you the grip that helps it feel more secure. Additionally, Mophie provides the red version with a
rubberized feel and they said it was a common request for the other colors and they hope to add in the future.

4) It shows finger prints like the old iphones.
Yep it sure does. Real messy in 15 minutes of handling. As soon as the new rubber leatherinzed comes out, I will
get one.



In conclusion, I like the Mophie, especially if they correct the signal strength. It was on sale during the Black Friday for $58 and if it shows again, will buy another just as a spare.

WHAT COMES IN THE BOX

Case
Micro USB Cable
Instructions

HOW I USE THE IPHONE

I am constantly surfing the web, playing games, or listening to music which really gives the battery a run for its money. I am out of battery life in 4 hours if I don't use a supplementary battery.

WHAT I HAVE TRIED

3GJUICE Major Mojo
Incase Power Slider

PROS

Preferentially charges the iPhone before using the iPhone's internal battery
LED indicator for battery life
Solid construction

CONS

Short proprietary Micro-USB Cable
Unable to use iPhone in docking station with the case installed
Decreases signal strength when you have fewer than 5 bars
Hard to remove iPhone from the unit
Adds thickness and weight to the iPhone

DESIGN

This two piece battery/case is constructed of hard plastic with recesses allowing for protection of the buttons along the side and top of the iPhone. The microphone and speaker are completely covered but do not impede the transmission of sound. The back has a 4 level LED battery indicator. The bottom of the unit has a switch allowing the user to toggle the battery on and off. The fit and finish are excellent, and this has a glossy appearance. It does not extend far beyond the touch screen but will probably protect the screen against blunt drops. Unfortunately, if you have an iPhone dock this case will prevent you from using it with the case installed.

Removing the iPhone from the Juice Pack Air can be challenging. First recommendation is to put it on correctly. Make sure you are sliding the iPhone along the case without much resistance. If there is the least bit of resistance, imagine how hard it will be to remove it. Assuming you have installed the case correctly, the best way to take the phone out is by wedging your fingers along the gaps at the bottom of the case, adjacent to the "Mophie" imprint, and pushing down to get a decent gap between the phone and case. Then, carefully slide the phone up and out of the case.

The micro-USB cable takes the place of the iPhone connection but still allows you to plug it into the outlet and USB port. This also allows for syncing with iTunes without problems, as opposed to the finicky nature of the Incase Power Slider. The cable is shorter than the OEM USB cable supplied with the iPhone. Given the proprietary cable, it would serve as a challenge to find a suitable car charger (my vehicle has a built in AC outlet).

The phone gets warm when the battery is charging, but not hot to the point that you are uncomfortable. When driving, I frequently use my Bluetooth interface through my vehicle's speakers.

OPERATION

The battery is already charged and ready for use. Access to the volume and power buttons is not at all obstructed. The toggle switch is a little difficult to switch for its size. Charging time is about 3 hours. The Juice pack battery is preferentially used over the internal iPhone battery. When the Juice Pack is down to zero charge, the iPhone will give a message that the device does not support charging for the unit.

WIFI signal and 3G signal is not noticeably impeded in areas of strong signal. However, there is more of a limitation with the Edge Signal in my experience (taking about 1 bar off my indicator). In areas where signal is poor (without the case on), I get "No Service". I actually get signal as opposed to the Incase Power Slider which gave me trace signal or "No Service" even in the strongest of 3G networks.

Battery life is true to the manufacturer's word, doubling my usable time without a need for a charger. This allows for about 20 hours of watching a movie or 60 hours of audio (without a plug) - assuming you turn off WIFI, Bluetooth and switch to Airplane Mode.

HOW I USE IT IN LOW/LIMITED SIGNAL AREAS

If I need to check email or have to send a text to use the network, I will just take the iPhone out of its case momentarily. After I am done, I put the iPhone back in the Juice Pack Air. When I alternate with my 3GJUICE Major Mojo or want to charge the phone in the car, I place my iPhone in the Incase Slider.

