Mophie Juice Pack Air Case and Rechargeable Battery for iPhone 3G, 3G S (Purple)

Price: $79.95
Manufacturer: Mophie, Inc.


The Juice Pack Air is a rechargeable external battery that is concealed inside of a protective form-fitting case for the iPhone 3G. It offers the protection of a hard-shell case while providing more than twice the battery of the iPhone alone; all in an ultra-thin, light-weight and low-profile design!

Information

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4710 in Cell Phone Accessories
• Color: Purple
• Brand: Mophie
• Model: JPA-IP3G-PRP
• Dimensions: 7.31" h x .81" w x 4.06" l,

• The world¿s thinnest Apple certified ¿Works With iPhone¿ external battery in the world!
• Rechargeable 1200mAh lithium polymer battery virtually doubles your time to rock, talk, surf and send
• Pass-through USB charging and sync with iTunes
• Extended smart battery and full case protection
• On/Off switch offers choice of battery or case

Product Reviews

Waste of money
Mophie should be ashamed. This case does not protect the phone very well and you loose most of your signal while the battery case is on. Buyer beware!

Great Battery Life, finally
The highlights based on owning the black case. Battery life of your iPhone will just about double with this case / battery. It does not cover the screen, so purchase a Zagg screen protector. The case is two pieces, the bottom 3/4 is the battery, the top 1/4 is a cap. Thickness is about doubled, and the phone is extended a little bit. The worst part of this device is the charging / syncing connector - it is the new mini-USB connector (NOT the kind for most portable drives and digital cameras).

Overall good product if you don't mind a bit more weight and thickness.

Design could be a better design.
I suppose I should be grateful that juice pack air owners don't have the rubber side/glue issues that plague the regular juice pack. And I'm happy that most reviewers are not upset about battery-life expectations.

Called mophie within 10 minutes of using the product because I couldn't get my iPhone back out. The fit is so tight, and the plastic inside is so glossy, that it was friction stuck. This could have been solved with a matte finish/texture inside. The customer service rep said she hadn't even heard of that problem. I find that really hard to believe! Since this is my third 3G due to the plastic cracking issues Apple has acknowledged, I didn't want to place any kind of stress on the connector areas forcing the phone out of the case. Finally, after literally using the top's corner to pry gently on the bottom-front (where the speaker gaps are), I was able to slide the iPhone up a bit. I could then use my palm to slide it out the rest of the way. After a couple of times, it slid out this way, but fuggetaboutit if you're a bit sweaty!

The micro-USB connector was a bad choice over the more universal mini-USB. No common sense!

The case gets in the way of flipping the ringer switch back on. Turning off is no problem, but unless you have a fingernail or a Tony finger, you'll need to take the cap off first!

Will update my review with any other issues experience.

UPDATE: Got an email from Rebecca Distefano from mophie's customer service rep lambasting my "hobby" reviewing the product. I will include her email here:

Jeff,

Not sure if this was a rhetorical review or not?? Would you like to return the Air for a full refund, or ................ ??? If not, we certainly appreciate your input.

I'm sorry you've experienced these difficulties. At least there is an upside, it seems you really enjoy reviewing! It seems to be a new hobby of this technological age. There are a lot of opinions out there and now, no matter who you are your voice (through writing of course) will be heard!

Usually those who have had trouble removing their phone from the Air have had a gel skin or invisashield type product on their phone. What I do to remove the top from my Air is put my fingernails in the groove on the back where the top and bottom meet and pull.

As for the micro USB. The biggest complaint with the original Juice Pack from our customers was that it was too bulky. In order to give the Air a sleek form, it was necessary to go with the micro USB. Apple also insisted on the micro, saying it was soon going to replace the mini as the standard. When the mini came out, everyone was up in arms about it as well. Sometimes when you understand the whole picture, things that seem to have no common sense, suddenly do.

We appreciate your business and have fun with your hobby!

Rebecca Distefano
Customer Liaison