Mophie Powerstation Duo review

An external battery such as the Mophie Powerstation Duo is regrettably now an essential piece of kit for anyone with a smartphone, says Matt Warman

The Mophie Powerstation Duo can charge two devices at the same time
The Mophie Powerstation Duo can charge two devices at the same time

£89.95

As we rely more and more on mobile phones and tablet computers, the single factor that lets them all down remains battery life. While new phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S3 and tablets such as the Nexus 7 have made huge strides, it’s still hard to guarantee that a phone will last the day if you get up early, go to bed late and don’t find a plug in between. Worse still, there is no imminent sign of a breakthrough that will sort this out. Incremental improvements are likely to be the way forward.

That means there’s a burgeoning market for external batteries, and as we carry a range of devices with us, those built, say, simply as a case for the iPhone make little sense. What’s needed for many road warriors is a dedicated device that packs as much power into a small, innocuous package as possible and charges a device a quickly as possible.

Latest on to the market is the Mophie Powerstation Duo – its 6,000mAh battery will charge most phones more than twice, and it comes with a 2.1A power output making it fast too. I found it could add 10 per cent to a Galaxy Nexus ithin about 45 minutes, and the key is not to let the phone run out completely.

With two USB ports, you can charge two devices as well. None of this is revolutionary for the market, but what is novel is Mophie's design, which looks Apple-ish without looking out of place with other brands, and packs such power into a package that is approximately 2” x 4”. A smaller 2,500mAh version, the Powerstation Mini, lacks the high power output, but is even smaller and still fast enough to provide a decent pick-me-up for a dead gadget. Both feature four LED lights to let you gauge how full they are.

The downside to these excellent products is simply that batteries are expensive, especially those that cope with multiple recharges efficiently. At £89.99 and £49.95, the two devices are not casual purchases. Unfortunately, for now, they’re essential.