Mophie clip-on power bank costs half what Apple’s does [Review]

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Mophie Snap+ Juice Pack Mini review
The Mophie Snap+ Juice Pack Mini is quite small for something that doubles the battery life of an Phone 12.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Double your iPhone 12’s battery life by attaching the Mophie Snap+ Juice Pack Mini. The two devices connect magnetically with Apple’s MagSafe system, and power flows wirelessly. It’s really simple.

I took the 5000 mAh power bank on a recent holiday to truly put it to the test. It came though with flying colors. And it costs far, far less than Apple’s similar MagSafe Power Bank.

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Mophie Snap+ Juice Pack Mini review

In my regular workday I’m rarely far from an iPhone charger. But on a vacation, I had to power up my iPhone when and where I could. The Mophie Snap+ Juice Pack Mini really came in handy. Whenever I needed it, I put the external battery on my handset and let it charge.

I also let it act as my wireless charger at night. I plugged the power bank in and left it and the iPhone charging, so both were ready every morning.

Hardware and design

The Mophie Snap+ Juice Pack Mini looks good.
The faux fabric exterior of the Mophie power bank looks far better than flat plastic.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Let’s address the elephant in the room: the Snap+ Juice Pack Mini adds some bulk to the iPhone. But that’s an inescapable fact of all batteries. It’s not physically possible to make a teeny-tiny battery that holds a useful amount of change.

To get specific, Mophie’s power bank is 4.4 inches by 2.6 in. by 0.5 in. It weighs 4.6 ounces (0.3 lbs.). That’s pocket size. It fits neatly on my 6.1-inch iPhone 12, and should go easily on an iPhone 12 Pro Max. Just note that the iPhone 12 mini is thinner than this accessory.

Given the size, drop any idea of leaving it attached to your iPhone all the time. Use your handset until the power gets low, then clip on the power bank to recharge. You can still use the iPhone that way, even if the accessory is thicker than you’d like. When your device is back to a reasonable battery level, take the Snap+ Juice Pack Mini off.

The exterior is black, with a faux fabric texture. It looks professional, and is not so slick you’re likely to drop the device.

It’s conveniently wireless

At lunch last week, I watched a friend plug her Android into cable and the cable into a power bank. It struck me how kludgy that looked because I’d gotten used to wireless power.

You charge your iPhone 12 simply by putting it on the Mophie Snap+ Juice Pack Mini. Because both devices have MagSafe, they cling together magnetically.

The connection is solid. Gravity won’t pull them apart. I can even shake the iPhone a little and the power bank won‘t fly off. And vice versa.

The Mophie Snap+ Juice Pack Mini is comparable with every iPhone 12 version
Because it uses MagSafe, the Snap+ Juice Pack Mini wirelessly charges any iPhone 12 series model.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Mophie Snap+ Juice Pack Mini performance

I did real-world testing of the charging capabilities of the Mophie Snap+ Juice Pack Mini. I used it to charge up an iPhone 12, just like any user would.

It was able to raise the battery level on the handset by 97%. In other words, it doubles the battery life of the iPhone.

During most of that test, the battery was going up 15% every 30 minutes. It charged more quickly when the battery level was very low, and then more slowly as it neared 100%.

A set of four while LEDs indicate the remaining power level. I found them quite accurate.

Recharge the Snap+ Juice Pack Mini itself with its built-in USB-C port. You can use the same cable as your MacBook or iPad Pro, so you can carry one less cable around.

The power bank supports pass-through power. So even if Mophie’s accessory is completely empty, you can still use to recharge your iPhone by plugging the external battery in, then connecting it to your handset. No lightning cable necessary.

But you can’t wirelessly charge the external battery.

The Mophie Snap+ Juice Pack Miniis charge through its USB-C port
Carry the Snap+ Juice Pack Mini and you won’t need a Lightning cable to charge your iPhone.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Mophie Snap+ Juice Pack Mini final thoughts

This clip on power bank doubles the battery life of an iPhone 12, and it’s easy to use. No cables are needed.

And — ignoring some people’s unrealistic expectations about external batteries — it’s quite portable considering how much power it holds.

Pricing

The Mophie Snap+ Juice Pack Mini is $49.95 on Zagg’s website. It’s available now.

Alternatively, the accessory can be found on Amazon.com for $43.13. But at the time of this writing it won’t be in stock for several weeks.

Comparable products

The most obvious rival is Apple’s MagSafe Battery Pack. This has a few tricks, like iOS integration, but holds less power and costs $99.

And there’s also the Sanho HyperJuice Magnetic Wireless Battery Pack ($39.99).

Zagg provided Cult of Mac with a review unit for this article. See our reviews policy, and check out other in-depth reviews of Apple-related items.

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