Mophie Juice Pack Helium Case for iPhone 5S review – The Apple iPhone 5s (check out my iPhone 5s review) is one of the best smartphones out there at the moment – it’s fast, powerful, has a sharp screen, and made with high quality craftsmanship. However, just like any other smartphone out there, the battery life definitely needs some help.
You can bring along a portable battery charger but it can be quite cumbersome to charge, as a cable is still somewhat necessary to bring along. Unless, of course, if you pack your iPhone 5s seamlessly with this iPhone 5s battery case from Mophie.
Mophie Juice Pack Helium Case works for both iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s (since they have the same design). It’s basically a case that will both protect your iPhone and also provides power whenever you need one.
At $99 (by the time this review was written), the Juice Pack Helium is definitely not the cheapest iPhone battery case out there, but you get what you paid for. The design of the case is really elegant and a great complement for the iPhone’s great design. You definitely won’t get a cheap plastic look that you normally get from a cheap knock-off.
Apart from the looks, the case itself overall is quite thin and light-weight, at the expense of having smaller battery pack within. It houses a 1,500mAh battery (compared to iPhone 5’s 1,440mAh and iPhone 5s’ 1,560mAh battery) and weighs around 69 grams.
On the other part of the case lies Apple’s Lightning connector that is certified by Apple, so you will not see a third-party accessory warning message when you plug this in. This means Mophie Juice Pack Helium Case is safe to use (MFi – Made For iPhone/iPod/iPad).
These two parts snap together really well and can be done by first plugging your iPhone to the Lightning connector, then slide the other part through. It also has the right openings so you can take photos while your iPhone is still inside the case, access to the volume buttons, to charge, and also an interesting front speaker design by redirecting the sound coming from your default iPhone speakers.
What I like about the Juice Pack Helium is that the case will not automatically charge your iPhone when plugged (which some battery cases do). There is a tiny switch at the back of the case to turn charging on and off. The switch is pretty hard to push though, most probably to avoid it being triggered accidentally.
The round button at the back can be pressed to check on the Juice Pack Helium’s battery level. This is done through the 4 LEDs located near it – 4 lit LEDs mean maximum battery level, you know the drill.
If you have non-Apple devices lying around such as Bluetooth headsets, portable speakers, or Android tablets, you’ll love this case. It’s currently using a microUSB connector to charge the battery case AND your iPhone within. This way, you can leave your Lightning cable at home and just carry one microUSB cable. Your iPhone will have the priority to be charged first when you plug it to a power socket – a simple design decision that makes a great difference.
During my whole week of testing, I was really happy with the product. Knowing that I have an extra juice for my iPhone 5s whenever I need one, I wasn’t afraid to use my iPhone 5s more often for playing graphic intensive games or navigating with Google Maps on. At one time, I was using my iPhone 5s more than usual and it went down to 37% while I still have a half-day more to go. I calmly flicked the Juice Pack Helium Case which made my iPhone lasts for the rest of the day.
Mophie Juice Pack Helium Case for iPhone 5S Review Conclusion
Carrying a portable battery charger can be a hassle, but having it inside a case that protects your iPhone without adding too much bulk, is a godsend. Obviously, the case still makes your iPhone bulkier than usual but if you always run out of battery at crucial moments, having the Juice Pack Helium is not really a bad idea after all. It has a sleek design, nice to hold, and every design decision was well thought of. If you are wondering how to charge an iPhone with a microUSB cable, this is the way.
Disclosure: Mophie Juice Pack Helium Case for iPhone 5/5s review sample was sponsored by MobileZap. Feel free to have a look at their other range of iPhone 5s cases for your perusal.
