Mophie Juice Pack Plus for iPhone5

Mophie-Juice-Pack-Plus-2Mophie is the go to company if you need a battery case for your smartphone. Recently we reviewed the Mophie Juice Pack Helium, and noted that there was a higher capacity battery case available, and now we’ve had the chance to test that one as well. The Mophie Juice Pack Plus for iPhone 5 is the ultimate solution to your iPhone battery woes.

Anyone who has an iPhone 5 will tell you that it can drain its battery wicked fast with all of its LTE goodness. On a normal day this isn’t a problem for us, but whenever we travel, it becomes an issue. So our recent trip to the Brickyard 400 for a smartphone based scavenger hunt was the perfect opportunity to test the Mophie Juice Pack Plus. Knowing we’d all be using our phones extensively, the good folks at Crown Royal actually provided each competitor with a Helium, but the extra battery life of our Plus made all the difference at the track.

Mophie_Juice_Pack_PlusLet us start with the specs though :

  • Impact-resistant, 2100mAh protective battery case made for iPhone 5
  • Equipped with more than 120% extra battery -up to 10 additional hours of talk time
  • Protective, dual-injected case with a shockproof band
  • Toggle between charging and standby with the flip of a switch
  • LED power indicator Indicates charging mode and current battery life

The Juice Pack Plus retails for $119.95 and comes in three colors – Black, White, and Red. The PRODUCT(RED) version supports the Global Fund to help eliminate AIDS with a 5% contribution from Mophie. The model we tested was black, and when paired with our black iPhone, it was a bit tough to photograph, almost like Snow White in a Snow Storm.

In our testing, the Juice Pack Plus performed as advertised. It extended our battery life effectively, and even after a long day of usage, our iPhone still had enough juice left for some late night Instagram posting. Having that much battery power with your phone at all times is definitely preferable to having to plugin, or hook up a separate battery device. It should satisfy even the most power hungry iPhone users.

Mophie-Juice-Pack-Plus-1On the back of the case sits a button, four LEDs, and a switch. Upon pressing the button, the LEDs light up to indicate how full the battery is. The case powers your iPhone only when you flip the switch to on (green). Mophie recommends turning on the case only after your iPhone’s built-in battery drops below 20 percent.

Both the phone and the case charged relatively quickly through the micro-usb port. That port was a mixed blessing, in that we definitely have more micro-usb than lightning cables, but found connecting the cable much more frustrating.

When we first began using the case, the added length at the bottom required retraining of some muscle memory, but that only lasted about a day. The added length also creates an issue accessing the headphone jack, for which they provided an extension piece. We actually tested with three sets of headphones that didn’t require the adapter, but if you still use the stock ear buds (WHY?) you will need to use that piece.

The case has a rubberized back, but still slides in and out of pockets easily. The added size and weight obviously takes away from the beautiful design of the iPhone itself much like any case would, but we were impressed with how tight the package actually was. Mophie excels at elegant design themselves, so while it’s a different style, the case is definitely well designed and well-built. The Plus did add more size and weight as compared to the Helium though, so you have to balance your purchase decision based on what is most important to you.

Mophie-Juice-Pack-Plus-3The iPhone slides easily into the two piece case, with the battery contained in the top portion, and the connectors housed in the smaller bottom piece. We did find however that removing the phone from the case proved to be a bit difficult with the Plus. You obviously don’t ever want your phone case to fall apart, but this case was a bit too snug for our tastes. It’s the type of thing that you likely wouldn’t take on and off often, due to the tightness, and a definite contrast with the Helium. The connections themselves seem robust enough to not break under normal usage.

The Mophie Juice Pack Plus retails for $119.95 and is available at Amazon.

Mophie Juice Pack Plus for iPhone5

Battery - 100%
Style - 85%
Protection - 90%
Size - 85%
Value - 85%

89%

Extends the battery of your iPhone in the best way possible.