Review: Mophie’s Juice Pack Access battery case supports wired wireless charging, leaves the Lightning port exposed

Coming inwards a multifariousness of colouring options, this versatile battery illustration from Mophie protects your iPhone piece giving yous extra battery mightiness when yous postulate it amongst a uncomplicated force of a button. Moreover, it leaves the Lightning port exposed hence yous tin purpose your wired headphones or Lightning-based accessories piece Juice Pack Access is wirelessly charging the handset.

Introduced inwards January of this year, Juice Pack Access is an enhanced version of Mophie’s Juice Pack battery illustration that leaves the Lightning port exposed. Unfettered access to the Lightning port is the solely affair that sets the novel Access edition from the previous Juice Pack models.

Overall, this is a illustration for people who honour themselves unable to acquire through their solar daytime on a unmarried charge. It gives iPhone XS Max half dozen hours of additional run time, which may live just what yous postulate to acquire through the solar daytime comfortably without hunting for a wall socket.

Plus, it comes amongst the convenience of both wired together with wireless input together with output charging.

A versatile battery pack/case

The previous Juice Pack battery cases from Mophie used to accuse your iPhone via the Lightning port. As a result, yous couldn’t head to music through wired headphones or purpose Lightning peripherals, nor could yous purpose wired CarPlay piece the illustration was on.

“Access” inwards Juice Pack Access agency the Lightning port is freely accessible piece the telephone is inwards the case.

No such compromises amongst Juice Pack Access, which leaves an opening at the bottom hence yous tin head to music or accept calls together with accuse the telephone wirelessly at the same time.

iPhone Xs Max is rated at 25 hours of battery life, but this illustration extends total run fourth dimension to 31 hours.

To install the slip-in case, split the operate yesteryear department together with side your telephone all the way into the bottom department (the snaps belongings the difficult illustration together appear to live reinforced, removing i of the frequent complaints regarding the previous version).

The difficult plastic illustration wraps around the dorsum together with sides of your phone.

Finally, slide the operate yesteryear department of the illustration over the exposed operate yesteryear of your iPhone hence that the telephone snaps into the bottom department of the case.

That’s it, you’re expert to go.

Wired together with wireless charging

A built-in ringlet wirelessly charges your device on the go. Just press together with agree a push on the dorsum of the illustration for iii seconds to start charging the handset wirelessly (you’ll listen a chime when your iPhone starts charging). To halt charging the telephone together with relieve some battery for later, just press the condition push i time to a greater extent than for 3 seconds.

Charging both the illustration my iPhone’s battery at the same time, wirelessly.

But it gets fifty-fifty meliorate because the production supports both wireless input together with output, pregnant yous tin position the illustration on a Qi mat to accuse it together with the telephone simultaneously. However, wireless charging is capped at five watts of mightiness fifty-fifty though iPhones back upward Qi charging at 7.5W. Again — piece it receives power wirelessly a combat faster at 7.5W, Juice Pack Access charges your telephone wirelessly at 5W despite iPhones supporting Qi charging at 7.5W.

Yup, this is possible, too. Charging the illustration via USB-C together with my iPhone XS Max via Lightning.

At 5W, it takes about 15-20 minutes to give an iPhone XS Max a 10 pct charge. This isn’t an number for this writer because I solely purpose Qi charging to operate yesteryear upward my devices. Before nap time, or anytime charging speed is a priority for me, I’d plough to the case’s integrated USB-C port to juice upward the internal battery significantly faster(under 2 hours) vs. the wireless method.

That’s right, yous acquire 2 ways to recharge the case: Qi (wireless) together with USB-C (wired).

The LEDs allow yous banking corporation check how much juice yous have got inwards the pack. Bonus: your iPhone speakers are opened upward to the air.

And cheers to priority charging, Juice Pack Access volition mail mightiness to your telephone starting fourth dimension earlier recharging its ain battery, regardless if you’re charging the illustration amongst a wire or wirelessly. The illustration feels warm to the touching when charging, which is normal. The LED condition blink a few times at the start of charging, together with hence plough off automatically to allow for a expert night’s rest.

On the acquire power

A brusk force of the push fires upward the iv LED indicator lights on the dorsum for a quick at-a-glance overview of the electrical current charge. Four LEDs agency that the illustration is fully charged, piece i LED agency that it’s almost empty. Juice Pack Access packs inwards a 2,200mAh battery rated at 8.36Wh that gives yous hours of extra juice, deepening on your telephone model. By comparison, Apple’s Smart Battery Case for iPhone XS Max offers roughly xx pct to a greater extent than mightiness via its 1,369mAh battery rated higher than Mophie’s at 10.1Wh.

The cutout for the ringer switch is the just the correct size.

