Most of the time, an iPhone case is just a case—a way to buffer your device from the scratches and scrapes that can result from frequent use.
But the Mophie Juice Pack Air for iPhone 3G is a case that also serves as a battery pack. As its name is meant to imply, it’s got a pleasingly light body--it weighs just 2.4 ounces. Still, it adds quite a bit of physical bulk to your iPhone 3G’s supermodel-slim profile--making the phone in the case 3/4-inch thick and adding a bit of bulk on the sides and top. In fact, when we took our phone out to snap a photo while it was encased in the Juice Pack Air, our companions looked at it with wide eyes and asked, “That’s an iPhone? But it’s so huge!”
It adds a little bulk, but the battery bump is worth it.
Once you use the Juice Pack Air for a while, though, you’ll be happy to trade the extra bulk for the extra charge-life you get in return. It was a lifesaver on several occasions, especially when we needed to access the phone’s GPS chip via the Maps app for long stretches at a time and keep 3G network access turned on throughout the day. Bright blue LEDs on the case’s back indicate its remaining charge capacity with a button press.
Of course, because of its relative slimness and light weight, the Juice Pack Air isn’t quite as “juicy” as its predecessor, the Juice Pack. Because of the Air’s slightly less beefy power capacity, we got into the habit of plugging in the case every evening, so it could recharge via the provided micro-USB-to-USB cable. No big whoop, since we do that with the iPhone itself anyway, but taking the case off the phone did add an extra step to this nightly ritual. The ability to sync the phone to our Mac using the same provided cable came in handy, but if we had our druthers, the case would allow direct access the iPhone’s dock connector instead. We did appreciate the option to turn the charging on and off while our phone was in the case; it was like having a second battery you can swap out with the flick of a switch.
The case’s shiny plastic (we tested the black, but it comes in white and purple too) picks up fingerprints way too easily, so it’s not ideal for anyone with greasy skin.
Slimmer, lighter form factor than original Juice Pack.
Shiny plastic picks up fingerprints easily. No dock-connector pass-through (USB syncing only).
bezoar
December 05, 2009 at 1:51pm
both our Mophie Juice Packs are faulty. Mine gets hot with extended use; my wife's actually started to melt durng charging. Although seductively designed, it is unreliable and not worth the money.
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benet
November 10, 2009 at 8:46pm
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behzodsirjani
July 31, 2009 at 11:37am
I bought the MJPA after a recommendation from a friend on twitter and MacLife's ad. The case has been wonderful, and allows me to keep up my text/email/picture/tweet heavy iPhone use for nearly 2 days before recharging. I love not having to take the case off to charge it as well. One thing to remember, read the manual. Leave the MJPA in stand by until you need to turn it on, then let it charge the iPhone, since it takes extra battery to allow it to charge, so you don't want the MJPA on all the time or it will run both batteries down. Great recommendation MacLife!
aamojp
July 29, 2009 at 9:15am
just like everyone's said so far, sans the author, you can charge while the iPhone is in the MJPA. Granted, you can't use the standard dock-connector cable, as that port on the iPhone is plugged into the MJPA, however, you plug in the microUSB cable that comes with the MJPA into the computer and into the MJPA and it'll sync and charge the case and phone just fine. You can also plug that same cable into the Apple USB-AC adapter if you don't need to sync.
The only problem I'm having with mine is that, if you live in an area where your reception is poor, placing your iPhone inside the MJPA will kill your reception. I had the same experience with the Incase Power Slider. It may just be a thing with the cases with batteries inside, but both killed my reception. If you live in a strong coverage area, then there's no problem.
Something that wasn't mentioned was how fragile the top of the case is: the MJPA comes in two parts, main battery and bottom part, and the top. If you notice when viewing their website, they offer the top case for $7.95. That gives the implication that it will need to be replaced, and here's why - the top is made with very thin plastic, especially by the volume rocker, and because it fits so snuggly together, getting the top of the case off without breaking it can be a challenge. I've heard many stories of people snapping theirs the first time they tried to take the case apart.
