MoKo iPhone 6 Battery Case Review: Massive Battery Life And Better Protection

Following the launch of Apple's new iPhones, the iPhone 6 accessory bandwagon is currently in overdrive as products are being designed, manufactured then shipped to retailers. 2015 looks set to see most of these hit the shelves but some are already available, including some highly useful battery cases that can give your iPhone 6 a huge battery life boost.

Some are quite cheap too, and eBay is currently filling up with generic battery cases - some better than others it has to be said. Amazon, on the other hand, is a slightly more reliable source and I've recently acquired a Moko battery case for my iPhone 6. It still looks suspiciously like one or two other branded battery cases on the website but it's likely to be a better bet than some of the cheap generic offerings.

So what exactly is a battery case? It's as simple as it sounds; most of you probably have a protective case for your smartphone - a battery case is one of these with a battery built in to it. This connects to your iPhone's lightning port and allows you to charge the battery at will. Often find you run out of power or forget to charge your iPhone? Battery cases are probably for you.

The Moko case is much slimmer than most of the generic battery cases I've seen, partly due to its curved edges, although it still tips the scales at around 70g. Combined with the 129g weight of the iPhone 6, and you've got quite a weight in your pocket but it's not hideously heavy by any means. However, I expect the likes of Mophie to offer more refined cases and the Moko is certainly a more attractive product and easier to carry around than PowerSkin's PoP'n 2 case that I reviewed here.

The volume and sleep buttons are accessed via overlayed plastic tabs due to the depth of the case, but the vibration toggle button is exposed. Sadly, the headphone jack hole is slightly too small for most 3.5mm jacks, but included is an extension cable to use instead, although this is admittedly a pain if you intend to use the battery case regularly.Instead of a lightning connector, the case's battery charges via a micro USB port and you can sync a connected iPhone using this port and a standard micro USB cable too.

A plastic shroud pops off and allows you to insert your iPhone 6. This shroud clips to the battery section and actually overlaps the screen by a millimeter or so. This means if you drop it on a flat surface, the case should take the brunt of the impact.

In terms of capacity, the internal battery offers 3,100mAh. This compares to 1,80mAh for the iPhone 6 and sure enough, I managed to charge mine from flat to 100% and then again from flat to a further 35%.

This was done with the phone switched on but auto-locked, so if you switch yours off entirely, you'll likely see upwards of 50% battery gained from the second charge. To indicate the case's battery charge level, there are four white LEDs on the rear and to activate charging there's a larger power button next to these.

Physically, the case is relatively well built, although the sleep button did feel a little loose sometimes. The case also gives the otherwise achingly-thin iPhone 6 a nice shape and weight to hold, although fans of Apple's on-going iPhone diet will probably scoff here.

However, the fact remains that heavy users will likely need to charge their devices every day and the Moko iPhone 6 battery case more than doubles the battery life of the iPhone 6. Whether you just keep it in your bag ready to use or house your iPhone 6 in it all the time, topping up the battery when needed, it's a great little device to own and it should be particularly useful for heavy users.

The MoKo iPhone 6 battery case is available from Amazon for $34.99 too, which is considerably cheaper than I expect the likes of Mophie to charge for its versions. As always, let me know what you think in the comments, on Twitter @antonyleather or on my Facebook page.