SUMMARY

If you have strong signal in your area, this is a formidable solution to your battery concerns of the iPhone. In areas of weak signal, you will just have to try it for yourself. It is an excellent product, but it may not work for everyone depending upon the coverage in your region.

I have to amend my original review (see below) after owning the item now for several months. I bought the Juice Pack Air in October, despite others' complaints about signal strength, sync not working, and fragile build quality, and I hadn't experienced trouble with any of these, so I gave it four stars in my early review.

I've now dropped it down after having problems. Before continuing, I should note THERE ARE AT LEAST TWO REVISIONS OF THIS DEVICE OUT THERE; I know because I've now had two different revisions.

PROBLEM 1: On my original Juice Pack Air, the micro-USB connector broke after two months. Sad because I was very, very satisfied with the product until that moment. I only found one or two other people around the web that mention this, but two months after purchase, the micro-USB connector on the case disappeared inside it one evening when I went to plug it in, spelling doom for the case. After determining that I couldn't easily open it and fix it myself with a soldering iron or something, I put in an RMA warranty service request via the Mophie website.

Service was reasonably good. Never got a human call or response, but I did get a UPS tag. I shipped them the broken case and a copy of my receipt using the tag (so I didn't have to pay for any shipping) and now, two weeks later, a new case has arrived. So thanks for the exchange Mophie, but it is worrying that the connector isn't attached in a more substantial way (the replacement case is the same).

PROBLEM 2: Oddly, the replacement case (supposedly exactly the same product) doesn't fit the iPhone 3Gs nicely as my original case did. This one is a full 2mm longer (yes, LONGER) meaning that there's a big empty gap (enough to slide a penny in) between the top of the phone and the top of the case. Yes, the top IS seated all the way. It's also not nearly as tight. I know that people have complained about the tightness of the Juice Pack Air, but I liked it. This one is still nicely made, but it's now a much more "slide on/slide off easily" affair. Now the case feels less as though it will snugly protect the phone.

PROBLEM 3: The replacement unit does indeed kill my signal strength (as others have reported) in a way that my first unit didn't. I wonder what they've changed between revisions that causes this?

PROBLEM 4: Sync and charge behavior are frustratingly different with the new unit as well. Clearly there are highly different revisions of this piece of equipment out there. On my first Juice Pack Air, sync worked transparently with the Mophie attached (just plug it in and the computer saw it) and charging was easy, since I just left the switch on the bottom in the "on" position all the time and forgot about it. Plugging it into USB, both the Juice Pack AND the iPhone would charge to full at the same time. Unplugging, the Juice Pack would discharge first, then the iPhone. Now, both charging and sync behaviors are different.

First, sync no longer works with the juice pack attached (a problem many others have had). Second, charging now works like this:

- When I plug the juice pack in (either switch position), the actual iPhone doesn't charge at the same time (before, no matter whether the switch was red or green, both the iPhone AND the Juice Pack would charge in parallel if it was plugged in). Now, when plugged in the iPhone continues to discharge and will eventually go flat, even as the Juice Pack busily charges.

- I have to set the switch to green to charge the actual iPhone, but I MUST UNPLUG the Juice Pack from power for charging to occur (if it's plugged in and I switch to green, the iPhone does not charge). And green or red, the moment I plug the Juice Pack back into power, the iPhone stops charging, no matter the switch position. So basically: you can only charge the Juice Pack when plugged into power (not the iPhone). You can only charge the iPhone when not plugged into power (and then, obviously, you can't charge the Juice Pack).

Getting a full charge for both from a full flat for both thus requires the following steps with the replacement unit:

1. Plug in Juice Pack. Wait for it to charge (meanwhile, iPhone goes dead and stays dead).
2. Disconnect power, flip Juice Pack to green. Wait for iPhone to charge (meanwhile, Juice Pack runs down as it charges).
3. Reconnect Juice Pack, replace charge just used (of course, when you plugged in, the iPhone stopped charging and is now running down again while the Juice Pack charges).

