Battery Performance
The payoff for strapping this thing to your beloved iPhone 3G is the increased battery life. Using a somewhat unscientific test, I simply switched on everything, from WiFi to 3G to Bluetooth, and just let the phone drain on its own. No calls were received, the iPhone was never moved from the area and I only checked the screen every couple hours to see if it was dead. The Mophie Juice Pack lasted 17 hrs before switching to the internal battery and the phone continued to discharge down to the 10% low battery indicator, nearly 28 hrs later.
My only explanation for this is that since the iPhone 3G does run OSX Leopard, it may use more aggressive power savings on battery than it does plugged in (which is what the Mophie Juice Pack emulates) much like a MacBook. This increased drain on the emulated charging source dooms the larger battery on the Mophie Juice Pack to never being able to top the internal battery, which seems to be the case based on our results.
On the bright side, the Mophie Juice Pack does provide that extra 17 hrs of approximate standby that you might not have had, which could probably allow you to get through your whole day with moderate use. My personal findings do corroborate that as I did find that I was no longer charging it somewhere in the middle of the day with the Juice Pack attached under my regular use.
Final Thoughts and Conclusions
The Mophie Juice Pack is probably the most portable of all the external battery top up options for the iPhone 3G and ads valuable convenience features like the mini-USB connector for sync and charge, and the battery indicator. Also nice was the fact that the Juice Pack did offer additional grip and works somewhat like a case to guard your iPhone 3G against drops and bumps. After all, it needs to last through that long contract with your carrier.
Overall, I can see this product being a hit with owners that use a lot web, data and multimedia: things the device does well but is woefully under-equipped in the battery compartment to deal with. However, many Apple users in general do tend to gravitate towards the shiny and sleek industrial design from Cupertino and the Juice Pack certain looks like blasphemy strapped to the back of the Jesus Phone. But superficiality aside, the Mophie Juice Pack does do the job, despite being a bit optimistic in their additional battery life predictions.
The Juice Pack is an easy solution to an iPhone 3G problem, but if looks are a factor, you may want to hobble along till the Summer when Mophie releases their new “AIR” version that trims the fat and offers a more integrated look. It’ll also be cheaper at $79.95 US.
Pros
- Produces a solid chunk of useable battery life
- Integrates with the iPhone 3G for an all in one portable solution
- Gives the iPhone 3G the gift of a standard mini-USB connector for charge and sync
Cons
- The extra weight and bulk may be a turn off for some Apple design purists
Overall Rating: 7.5 / 10.0
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