My iPhone XS Max is powered yesteryear a 3,174mAh internal battery together with nevertheless I couldn’t acquire it from dead to 100% amongst this case. Actually, this is normal behavior! Mophie tells me that their main goal amongst this illustration was giving customers a convenient way to chop-chop juice upward on the acquire when the phone’s battery is depression until they tin hit a wireless charging pad or wall outlet (if yous desire something to continue your telephone charged for days at a time, await no farther than Mophie’s first-class Powerstation XL, which we’ll review inwards the coming days).

The nicely designed buttons experience real tactile.

Mophie kindly sent me a review sample which provides upward to 31 hours of total beak time, eighteen hours of video watching together with xvi hours of cyberspace purpose on the iPhone XS Max together with iPhone XR models. The iPhone X/XS version provides upward to 25 hours of total beak time.

Solid protection

Juice Pack Access weighs inwards at 106 grams (3.74oz) together with measures 81.02 mm wide, 160.80 mm tall together with 17.99mm deep (3.19 x 6.33 x 0.71 inches), pregnant it’s to a greater extent than than double the thickness of my iPhone XS Max. In damage of protection, it’s anything but lightweight. The polycarbonate outside together with rubberized back upward pads furnish solid impact protection inwards an unfortunate illustration when your telephone may accidentally sideslip out of your manus together with autumn on its back.

A hump on the back, smaller than the i on Apple’s smart case, houses the battery.

The raised edges continue your telephone off of whatever surface it’s placed confront down, which helps continue the display safe against scratches, to a sure as shooting degree.

Mophie vs. Apple

I’ve constitute this illustration to represent to a greater extent than comfortably inwards my manus than Apple’s Smart Battery Case. In fact, I’d country that it looks a lot sleeker than the smart illustration from Apple. One thing’s certain: it definitely has a noticeably thinner battery hump. Topping it off, it’s $30 cheaper than the first-party solution together with in that location isn’t nearly every bit much added weight every bit amongst Apple’s product.

The battery is to a greater extent than streamlined than on Apple’s Smart Battery Case.

I haven’t noticed whatever interference amongst cellular reception nor have got I had the illustration impact call, audio or paradigm quality. Overall, the accessory feels dandy inwards your manus without looking cheap. Most importantly, it strikes a frail relaxation betwixt needing every bit much additional on-the-go mightiness every bit possible together with the mightiness to purpose your telephone amongst this illustration on similar your commonly would (i.e. wireless charging, Lightning port access together with hence forth).

Apple’s illustration also has a controversial design with that bulging battery on the back.

The illustration is precise together with rigid.

Both cases offer wireless charging for input together with output together with operate out the Lightning port opened upward for use. Apple’s illustration offers a combat faster wireless charging together with uses Lightning for wired charging. On the other hand, the Mophie production uses USB-C for wired charging hence yous won’t live able to accuse it amongst your iPhone cable.

Instead, purpose either the included cable or the USB-C cable that came amongst your 2018 iPad Pro or Mac notebook. In fact, if you’re traveling amongst a MacBook or iPad Pro, operate out your iPhone charger at dwelling trouble solid together with just purpose the included notebook charger together with cables to mightiness upward the case.

Mophie has been developing battery cases together with mightiness adapters for years now. With Juice Pack Access, you’re getting a reliable production backed yesteryear their two-year warranty, amongst perks similar built-in short-circuit, over-charge and temperature protection.

Pros together with cons

Here’s what nosotros liked together with disliked nigh Juice Pack Access.

Pros

• Full access to the Lightning port


• Great construct quality, prissy tactile buttons amongst expert feedback


• Wireless input together with output charging


• USB-C for fast wired charging

Cons

• Qi charging doesn’t back upward the faster 7.5W standard


• Internal battery won’t fully accuse your telephone from 0% to 100%


• Matte complete is a fingerprint magnet

To larn to a greater extent than nigh Mophie’s trouble solid unit of measurement of smartphone battery cases, visit their website.

Pricing together with availability

Juice Pack Access is made for iPhone X, iPhone Xs, iPhone Xs Max together with iPhone Xr.

It’s available inwards a multifariousness of colouring finishes: Black, Stone, Gold together with Dark Red for iPhone X, iPhone XS together with iPhone Xs Max; Black, Blue together with Red for iPhone XR. By comparison, Apple’s illustration is solely available inwards iii colouring options:  Black, White together with Pink Sand.

Mophie charges $100 for the iPhone XS Max edition of Juice Pack Access versus $129 for Apple’s Smart Battery Case. You tin also honour Juice Pack Access on Amazon.

Your thoughts

What create yous call back nigh Mophie’s case?

Is it whatever meliorate than Apple’s offering, create yous think? If so, inwards what ways precisely? And piece we’re at it, create yous ain a battery illustration for your iPhone, together with which one?

Share your thoughts amongst the readers inwards the commenting department downwards below.

Share this post