Customer Reviews

mophie juice pack case and rechargeable battery for iPod touch 2G, 3G (Black)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

As someone who quickly runs out of battery life with my iPod Touch 2G, I looked forward to the Mophie Juice Pack specifically made for the 2G. The item comes packaged like a small iPod, and has a nice rubber-like skin. It needed a charge, so I plugged it in for several hours.

It was at this point the first design flaw became apparent. The Mophie uses it's own charger cord with a micro USB end. Unfortunately if you have the iPod Touch inserted into the Mophie case, it does not sync at all. I guess I could deal with now having to use two separate cords - one to charge my iPod Touch and one for the Mophie - but it is unnecessarily cumbersome for such a device.

But a second design flaw greatly disappointed me. Noticing that my iPod Touch 2G was relatively quiet, I realized what was advertised as a "pass through" jack for headphones was in reality not a pass through at all. The headphone jack in the Mophie case is recognized by the iPod Touch as a pair of headphones... and consequently it silences the internal speaker.

That's right. With your iPod Touch inside the Mophie case, you cannot use the internal speaker to play games or watch videos. I've emailed Mophie Tech Support and there is no way around this. As they suggest, you simply have to use headphones or you get zero sound when your iPod Touch 2G is in the case. Not very design friendly when the KEY upgrade from the iPod Touch 1G to iPod Touch IS the addition of the internal speaker.

While that might not seem like a big deal to some, the Mophie Juice Pack is being marketed as a product DESIGNED FOR the iPod Touch 2G. Shouldn't the internal speaker have been taken into consideration? Wouldn't a better design have been a small hole which allowed the user to plug their headphones into the iPod Touch if they so desired? That would have left the internal speaker available for use.

So can I recommend the device? Well it didn't give me seven hours of video, but it did give me about three (and only with headphones). Much better than the standard included battery. But the two design flaws: requiring two cords for charging with no sync ability, and the silencing of the internal speaker make me suggest you consider some of the other after market batteries out there for the iPod Touch 2G instead of buying something that actually subtracts capabilities from your iPod Touch in order to deal with a low battery.

Not Recommended.

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UPDATE 20 APRIL 2009
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Unfortunately prolonged use of this product has proven extremely disappointing. The battery life is highly unpredictable and can drain unexpectedly from a single day's use without barely being turned on. I am not a heavy user; however, on many occasions I have charged the battery overnight, plugged it into my iPod Touch 2G for the day, and by the next morning found the Mophie battery completely drained and my internal battery being used. On other occasions, the battery lasted as much as 2-3 days. But the unpredictable nature is highly unacceptable from a product that claims to extend the battery life as much as advertised. My original review gave the product two stars, but frankly with the battery so unreliable and no way to recharge the pack without a USB port of a computer nearby, I would heartily change my review to simply one star: No sound, no sync, no way to recharge iPod Touch 2G with the included adapter cord, and now the shoddy unpredictable battery life.

HIGHLY NOT RECOMMENDED.

Length:: 2:24 Mins

The Mophie Juice Pack is an awesome device for those of who travel across the country. One Mophie Juice Pack will help you fly from New York to LA watching movies the whole way (and most likely - for your layover too)! Sound too good to be true - well in some regards it is.

Pros -

- More than doubles your battery life!!!!
- Sleek profile that fits comfortably in your hand

Cons-

- Will ONLY work with your Ipod 2nd Generation - THIS WILL NOT WORK WITH YOUR IPHONE!
- Doubles the thickness and weight of your Ipod. I can't imagine that joggers/walkers will appreciate the added weight/bulkiness
- Does not really work as a "Case" in fact the top of your Ipod will not be protected at all. What makes this a little more scary is that the added weight will add more momentum if you happen to drop your Ipod.
- Your external speaker will not work when you are using the Mophie Juice Pack. It is not that the speaker is covered up - but the design on the Juice Pack has it plugging into headphone jack - thus the Ipod thinks that the headphones are in use which disables your external speaker.
- Not cheap .... especially when compared to Macally PowerLink Emergency Battery Pack with 2 GB Pen Drive for iPod and iPhone (Black)


FInal Verdict-

This is a great device for those of us who travel - however if you are looking for a little extra battery life this will probably be an expensive overkill.

4 stars

The Mophie Juice Pack Rechargeable Battery for iPod Touch 2G adds extended battery life to your iPod touch 2G. The design does have some shortcomings, and not everybody will be happy with the trade-offs. Despite being a very picky person, I found that most of the cons were things I could accept. If anything, I have noticed a few other things that are minor annoyances, but nothing that is a deal breaker. As long as you follow a few tips you will be able to get a lot of use out of this device.