In short, it's literally impossible to actually get both to a full charge at the same time unless I take the pack OFF of the iPhone and charge them separately. The first Juice Pack Air I had (the one that broke and was replaced under warranty) did NOT behave this way.

I suspect that they changed the behavior to this because of the complaints I've read about overheating when both batteries were charging at the same time. I didn't experience that problem with my first Juice Pack, though they did get quite warm.

IN ANY CASE, my new review is this: I'll continue to use the thing because I bought it and it does provide extra power. But it's a kind of grudging acceptance and frustration now rather than enthusiasm, and I'm tempted to try to get ahold of one of the competing (and now discontinued, no doubt due to similar types of problems) Incase Power Slider units to see if they're any better.

Maybe there's just no way to do this right and Apple should consider releasing an "extended battery" version of the iPhone that's twice as thick for $200 more? I'd pay for it if it gave me double the battery life without all of this "power case" nonsense.

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ORIGINAL REVIEW:

So there I was sitting in the Apple Store in Manhattan trying to find a single case that protected the sync port at the bottom of the iPhone. Couldn't find one. But I did find the Mophie Juice Pack Air for less than twice the price of some of the basic black silicone cases being sold at the store.

"Not bad," I thought, but I wanted to read a review and see whether the thing was any good, particularly since the Apple Store didn't have an open one on display for me to at least inspect the build quality. Some of the reviews complained about loss of signal strength, much lower than advertised battery power, and/or the inability to sync without removing the iPhone from the Mophie.

I contemplated, then I bought, knowing that I could always return it if I hated it. Immediately upon buying, I went straight over to the nearest horizontal surface, opened it, and installed it. Then, I plugged it into the USB port on my laptop.

(1) No signal strength degradation (knock on wood).
(2) Computer found the iPhone and all was happy with syncing (knock on wood).
(3) Later experience has shown that it gives me a good 70% boost in battery length (knock on wood).

Apart from that, I think the build quality complaints are really baseless. This is a beautifully finished, very solid, very nicely fitting (incredibly precise tolerances) piece of equipment. Those that are complaining sound like they're removing the case daily. WARNING: It's clearly not designed to be removed and replaced over and over again, you can tell that just by looking at it. If you plan to remove it from your iPhone all the time, this is not the case for you. (And thus, if you plan to use your iPhone with all kinds of docks and docking accessories, this is not the case for you.)

This thing is clearly intended for people in good coverage areas who use the iPhone mostly on the go, don't have a ready pile of iPhone accessories that require docking, and need a nice cover and a boost in operation time.

The only reasons I give it four stars rather than five: I have no idea how long the battery's lifetime will be; a lot of lesser rechargeable batteries tend to wear out after 20-30 cycles, which I haven't yet gotten to on the Mophie, and also, the micro USB cable that comes with it is TOO DAMNED SHORT (like, a foot and a half, literally) and I had to buy a USB extension cable. Just make the cable longer, guys.

I have now gone through two of these in the space of three months. It's useful, increases battery life substantially, and the on-off switch is indeed a good feature. However, the fact that it precludes use of the iPhone dock connector is a major drawback (I have various accessories that use the connectors on my iPhone and iPod, which I have to remove the Mophie to use). A more serious complaint is that the pin connector that the Mophie does use to charge is extremely faulty, in my experience. On the first model I bought, I had to return it to the store the next day because the charger would not stay plugged in to the phone -- it would literally just fall out of the connector. The second one I used for about three months when the same problem started happening. I am sending it in for repair under warranty, but this shouldn't be an issue.

At first I thought this thing was amazing, but then I realized that I had no signal. At home I had one to two bars, and at work I was constantly searching for signal which as we all know drains your battery even more. Not worth the $80 or however cheap you get it for really. Obviously didn't fit in my docks and other accessories, so it was really just a headache. Returned it in a week. I warn people at the Apple Store every time I'm there.