Skip to main content

battery case

See All Stories

Review: Incipio’s offGRID Express is the most affordable Apple-authorized iPhone 6 battery case

1

If I had to choose one word to describe how Incipio’s past iPhone offGRID battery cases felt, it would probably be “svelte,” as they were all impressively thin and gently curved. Starting today, Incipio is shipping its first offGRID case for the iPhone 6, and it notably trades “svelte” for “edgy” design. Offered only in matte black, it’s called offGRID Express ($80), and Incipio claims it’s the first Apple-certified iPhone 6 battery case that’s actually available for consumers to purchase. This time, the back is somewhat angular, due in part to a larger battery pack than prior models, and the sides are equipped with the fancy metallic button protectors rival Mophie has only offered in its most expensive Juice Packs.

Incipio’s message is clear: by offering 3000mAh of power at an $80 price point, offGRID Express is practically daring Mophie – and any other Apple MFi-licensed manufacturer – to step up and take a swing at its value proposition. Yes, comparatively unknown vendors are selling cheaper options, and Tylt offers a 3200mAh, Apple-licensed alternative called Energi for $100, but offGRID Express actually matches it in recharging performance for a lower price. It’s positioned directly at consumers who care about both quality and cost, not just one or the other.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Review: Tylt’s Energi Sliding Power Case doubles iPhone 6 run time, plus 20%

energislidingpowercase-1

Last week, we reviewed the first iPhone 6 Plus battery pack we’ve tested, MOTA’s unauthorized but value-laden Battery Case for iPhone 6 Plus. Now a maker of stylish charging accessories called Tylt has debuted what it says is the first Apple-authorized battery case for the iPhone 6, the Energi Sliding Power Case ($100). Officially shipping in mid-January, Energi continues the sled-style battery case design we first saw years ago in Mophie’s original Juice Pack (below), though with two critical differences: for the same price, it includes a 3200mAh rechargeable cell, and a detachable case that can be used alone when you don’t need spare power.

energislidingpowercase-7

While it’s not the perfect battery case for iPhone 6 due to some small issues, Energi comes very close. Read on for all the details.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Review: MOTA’s new Battery Case for iPhone 6 Plus shows what 4000mAh can – and can’t – do for Apple’s big iPhone

mota-battery-case-iphone-6-plus-1

I have to give MOTA a pat on the back for what it has achieved with the Battery Case for iPhone 6 Plus, the first such accessory we’ve tested for Apple’s largest iPhone. Despite its generic name, the Battery Case is handsome, well-built, and at $90, a steal relative to the lower-capacity $100 and up versions we’ve seen for the iPhone 5 and 5s. Critically, despite a 4000mAh rechargeable cell inside, it’s also surprisingly easy to hold and pocket, even though it adds thickness to the already-too-large iPhone 6 Plus.

But there are a couple of caveats, too. The case isn’t Apple-licensed, so there’s always the risk that it might have some iOS compatibility issues down the line — this would be a bigger issue if there weren’t also problems with cases Apple formally approved. And you’ll probably need the headphone port adapter MOTA includes in the package. More on that, below.


Expand
Expanding
Close

OtterBox launches durable, fast charging Resurgence Power Case for iPhone 5/5s

Site default logo image

Otterbox Resurgence

OtterBox is adding a new collection of protective cases to its accessory lineup today with the introduction of its new Resurgence series. The Resurgence case is similar in concept to other battery pack case offerings from Mophie and similar case makers, but the Resurgence iPhone case boasts Military-rated drop protection (MIL STD 810G-516.6) as you would expect from an OtterBox case.

Superior protection isn’t the only extra benefit to OtterBox’s charing case. The 2,000 milliamp hour nominal lithium ion battery doubles your iPhone battery usage, and OtterBox says the Resurgence case will automatically stop charging your iPhone when your battery reaches full capacity. This auto-stop technology differs from other battery packs which continue to charge your device despite being full…
Expand
Expanding
Close

Site default logo image

9to5Toys Last Call: $100 iTunes GC $85, uNu DX iPhone 5/5s battery case $50, WD 2TB portable HD $90, more

Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: TwitterRSS Feed,FacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call Updates:

itunes-gift-card-deal

$100 Apple iTunes gift card for $85 shipped (15% savings)

uNu DX iPhone 5/5s 2300mAh MFi battery case (black, white, gold, red): $50 shipped (Reg. $90)

WD-My Passport-sale-2TB-1TB-01

Western Digital My Passport 2 TB Portable Hard Drive $90 shipped (Reg. $200)/ 1TB Ultra $60 shipped (Reg. $120)

macbook-air-best-buy-edu-deal

2013 Haswell MacBook Air deals: .EDU email address only: 2013 Haswell MacBook Airs from $610 (open-box)$650 (new), Non-EDU from $799 shipped (new, unopened)

Other deals from today:

  • New! Up to 80% off select PNY flash drives, memory cards, and power banks. 128GB as low as $39 shipped
  • New! Daily Deals: 28″ HDTV DVD Combo $150, Logitech Headphones $59, Galaxy Cam $200, BT Speakers, more
  • New! Games/Apps: Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes $25, Killzone: Shadow Fall $30, iOS freebies, more

More deals still alive:

New products/useful info:

Microsoft/Google/Android:

 

Review: Mophie’s new ‘Space Pack’ battery case is like Dropbox without the cloud and twice the power

Site default logo image

mophie space pack

For the past few weeks, I’ve been testing out Mophie’s new ‘Space Pack’ battery case with included storage that it showed off earlier this year at CES. While I’ve never used a case on my iPhone for longer than a few days, I do run out of battery more often than I’d like, and Mophie’s promise of extra storage built into the hardware sparked my interest. (Oh, and I do think the name is cool and clever…) I really wanted to try out the Space Pack just to prove what I expected: You can’t possibly add more storage to an iPhone in a way that isn’t gimmicky and a poor experience. Admittedly, my expectations were far from what Mophie has been able to accomplish; considering the limitations designed into iOS software and iPhone hardware, the Mophie Space Pack is a very interesting and useful accessory…
Expand
Expanding
Close

Review: Innovative Technology’s Ultra-Slim Justin Power Case for iPad

Site default logo image

Justin Case

Product: For the past week I’ve been using the Justin Case (Ultra-Slim) Rechargeable Power Case for the iPad. Essentially, the case is a folio-style cover for the iPad 2, 3, or 4 that includes a massive 11,600 mAh battery built into the cover which you can use to charge your iPad, iPhone, iPod, or pretty much any other portable device. The case also functions as a stand for your iPad.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Lenmar Meridian battery case for iPhone 5 review

Site default logo image

IMG_20130715_165018

As I was making my list of devices and chargers to bring on vacation last week, I realized that I was going to have to get something that could easily charge my iPhone 5 on the go. I’m a hardcore mobile Internet user and the battery life has never met my needs, especially on vacation, where it’s often my most used gadget. I started off by looking at standalone power packs like the Mophie Powerstation, which we’ve reviewed before.  I was intrigued by those type of devices because they could charge more than one device, whereas a dedicated iPhone 5 battery case could solely charge the phone and nothing else. The standalone battery packs also offered a lot more power than a case, especially when you compare the prices of the two.

Battery cases, however, are much more convenient than power packs. Just put your phone in the case and anywhere you go, you have the ability to charge it. In the end, the ease of use and simplicity of battery cases was the deciding factor for me. After much research and reading our own reviews of  the Mophie Juice Pack and Otterbox Defender cases, I ended up going with the Lenmar Meridian case for the iPhone 5.
Expand
Expanding
Close