Late last year, Mophie unveiled its latest lineup of PowerStation external batteries, offering several slim new options for recharging mobile devices on the go. The lineup includes five models: 1X (2,000 mAh), 2X (4,000 mAh), 3X (6,000 mAh), 5X (10,000 mAh), and 8X (15,000 mAh), with prices ranging from $40 to $150. Mophie’s Powerstation batteries are available from a number of outlets for most of the lineup, including Apple’s own online and retail stores.
Mophie sent me both the 2X and 8X for testing purposes, and I’ve been using them as my primary external batteries for the past few months.
Design
Mophie’s batteries certainly aren’t cheap, but they come in attractive designs using high-quality materials, so expect a bit of a price premium. The casings of the latest Powerstation models are made entirely or almost entirely of aluminum with a matte finish, which complements Apple’s most popular silver color nicely. They have a slim design that makes them easy to slip into a purse, bag or even a pocket for smaller versions, along with a substantial, high-quality feel. A button and four LEDs on the side of each battery make it easy to quickly check the approximate charge level. Like most Mophie products, the design and feel of the PowerStation is outstanding.
characteristics
Instead of including a built-in cable like other external batteries like Mophie’s PowerStation Plus line, the PowerStation just includes a standard USB port so users can connect any type of charging cable for their gadgets. A micro-USB port is also included for recharging the battery, and a separate USB to micro-USB cable is included with the battery. The need for separate cables provides good flexibility for charging a variety of devices, but it can make your packing a little more complicated and forget one more thing.
As you move up the line of Powerstation models, Mophie offers more connectivity options to increase battery utility. The 1X has a single USB port that can charge at 1.8 amps, providing basic recharging capabilities. Stepping up to 2X not only doubles the battery capacity to 4000 mAh, but increases the output of the USB port to 2.4 amps for faster charging and adds pass-through charging support that allows the phone or tablet to charge first, then the battery. . The 3X adds a second USB port so users can charge two devices at once at 2.4 amps and also provides 6000 mAh of power.
Things get a bit more interesting once you step up to the top-of-the-line 5X (10,000 mAh) and 8X (15,000 mAh). The two models carry the same specs (except the 8X is obviously bigger and heavier with extra capacity), including a pair of USB ports with pass-through charging capability. Both models support Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity, which allows you to wirelessly pair the battery with your phone. On the phone, a Mophie Power app lets you monitor the charge level of both your phone and battery, as well as set up notifications. The 5X and 8X batteries support 15-watt fast charging for both input and output, but Apple’s devices are not compatible with fast charging standards and are therefore unable to take advantage of this feature.
performance
The latest Powerstations look great, but how do they perform? With a 2.4-amp output except for the lowest-end models, the PowerStation should recharge devices about as fast as charging from a 12-watt wall adapter, and while it gets close to that speed with many devices, I found that wasn’t always the case.
The difference in charging rates on devices like my iPhone 6s Plus and iPad Air 2 was fairly small, taking about 10-20 percent longer to charge from the wall than from the PowerStation. This is a small but not insignificant difference in charging time.
With my iPad Pro, however, it took twice as long to charge from the PowerStation for some reason. The iPad Pro already takes about five hours to charge from zero to 100 percent from a 12-watt wall charger running at 2.4 amps, but when charging from the Powerstation 8X, it takes about ten hours to fully charge. Granted, that’s an extreme case given the iPad Pro’s massive battery, but even for a regular device, it’s going to take at least a little longer than you’d expect. As a result, I found myself using more battery to keep devices topped off at short speeds than to let my devices run most of the way before connecting them to the battery.
These figures are for charging the device directly from the battery, and it’s worth noting that charging is slightly slower in pass-through mode, with the battery only pushing 1 amp of current into the device. You’ll definitely get the benefit of charging both the device and the battery in this mode if you can let them sit for long periods of time, such as overnight.
As with any power bank, the charging speed of the battery itself can be an issue when you go to higher capacities. With its massive 15,000 mAh battery, the PowerStation 8X requires eight hours to fully recharge from a 12-watt wall adapter. That’s a long time, but on the plus side you’re carrying enough juice to charge both an iPad Pro and an iPhone from 0 to 100 percent on the go.
App integration
The Mophie Power app is a great companion to the high-end 5X and 8X batteries, providing information on the battery and your device’s charge status as well as charging rate and time until fully charged. Default alerts include 100% recharged and a 20% low battery alert for both battery and paired devices. Custom alerts can also be set in 10 percent increments for any battery level between 10 and 90 percent.
The app offers a number of suggestions to extend battery life, including turning on auto-brightness, auto-screen lock and low-power mode, and avoiding overheating and excessive camera flash use.
Overall, the app isn’t too fancy, but it’s nice information to have handy. However, a rather inexplicable omission is that the Mophie Power app is not compatible with iPads. The App Store limits direct installation on the iPhone, and while you can install the app on an iPad by downloading it through your purchase history, you’re left with a bloated iPhone interface and the app refuses to connect to it. battery
bottom line
Mophie is a well-known brand with a long history of making Apple accessories, and Apple trusts the company enough to carry its products in Apple’s online and retail stores, which goes a long way toward getting Mophie’s products in front of consumers. And as usual, the design of the latest PowerStation lineup is superb, with a solid aluminum body slim enough to easily fit the smaller ones in a pocket and the larger ones in a purse or skinny computer bag. That said, the Powerstation lineup is quite expensive compared to other options on the market, so you may want to consider that when making your purchase decision.
professional
- Sturdy, handsome design that matches Apple’s aesthetic
- A range of capacities to suit different needs and budgets
- App integration provides feedback on charge levels
cons
- Some are more expensive than other popular brands
- Charging speeds don’t always seem to reach 2.4 amps, especially on the iPad Pro
- The app is not compatible with iPads
How to buy
The full lineup of Powerstation batteries is available on Mophie’s website and Amazon, while Apple carries the 2X ($60), 3X ($80), 5X ($130), and 8X ($150) models in its online and retail stores.
Note: Mophie provided MacRumors with the Powerstation 8X and 2X batteries free of charge for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.
