By Contributing Editor Steve Casimiro, editor of Adventure Journal. See more of Casimiro's gear recommendations in our must-have gear gallery >>
Back in the pre-digital dark ages, I’d pack for long flights by loading up with stacks of magazines and a book or two. Today I still load up, but it’s with batteries and extra juice to keep my laptop, iPad, and iPhone running all the way from Los Angeles to Johannesburg. Cause it sucks to be you when you’re eight hours into 24 hours of travel with nothing to ward off boredom but a tattered copy of SkyMall.
Mophie Juice Air Pack ($80) is the answer, at least for the iPhone. This case/battery combination snaps over the iPhone 4 and delivers 1,500 mAh of power, effectively doubling the phone’s capacity. Mophie says “virtually” doubles battery life, which is a nicely lawyerly way of putting it. And I say “effectively” because it depends on the usage. For relatively low-draw uses, battery life is spot on double. I ran the Pandora music at medium volume with Mophie’s battery assist and it consistently rocked the house twice as long as the iPhone battery alone. Higher-draw challenges, like watching videos while Bluetooth, 3G, and Wi-Fi gave me 80 to 85 percent more running time.
The Juice Air Pack battery charges via USB cable and weighs just 2.5 ounces. The weight isn’t much of an issue—but the bulk of the Mophie is. One of the best features of the iPhone 4 is its diminutive size; the Mophie turns it into a pocket-swelling 5 inches by 2.5 inches by .68 inches. Is that a deal breaker? No. Are iPhone owners spoiled by the size? Yes. But is the extra girth of the Juice Air Pack enough to make you think twice about taking it? Also yes. But then I think about the pain of reading and rereading about doggie orthopedic couches or foldable recumbent exercisers and it seems like a small price to pay.
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Gah! Yet another reason why I need an iphone. My Motorola Defy is great because its water proof, but the battery is not that great at all.
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Posted by: Dean Jonz | April 04, 2011 at 03:33 AM
wow it was amazing.I can listen to my play list all the time.Thanks for sharing this thank you very much
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Posted by: Moving Boxes | March 31, 2011 at 01:08 AM
That's actually a brilliant idea. I mean, iPhone cases can go from $30-$60 alone, so $80 for a case that actually expands your battery life is a great deal.
Posted by: Blackout Curtains | March 30, 2011 at 03:59 PM
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pero la re puta madre que te pario si acabo de poner un comentario
Posted by: web designer | March 29, 2011 at 09:41 PM
this is really cool i hope many people starts using it
Posted by: web designer | March 29, 2011 at 09:39 PM
I am on the internet on my phone constantly, which drains the battery faster than anything! And what a great accessory for travel. Thanks for sharing!
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Posted by: poker en ligne | March 28, 2011 at 05:47 PM
thanks for such a great post... this case is super for my iphone battery life...
Posted by: jb007 | March 28, 2011 at 04:00 AM
My phone is my daily buddy on my work. One of problem is the battery that is easily drained so fast because I do use my phone almost for calls. I'm so happy that you had made a solution for this.
Posted by: wholesale Wireless Accessories | March 24, 2011 at 09:48 PM
Thank you so much for explaining this. I was totally unaware of this issue on Facebook. I was just checking some of my past blogs and found you there. My apologies for never seeing that. Awesome blog Lani, Will be checking back to you soon.
Posted by: air max 2009 | March 23, 2011 at 09:55 PM
The iphone 4 and new assecories look so much better then the previous iphones and products
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Posted by: Cheap Article Writing | March 14, 2011 at 02:02 AM
Awesome!
I want one!
Posted by: Hair Oil | March 12, 2011 at 03:35 AM
Great phone for travel! Thanks for sharing..
Posted by: Eminent Luggage | March 11, 2011 at 02:02 PM
I have this and love it! I get a solid 12 hours out of the phone with constant use... (checking e-mail, surfing the internet)
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It's very impressive! Great article I've just added to my bookmark list.
Posted by: Marina_7 | February 27, 2011 at 02:48 PM
This is awesome! I am on the internet on my phone constantly, which drains the battery faster than anything! And what a great accessory for travel. Thanks for sharing!
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Thanks for sharing.
Posted by: Paintings | February 25, 2011 at 03:04 PM
this Mophie Pack is really a good way out if u have to kill the time during long flights. i can now listen to music or watch movie without being afraid of gettinng my battery discharged in an hour. and i would strongly recommend this useful addition to all. it's not that expencive, but it will surely help you
Posted by: Eugene blackberry application developer | February 25, 2011 at 04:50 AM