Battery runtime on mobile phones isn’t what it used to be. I used to charge my cellphone and expect it to run for days before my next charge. But let’s face it, mobile phones aren’t just phones anymore.
Today’s mobile phones, particularly smartphones, have more in common with laptops than they do with cellphones. If you’re like me, you’ve come to this realization long ago and use your iPhone as you would your laptop. And, because it does practically everything that a laptop can do, minus the bulk and weight, it’s probably become your only mobile computing device.
However, this level of performance also draws power too, giving me the same mediocre battery life I would get from my laptop. If you’re looking for a way to keep your iPhone 5 running all day, while leaving all the charging accessories at home, I’ve found an integrated battery case to be the best solution.
The Mophie Juice Pack Air for the iPhone 5 provides up to 100% extra battery life for the iPhone in a package much thinner and lighter than generations before it. But, there are a couple drawbacks.
• Micro USB Port Charges Only And Won’t Sync iPhone Through Case
• Audio Port Is Deeply Recessed Which Limits Access For Most Headphones
The case’s Micro USB port is for charging only. Syncing cannot be done through this port as it could in prior generations. Mophie states the use of Wi-Fi syncing gets around this shortcoming, but photos and videos don’t natively import yet over Wi-Fi – a physical connection is still needed. So, in order to import pictures and videos, I’m then required to take off the bottom portion of the case to plug my iPhone directly into my desktop computer.
The Audio Port is deeply recessed. This makes connecting most headphones difficult or even impossible without the case’s included headphone adapter to reach the port.
Despite these minor shortcomings, this really is an awesome case. And, like all of Mophie’s products, they’re beautifully made and thoughtfully designed.
The Helpy Features:
• Amazingly Hides Its Bulkiness
• iPhone And Case Can Charge Simultaneously
• Keeps Audio Unmuffled By Channeling Audio Toward The Front
• Standby Switch Maximizes Battery Usage
The Juice Pack Air is the thinnest and lightest case Mophie has made to date with this level of charge capacity. While much of the thinness is attributed to the iPhone 5’s already slim profile, Mophie has designed a case that remarkably hides all its bulk. The outer rim, pass-through buttons, and curved back not only give this case a stylish look, but they make the Mophie feel and appear amazingly thinner than it actually is.
And, like Mophie battery cases before it, simultaneous charging of both the iPhone and case, as well as rich unmuffled audio remain key helpful features of the Mophie brand.
The Helpiest feature of the Mophie Juice Pack Air I’ve found though, is its Standby Switch. It gives me complete control over the use of the case’s internal battery with my iPhone.
If placed in the case and immediately switched and left on, the Mophie will intelligently allow the iPhone to use up the battery in the case first. However, using the case this way to simply keep the iPhone battery topped off draws more power and doesn’t maximize the Mophie’s charge potential. In fact, the battery on the iPhone 5 actually requires extra power to charge beyond its 80% point.
For this reason, Mophie recommends switching the case on only when you need to charge, and then switching the case back off into standby mode at around the 80% mark. Then, at lower charge levels, flip the charge switch back on to push any remaining power from the case into the iPhone when needed. This process effectively yields up to the 100% extra battery life the case claims to provide.
If you’re looking to double the life of your iPhone, carry around as little as possible, and protect it (while looking awesome) all at the same time, the Mophie Juice Pack Air literally has you covered.
Mophie Juice Pack Air for iPhone 5
