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Wednesday November 26, 2008 6:16 pm
Mophie Juice Pack review
Okay, we’re mobile warriors here at Gear Live, and the battery life is the only negative for me when it comes to my iPhone 3G. The Mophie Juice Pack 3G aims to fix that problem, and so we took it to task. Now, mind you, not everyone uses up their battery as quick as I do - I have two email accounts that are on push data, and I also push calendars and contacts as well. That’s a lot of constant connectivity going on. If I’m not careful, my iPhone 3G battery will be dead within 9 hours on a typical day.
That’s where the Mophie Juice Pack steps in, aiming to provide that extra battery goodness. Read on to find out why it earned a spot in our Holiday Gift Guide.
It’s a simple enough idea - build an iPhone external battery that doesn’t impede on functionality. We liked the Richard Solo iPhone battery, but it isn’t something that you’d want connected to the iPhone while you were trying to actively use it. It was just a clunky experience, even though it did its primary job (keeping the iPhone powered) very well. As you can see, though, the Juice Pack 3G takes a different approach. Rather than hanging off the end of the iPhone, the phone just slides right into place. The Juice Pack conforms to the iPhone, and actually has a couple of added benefits.
With the iPhone in the Juice Pack, I notice that typing is a little easier. Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem typing quickly on the iPhone (using two thumbs, no less,) it’s just that the Juice Pack gives it a little more heft - more of a base, if you will. I definitely think it’s a nice added bonus. The main feature, though, is the doubling of the iPhone battery life. It’s real, and it is wonderful. I can go a full 24-hour day with a fully charged iPhone and a fully charged Mophie. Obviously, I am sleeping for 8 of those hours, but still, my fears about being without power are gone. You charge the Juice Pack over mini-USB, and you can charge both the Juice Pack and the iPhone at the same time.
On the flip side, one negative is that the iPhone, when in the Juice Pack, doesn’t fit into any other case. That means I either keep the iPhone in the Juice Pack constantly, which isnt much protection, or I keep the Juice Pack in a spare pocket or bag. A small gripe, but still, worth noting.
The Mophie Juice Pack retails for $99, half the price of an 8GB iPhone 3G if you get it subsidized. A bit much to pay for extended battery life? Depends on who you ask. We think it is completely worth it if you rely on email, web, and push calendars as much as we do. Having the peace of mind that your iPhone won’t run out of juice in the middle of the day gives us warm fuzzies. If you fit into this group, it’s a must buy. You can pick one up at Amazon for $99.
Gallery: Mophie Juice Pack review
- Related Tags:
- accessories, adslice, iphone, iphone 3g, iphone battery, juice pack, mophie, mophie juice pack, mophie juice pack 3g, mophie juice pack review, reviews
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Comments:
i have been using the 3G juice pack since it shipped…. i find it (for the price) to be a pile.
it doesnt give me another 10 hours or whatever.. more like 6.
the rubber inserts on the sides have glue that didnt set.. not the glue is sticky and the inserts are popping out all the time.
also when i use 110 charger mini usb for the pack it only charges the juice pack and not the phone.
but when i leave it connected to computer via usb both charge.
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I loved it but it quit working almost immediately, and despite multiple submissions for their 24-hour warranty service I have received no response. The rubber inserts are also falling off. Pass on this gadget for now.
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Received on of the first 3G JuicePacks - worked absolutely as advertised - GREAT accessory. Only issue was the side ‘bumper strips’ started sliding loose because the glue wasn’t quite right - but Mophie replaced it promptly without question. Could not do without it - when I want to go out with the slim phone-only, I leave the Juice Pack on charge and when I go out for an extended day, take the combined unit - the JuicePack actually makes the phone more ‘gripable’ - feels better in the hand and doesn’t slip around!
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Check out our valatech ebay store on http://tiny.cc/MophieJuice67 (This is just a shortened url which redirects as the ebay url is very long)
The All-New mophie ‘Juice Pack’ is now shipping and is designed to more than double the time you can Rock, Talk, Surf and Send with your iPhone / iTouch
This is the first Apple certified “Works With iPhone / iTouch” attached battery in the world!
The Mophie Juice Pack for the iPod touch & iPhone keeps your gadget powered up for twice as long. Just pop your device into the pre-charged case and the iPod’s battery life extends up to an additional 30 hours for music and up to 7 hours for video. The Juice Pack is rechargeable for over 500 cycles and features short circuit, overcharge and temperature protection.
You can feel free to leave the iTouch / iPhone connected all the time, because the Juice Pack provides easy access to the headphone jack and allows for synching and charging of the iTouch / iPhone while connected. The LED battery status indicator signals charging status, progress, and allows for testing of remaining battery power.
• Rechargeable for over 500 cycles
• Short circuit, overcharge, and temperature protection
• Soft-touch rubber finish provides a comfortable case for your gadget
• Easy access to your headphone jack while Juice Pack is connected
• Charges with any USB mini cable - alone or together with iPod touch / iPhone
• The iPod touch / iPhone can sync to your computer while attached to the Juice Pack
• Extends iTouch / iPhone battery life up to 30 hours for music and up to 7 hours for video
• LED battery status indicator for testing battery power and indicating charging status and progress
These are excellent items and been reviewed as a potential gadget of the year. We have just got a large batch in now ready for shipping. Costs start at £59.99 which is extremely good value for money.
Check out our valatech ebay store on http://tiny.cc/MophieJuice67 (This is just a shortened url which redirects as the ebay url is very long)
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The Morphie is a disappointment because it affects the signal and thus it is hard for parties to hear when the case is surrounding the phone and it is also hard to download apps. I have used it for three weeks and have decided to abandon it although I liked the additional battery time. The plug-in is small and not very strong to handle constant usage.
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That is pretty cool, I’m sick to death of my iPhone dying on me. What’s the point having a smartphone that can’t handle connectivity? Can you tell me if this kind of thing is available over the pond here, as I’ve never seen/ heard of this before. Thanks.
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