Those who travel frequently or have a long daily commute will be able to get the most out of this. On a crowded bus or plane, you're probably planning on using your headphones anyway. So not being able to use the built-in speaker is not a big drawback. And being able to add 3 - 6 hours of playback time to your iPod Touch 2G is a big advantage.

PROS:

+ Extends your battery life 3 - 6 hours depending on usage (More below)
+ Attractive appearance with good rubberized surface for a nice grip
+ Includes LEDs on the back to indicate remaining battery life
+ Design includes a mini-USB port instead of the iPod dock (I know many consider this a negative, but this is a design choice I am very happy with. More below)

CONS
- Add about a half inch of thickness to the size of the iPod Touch
- Does not protect the top and face of the iPod Touch as much as the bottom and back
- Picks up lint and dust
- Must remove your iPod from the Mophie before docking into a speaker dock (use the auxiliary port instead)
- Requires you to use the headphones for sound, so those who like the external speaker for games, music or video will be disappointed; I rarely use the external speaker anyway so this doesn't bother me as much

COMPATIBILITY AND ALTERNATIVES

This unit only works with the 2G iPod Touch. I'm happy enough with the performance that I may break down and get the Mophie Juice Pack for iPod Touch 1G , since my original iPod Touch 1G is still going strong. Similarly, there are other versions for the iPhone, such as the Mophie Juice Pack for iPhone 3G and the Tekkeon MP1200 myPower Battery for iPhone. Make sure you actually have the iPod Touch 2G or explore one of the alternatives if you have a different iPod or iPhone. For a shorter charge boost at a lower price look at the Macally PowerLink Emergency Battery Pack with 2 GB Pen Drive for iPod and iPhone.

TIPS AND THOUGHTS

~ Your juice pack will last much longer if you make sure you turn the unit off when not in use. Most of the time people think the unit is off but it is really in sleep mode. Also, make sure you turn off the wireless when it's not in use. Otherwise, your iPod may drain this unit searching for wireless signals while you're not even using it.
~ The way you use your iPod will change how much extra battery life you get from the juice pack. Those who watch videos or play games will get less extra time out of this unit than listening to music alone.
~ I wish the USB port would have been on the side instead of the bottom; this prevents you from standing it up while it charges.
~ Make sure your mini-USB cable is actually data and power capable to sync your iPod with it. Some only provide power, and those are actually good for plugging into travel or car chargers. I have so many mini-USB cables that this was a positive for me in that I have one less cable to bring.
~ The lack of an external iPod dock connector means you will have to take your iPod out to use with speaker docks. As a work-around I have gotten into the habit of using the auxiliary input meant for any MP3 player or audio source. Just keep an extra auxiliary cable on hand.

CONCLUSION

For those who love to use their external speaker, this unit's design mean's it's not for you. For those who want extended battery life for commuting or travelling, you were probably going to be using headphones anyway. This unit still gets a positive vote from me because it does the primary thing I wanted it to do.

Enjoy.

The Mophie Juice Pack for iPod Touch 2G would be my go-to-product for extending the battery life of my iPod Touch when a power supply would otherwise be unavailable (ex: flying). It delivers on its promise of increasing your battery life and will even charge your iPod if need be.

As I already owned the Mophie Juice Pack for the iPhone, I anticipated that it would use it's own charger cord with a micro USB end (to plug into the case itself). Some people may find this to be a nuisance since your iPod will not synch directly through the case but I have no such issues with having one USB port designated for my Mophie Case and another designated for my iPod. Problem solved. Rarely do I keep my iPod 'plugged' into my Juice Pack 24/7. Instead, I keep it in my purse or travel bag as a battery back-up for 'use as needed'. It will fully charge your dead battery.

The only true design flaw (IMO) is that the case was designed to plug directly into your headset jack - thus, disabling the external speakers. For a product that was designed specifically for the iPod 2G (which boasts external speakers as one of it's primary features), this is truly a disapointment.

Overall, this is a great product for boosting your battery life or even for recharging your battery on the go (which is how I prefer to utilize it). It's not something I'd use daily but I would argue that it is definitely worth the investment if you are someone who travels a lot and rely heavily on your iPod for entertainment during long transits.

I have used three Mophie batteries in a one year span. Love the concept, but the durability and reliability are very quesitonable. Each battery had to be sent back for the same reason - the charging connector on the bottom of the phone becomes loose and will no longer charge. Each battery purchased or replaced, lasted fewer and fewer months (the current battery lasted less than a month before the charging connector became loose).

I have researched the battery's problems, and this seems to be a predomimant problem with the 3G Mophie battery. Until the company addresses this problem, I advise anyone to look for another alternative.

