Jun 26, 2019
mophie 2019 powerstation Universal Batteries REVIEW | Mac Sources10
The best in the business got better
No matter how many portable batteries I seem to collect, I can never get enough! This seems to be one area that will never change in my life — the need to always have accessible power wherever I go. Any tech junkie will tell you that you do have to be cautious about what power banks you choose to use. Some of them are not built in secure facilities and proper safety measures are not taken. This is where batteries that explode come from. If a battery is properly designed and produced, then it will operate as it should.
One of my favorite tech companies — mophie — happens to specialize in creating charging solutions for people’s mobile devices. In late May, they announced the arrival of their newest product line — the powerstation Universal Batteries. There are four different versions of these batteries and I’ve been lucky enough to be able to get my hands on them.
DETAILS
According to mophie’s General Manager, Robert Johnson, “We’ve updated our powerstation line to feature USB-C ports, so consumers can use the same cable to not only charge their device but to recharge their powerstation as well. Available in multiple colors and capacities, the compact powerstation batteries fit easily into any bag, ensuring there’s always an extra charge on hand.”
This new line of powerstation batteries features a shared USB-C input and output port and either one or two USB-A ports (depending on the model). All the batteries have a four-light LED power indicator display that shows the charging status and current battery life. The powerstations also include a stylish fabric covering for both an elegant feel and protection against surface scratches or scuffs. All of the powerstation models are triple-test certified for peak performance and safe operation.
The mophie powerstation line is available in multiple capacities and colors as follows:
- powerstation mini — 5,000mAh (up to 18 hours of total device use time), available in Black, Gray, Navy, Hot Pink and Light Blue ($39.95)
- powerstation — 10,000mAh (up to 36 hours of total device use time), available in Black, Gray, Navy and Pink ($419.95)
- powerstation XL — 15,000mAh (up to 55 hours of total device use time), available in Black and Gray ($59.95)
- powerstation XXL — 20,000mAh (up to 73 hours of total device use time), available in Black ($69.95)
IMPRESSIONS
All of the batteries are packaged in standard mophie retail packaging. The exterior of the box features an image of the product on the front of the box. Each power bank comes with a short USB-A to USB-C cable for charging products and recharging the battery and a quick start guide (the full user manual is available on the product pages for each of the powerstation models). The powerstations all operate in the same way. You plug a device into one of the batteries and then press the status button (you may have to hold it for up to 3 seconds) to start the charging process. Tapping this button once will illuminate the LEDs to show you how much charge the battery has.
Because I tested one of each of the models of the new powerstation batteries, I will discuss each separately and outline the features of each model along with their test results. I will say that I tested each battery by plugging in a device that each battery should be able to charge given their stats and allowed them to charge for a certain period of time. From that, I then determined the charging rate (percentage of battery gained per minute).
powerstation mini
(made for smartphones, tablets & USB Devices)
This powerstation is available in five different colors — black, gray, navy blue, pink, and light blue. I opted for the light blue version so that it was distinguishable from other smaller power banks I have. This tiny power bank has a capacity of 5,000mAh and measures 2.72 x 5.12 x 0.43 in. It’s very lightweight at only 130 grams. The 5K capacity should provide up to 18 hours of power for devices in need of power.
To test out this battery, I charged a Sony Xperia 10, which uses USB-C as its main charging connection. The Sony reportedly has an internal battery capacity of 2,870mAh. When I plugged it into the powerstation mini, the battery showed that it had 2 LEDs lit indicating that it had up to 50% available for charging. I plugged in the phone, which was at 49% battery. After 33 minutes, the Xperia was showing a charge of 77%, which was a 28% gain. That translates to a 0.85% gain per minute.
powerstation
(made for smartphones, tablets & USB Devices)
This powerstation is available in four different colors — black, gray, navy blue, and light pink. I have the light pink version of this powerstation. This power bank is a bit larger than the powerstation mini and I think it feels more like a standard sized portable battery. The powerstation has a capacity of 10,000mAh and measures 2.83 in x 5.47 in x 0.63 in. It weighs 235 grams. Mophie states that with the 10,000mAh capacity, the battery should provide up to 36 hours of power. Like the powerstation mini, this power bank only has one USB-C and one USB-A port for charging.
I charged an iPhone XS to test out the charging abilities of this power bank. It has a capacity of 2,658mAh. The powerstation also showed 2 LEDs to indicate that it had a charge. After 20 minutes, the iPhone had gained 21% for a charging rate of 1.05% gain per minute.
powerstation XL
(made for smartphones, tablets, and other USB-C and USB-A compatible devices)
The next size up from the standard powerstation is the powerstation XL. It only comes in two different colors — black and gray. The XL model has a capacity of 15,000mAh and will provide up to 55 hours of power for portable devices. This one weighs 340 grams, which is more than 100 grams larger than the standard powerstation. It is approximately the same size as the standard powerstation (as far as dimensions go).
Because it uses USB-C to charge, I decided to plug in a 10-inch iPad Pro. When I started charging it, the iPad only had 1% battery life. After an hour, it had 33%. This ends up being a charging rate of 0.53% gain per minute. The powerstation XL had 2 LEDs when I started using it and after the hour-long charging session, the battery was completely dead.
powerstation XXL
(made for smartphones, tablets, and USB devices)
Finally, we come to the powerstation XXL. This giant battery has a huge capacity of 20,000 mAh and like the powerstation XL, it has two USB-A ports as well as the USB-C port. With the 20K capacity, the powerstation XXL can provide up to 73 hours of power for devices. Users can charge multiple devices at one time.
Because this battery can accommodate larger devices that require a higher rating for charging, I decided to test it’s charging capabilities using the first generation 12-inch iPad Pro, which comes with a 12W power adapter. This behemoth needs a lot of power to charge it. So, I plugged it into the 2.4A USB port and started charging it. At the time, the iPad Pro was completely dead. After 96 minutes, the iPad Pro had 28% and the powerstation was dead. This translates to a charging rate of 0.29% per minute.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The powerstation Universal Batteries are a great addition to the mophie portable battery lineup. I think their performance is quite impressive and the only feature I would have liked to see is wireless charging capabilities. That said, these batteries are a great way to keep your devices charged and ready to go at a moment’s notice. These batteries are amazing. They look great and the work great. Mophie is a brand you can trust and feel at ease doing so.
Originally published at https://macsources.com on June 26, 2019.