But here's a tip: if you have a fingernail, pry it between the top and bottom seam ALONG THE BACK of the case, preferably right in the middle, so that there is equal pressure being applied to the case pieces. the first one I broke snapped right at the volume rocker because I was prying the case apart from the sides, which increases the pressure applied to each side. Of course, when I emailed mStation about it, they sent me two brand new tops for free! Wonderful customer service.
InfinitiMOon
July 30, 2009 at 8:58am
I preordered mine and got it the day they were released. My first one had a glitch in it that made my iPhone's battery meter behave strangely. If I ran the battery down low then flipped on the switch to charge the iPhone off the JPA battery (which provides a full charge for the iPhone, effectively doubling your battery life), and ran the iPhone down low again. It would act as if it wasn't charging properly when I plugged the device into the micro USB charger. The JPA would charge, and the iPhone (still docked in the case) would charge, but the iPhone battery meter would still think it had less than 5% battery life left unless I restarted the iPhone.<hr />This is apparently a known issue b/c when I e-mailed tech support, they responded that it would be fixed/replaced under warranty and they sent me instructions on how to return it. They paid shipping both ways and I got a brand new JPA a week or so later.<hr />First, you can easily charge both the iPhone and the JPA at the same time using the included micro USB cable if the iPhone is docked in the case. It just needs to be either plugged into the USB port on the computer OR into any USB AC adapter that you could plug the regular iPhone/iPod cable into. I have mine charging off of a universal charger/adapter every night without problems. It take, seemingly, no longer to charge both simultaneously than it does to charge the iPhone itself (i.e., the current draw is not the issue, it's the ability of the battery to accept charge that is the time limiting factor). <hr />Second, I agree wholeheartedly that I'd rather have an iPhone/iPod plug on the bottom than a micro USB so that I could use it with all my iPhone accessories such as FM transmitters and chargers for my truck. I was trolling the forums at Mophie, though, and one of the folks at Mophie posted that this was their desire, too, but that Apple doesn't license the 32-pin connectors on the bottom of iPhones/iPods to any third-parties, so they couldn't do it that way. This sounds like a very Apple thing to do, and I can't, for the life of me, think of any other third party gadgets that have the female plug on them, either. Thus, it doesn't appear to be Mophie's fault.<hr />Third, and the only real design flaw I see with the device, is that it doesn't appear to be designed to be easily removed. It's intended to be around your iPhone 24/7, apparently. My first unit was difficult, to say the least, to remove. The second one is nigh on impossible b/c of such tight gaps. I can't even get a fingernail between the top and bottom pieces on the back. I have to use a knife.<hr />Fourth, I think the "it gets fingerprints" thing has a plus side, too. Not the fingerprints, but the fact that it is smooth and easy to remove from one's pocket. I've had rubbery/sticky cases and they always get hung up in my jeans pocket when I'm trying to quickly answer a call. It's infuriating. With it smooth, it much more easily slips into and out of pockets. The extra bulk/size actually makes the iPhone a little easier to grip and handle, too, making me less likely to drop it. I could see a good argument for having an optional grippy surface, too, but I'd choose the slick surface personally.
cdsipes
July 29, 2009 at 5:57am
I know it is a personal habit to use AC power, but connecting it to the computer via USB once a day while working keeps it in sync and fully charged. And, you don't have to remove it from the case,... We are able to go for 3 days or so between charges, which is nice, but I am sure we use it less heavily than you. But, if you plugged in for an hour during the day, you are synced and powered and it stays in the case. Just a thought.
Leslie Ayers
July 28, 2009 at 5:25pm
You can't actually charge and sync your iPhone while it's in the case.See item under cons above, "No dock-connector pass-through." What I did every night was charge the case itself, as I was charging my iPhone, which I'm in the habit of doing via the AC outlet, *not* attached to my Mac via USB dock connector. ~Leslie
Islanti
July 28, 2009 at 12:01pm
"taking the case off the phone did add an extra step to this nightly ritual"
You can charge the phone in the case. You can sync it in the case. You can disable the external battery to save the extra juice for later. So why take the phone out of the case at all?
