JuicePackBoost
Latest
Mophie cuts the price on the Juice Pack Boost and Powerstation, raises the battery capacity
Most companies here at IFA figured if they were going to haul it all the way to Berlin, they might as well unveil their products on a stage -- you know, with some prepared remarks, a press release and maybe some disco music to get people pumped (okay, we haven't been subjected to that yet). But not Mophie. The company has a habit of releasing its products quietly, demonstrating its unannounced wares in plain sight. That's how we happened upon the newest versions of its Juice Pack mobile chargers, the Boost, Powerstation and Reserve. Of the three, the latter got the biggest makeover, with a more compact shape and a pop-out USB connector that's attached to a plastic cable. As a result of that diet, though, it now has a battery capacity of 700mAh, not 1,000mAH, although its price is about to go up to $35 from $30. The good news is that Mophie lowered its prices for the other two, all while expanding the battery capacity. The Powerstation now has a 4,000mAh battery and costs $80 (down from $100) while the Boost is rated for 2,000mAh and costs $49.95 (a $10 price cut). In case you're interested in this sort of thing, we've got hands-on photos below, and Mophie says the lot will hit the Apple Store in about two weeks. %Gallery-132566%
Mophie Juice Pack Boost review
For extended trips away from an outlet (or "mains," for the British among us), the iPhone instills far less confidence than some of its rivals for two simple reasons: one, you can't carry a second battery even if you want to; and two, the ubiquitous, dime-a-dozen micro-USB cables that you find everywhere simply aren't going to do you any good in the event you want to jack in to your laptop's USB for a quick charge. Sure, your local Apple Store is happy to rob you blind of $20 for an extra iPod cable... but we digress. Naturally, the iPhone's ginormous accessory industry has come to the rescue in a pretty big way. Mophie's Juice Pack Air series (and products like it) are the most integrated solution: you trade in some of your phone's slimness and sexiness in exchange for a combination case and extended battery. Unless you're taking your phone to the backwoods and you don't plan to reemerge for a few days, it's theoretically going to have you covered -- you just need to be willing to carry around some extra girth. Another option, though, is to simply carry around an external battery pack. Doesn't sound very appealing at first, but consider the advantages: your iPhone still looks like an iPhone, you can use the designer case of your choosing, and if you're in a situation where you don't think you're going to need it, you just don't bring it with you. No muss, no fuss. That, of course, is where the Juice Pack Boost comes into play. Does it deliver on the promise? Let's find out. %Gallery-105598%
Mophie introduces external juice pack batteries for iPhone, iPod, and iPad
Mophie's juice pack air external case added some much-needed longevity to our iPhone when we tried it out last year, but most of us on staff aren't particularly fond of making our gadgets even more chubby. If you are also not looking for a little more to love, mophie is introducing a line of external juice packs that pop into your device (courtesy of a retractable dock connector) to add a little extra life. Smallest will be the $40, 1,000mAh juice pack reserve, followed by the $60, 1,500mAh boost, both of which are compatible with the iPod and iPhone -- and also offer "super-bright" LED flashlights. Last but not least is the juice pack power station, which hasn't been given a price or specific mAh rating but is said to add in compatibility with the iPad. The first two are available now and, while it's a shame these things don't just offer a plain 'ol USB port as well for charging other devices, we suppose you can't have everything. Update: If this is a little too rich for your blood, check out the comments for a few less expensive and more broadly compatible alternatives.