I use my iTouch all throughout the day. Calculator, grocery list, contact list, email... oh yeah, and for music while doing all these things, so I was thrilled to be able to test this battery adjunct. Mophie Juice Pack - Case and Rechargeable Battery for iPod Touch 2G

What I found was that I didn't have to recharge mid-day. I could basically run from morning until nightfall without having to plug in. NOW, having said that, let me explain that my use throughout the day is not constant and I don't do videos and other things which really drawn down batteries. So my estimate is that the Mophie pack will probably double your up-time, and will most likely get you through that airplane flight regardless of what you're doing.

The Facts :::
o The Pack comes with a USB-to-Mini-USB cable. This means you can charge the iTouch or connect it to the PC while it is still in the Pack.
o It's attractive and really doesn't add all that much weight or size to the iTouch. (If you think so, remember that it's a battery!)

Pros :::
o Attractive
o Extends use time dramatically

Cons :::
o Some people, like me, won't be comfortable with the touch-and-feel. It seems slippery when compared to the silicon skin I'm used to.
o Some people won't like that you can't use the itsy-bitsy external signal iTouch speakers when it's inplace. (It's a non-issue for me.)
o Some people won't like the additional size. (Again a non-issue for me.)
o Some people will be annoyed by the fact that you now have to carry two (2) cables when traveling; one for the Mophie and one for the iTouch.

Conclusion:::
I like the Mophie Juice Pack. It works for me. YOU, however, are going to have to consider how you use your iTouch to know whether it's going to make you as happy as I am. I use my iTouch all day, off and on, with ear jacks, and the pack gets me through just fine. If, however, your one of those people that love the tiny little speakers on the iTouch you're going to probably be annoyed that they aren't always accessible.

Since I was used to the touch-and-feel of the silicon skin for my iTouch, I found the Mophie uncomfortable to hold. [I'm a clutz, it made me worry about dropping it. Not all people, even those who are clutz's, will experience this same concern.] As a consequence I now carry the Juice Pack separately in my purse. Slapping it on when the indicator goes low.

This is an excellent addition to the array of accessories available for the iPhone/Touch. I especially liked the quality feel of this battery enhancer, and its size (and weight) had only a negligible effect the overall size and feel of my iTouch. Battery life was extended almost 2X, which is great for me because I have become an avid Kindle reader on my Touch (yes, it works, and it has great legibility). The one downside is with the battery attached choices for protective cases seem limited.

This is a great invention. I was always so frustrated that my battery would die on my Ipod touch after hardly any time at all. When I recieved the Morphie pack and placed my ipod in it, it immediately starts charging. You only have to charge the actual Morphie every 2 months. It is fantastic, not too big or heavy. has lights on the back to tell you how much battery life is left. It has a usb cord that you connect to your pc when the morphie needs charging. It does have its cons though. The external speaker will not work when you have the ipod in the pack, and it will not sync either. But its not a big deal, it isnt necessary to leave it in the pack all the time. I really like it!

The instructions aren't too great for this item & supposedly you must register the product online at the Mophie website in order for it to activate. I did that but I'm not sure that it wouldn't have worked had I not registered it. It was even a little confusing on their website because there was nothing that said "Register". I went to the Warranty tab & found another tab in there to register it. Not everybody has Internet therefore I think it's sad that you have to actually (if that's the case) register it online in order to use it.

There is also nothing to indicate what the 4 LED lights on the back of the battery pack mean. I'm not sure if it came charged or not since I'm not sure what the lights mean. There's also a little button next to the lights that I've read online is a "test button" to show how much power it has but had I not come across this online I wouldn't have know what it was for.

As another reviewer stated you no longer have sound while your ipod is plugged into the unit unless you plug in the headphones. I enjoy playing some of my games that I've put on the ipod & would like to be able to hear the sounds without having to plug the ear buds in. My biggest complaint though is that it's harder than heck to get the ipod out of the unit once it's in. There's not much room on the sides to grab the ipod & pull it off & if you do it that way you are constantly pushing the volume button. That way doesn't work for me though. I have to insert my nail at the bottom of the ipod where it's resting against the unit & push it out that way. Not very convenient.

Some of my apps really drain the battery pretty fast so I certainly like having a back up battery but with all the other negative things I've mentioned I'm not sure that this choice is worth it. If the things I've mentioned don't bother you then you might not have any problems with this item but if there were other choices out there I'd probably prefer to check them out first.

Purchased new in box from dealer on EBay, the headphone jack quit working after about 60 days,so I contacted Mophie for repair, their response was for a copy of sales receipt before repairing. after sending receipt for the purchase, there response was that this dealer was not authorized to sell Mophic products, and therefore they would not repair!!! Battery is not holding its charge as long, goes out overnight. Wish I had not wasted my money on the unit. Heasdphone jack also does not work anymore.