Mophie brought us one of the first iPhone 5 battery cases with the Juice Pack Helium($59.95 at Amazon), and it set a high bar with a thin, lightweight design combined with a capable back-up battery. For the more power hungry, Mophie offers up the Juice Pack Air ($99.95 direct), which looks and feels a lot like the Helium, but packs a larger battery for $20 more. While the Air adds a bit more power than the Helium, the latter represents a better balance of price, size, and extra juice. As such, the Helium retains our Editors' Choice award for iPhone 5 battery cases.
Design and Features
The Juice Pack Air shares a lot in common with the Helium, with the same grippy soft-touch plastic exterior and sliding two-part construction. The Air is slightly larger and heavier at 5.54 by 2.60 by 0.63 inches and 2.68 ounces (versus the Helium's 5.49 by 2.49 by 0.59 inches and 2.44 ounces), but even side by side it's difficult to notice that much of a difference. Both the Helium and Air cases will add noticeable length to the iPhone 5, but the Air adds just a bit more in every dimension.
There's a plastic coating around the edges of the Air, as opposed to the completely smooth case on the Helium. The Air also uses plastic button overlays for Volume and Power, instead of the cutouts found on the Helium. The plastic buttons feel a bit flimsy, but they're easier to access, since the Helium's cutouts are a bit too deep. The two cases have the same camera cutout and deeply recessed 3.5mm jack, which requires the included extender if you want to use most standard headphones. The Air is available in black, white, or red, while the Helium is only available in two shades of gray.
Similar Products
Mophie Juice Pack Helium
PowerSkin (for iPhone 5)
Unu Ecopak Detachable iPhone 5 Battery Case
The case comes in two parts, with the bottom section housing the Lightning connector on the inside and a micro USB port on the outside for charging. Around back are the battery indicator LEDs, Indicator button, and a standby switch for activating the flow of juice. The two pieces securely snap together, and installation is as easy as sliding an iPhone 5 into the top section and snapping the bottom on. I like Mophie's choice to use a micro USB port for charging, as micro USB cables are plentiful and affordable, while Lightning cables are expensive and harder to find. Plugging in a micro USB cable allows pass-through charging of both the iPhone 5 and the battery case, but you'll need to sync your iPhone using Wi-Fi instead.
Performance and Conclusions
The Air uses a 1700mAh battery, a bump up from the 1500mAh capacity found in the Helium, which Mophie claims should double the battery life of your iPhone 5. In my tests, making a continuous call with LTE enabled with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth switched off, the Juice Pack Air added 6 hours, 57 minutes of talk time to my completely drained AT&T iPhone 5. The Helium, meanwhile, added 6 hours, 20 minutes on the same test. The iPhone 5 itself lasted 8 hours, 40 minutes, so the Air doesn't quite live up to the twice-the-power claim, but it offers up a bit more juice than the Helium.
The Mophie Juice Pack Air is a solid battery case for the iPhone 5, and while it adds the most battery life, I don't think it adds enough to justify the $20 premium. The company's similar Juice Pack Helium is a better deal and remains our Editors' Choice, with comparable performance, a slimmer design, and a more palatable price.
The Juice Pack Air adds the most extra life of any iPhone 5 battery case we've tested, but the company's less-expensive Juice Pack Helium represents a better combination of performance and price.
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