Impressive refresh of popular battery case for the iPhone.
Mophie has always been my first choice when it comes to portable batteries and battery cases. I use mophie products because they function better than all of there competitors. In a wireless world having a case that is going to work with a Qi charging stands and pucks is also a must. With the release of the new iPhone 11 models, mophie has also released an update of their popular Juice Pack Access Battery Case and I’ve been lucky enough to be able to test it out.
DETAILS & FEATURES
The Juice Pack Access is designed to provide additional battery support for your smartphone. As an accessory for the iPhone, it allows users to have complete access to all the buttons, switches, speakers, and charging ports available on the phone. In addition to the extended battery life that the case provides, it also covers the phone protection-wise. The case provides up to 15 hours of audio or 5 hours of video. Even though it has a battery built into it, the case is designed to be thin and compact. Users can recharge the case using USB-C (cable provided) or using a wireless charger. The case does support Priority+ charging so that your devices receive power before the case does. The Juice Pack Access comes packaged with a quick start guide and a USB-C charging cable.
SPECS
- 2-year warranty
- Dimensions: 3.22 x 6.36 x 0.74 in
- Weight: 0.25
- Battery Capacity: 2,200 mAh
USER EXPERIENCE
One of the biggest claims to fame that the iPhone 11 Pro Max has is the battery life. With an estimated 3,969 mAh internal battery, the iPhone 11 Pro Max is reported to last more than 5 hours longer than the iPhone Xs Max, which was my previous phone model. Earlier this year I reviewed mophie’s Juice Pack Access for the iPhone Xs Max, which ended up being an essential accessory for me to carry around on day trips. To be honest, I wasn’t sure that with the iPhone 11 Pro Max’s larger battery size that I would need to have a battery case. But, what I found was that I would much rather have the Juice Pack Access attached to my phone as a backup then carry around a separate external battery.
The design of the case is the same as the version I’ve used with the iPhone Xs Max. It was revamped to fit the new iPhone 11 product line and includes a 2,000 mAh integrated battery (the version for the iPhone 11 Pro Max has a 2,200 mAh battery). Installation of the phone is easy as mophie has designed it as a snap-together case. The top section pops off and allows the user to slide their phone into place. Then you replace the top and when it snaps into place, you’re ready to go.
One thing I’ve been particularly happy about is the temperature regulation for the phone and the battery case. Some battery cases (and external batteries) get extraordinarily hot when they are charging or recharging. Mophie’s Juice Pack Access does not. It charges the iPhone efficiently and does not cause any damage to the phone or the case in the process.
Even though the case has open-ended access to the Lightning port, I have always felt that my phone is well-protected and basic functions of the phone (volume up/down, sleep/wake, etc.) have never been hindered. The case is easy to handle and it’s never felt like it might slip out of my hands.
My standard test for batteries (case and external) is to charge a device from it and calculate the charging rate (percentage gained divided by time). Then, I will compare the battery to other power banks I’ve used. In this case, the charging rate was approximately 0.34% per minute. This is quite a bit slower than the previous model I used with the iPhone Xs Max (charging rate = 0.43% per minute). That said, a battery case is quite a bit more efficient if you use it as ‘vampire’ power. In other words, charge both the case and phone to 100% and then run the battery down before allowing the phone to use its battery. Charging rate can also be affected by use while charging from the battery. Instead of leaving the phone to charge, I was still using the phone periodically while it was charging from the mophie Juice Pack Access.
One of the issues I had with the previous Juice Pack Access was recharging it wirelessly. The case just wouldn’t make a connection with the charging pad correctly. I didn’t seem to have that issue with the Juice Pack Access for the iPhone 11 Pro Max. It quickly connected and started charging — even when I placed it on vertical charging docks.
CONCLUSION
The Juice Pack Access is still my favorite battery case for the iPhone. I’m glad that is seems that mophie made a few internal tweaks to ensure the case was as efficient as it could be as well as creating a user-friendly, frustration-free user experience. The case retails for $99 and is available in black, bluish pink, and (Product)RED.
