Sleek, stylish power bank with impressive features.
While recovering from knee surgery, I found myself using my iPhone and iPad much more than usual. Most of the time, I was recuperating from the bed and unfortunately, there isn’t a power outlet close by. Since I was laid up, I turned to Mophie for my mobile charging needs. Because I was trying to keep both my phone and iPad charged, I opted to use the Powerstation Plus XL Wireless so that I could not only charge multiple devices at once, but I could also take advantage of the wireless charging capabilities of my iPhone 11 Pro Max.
DETAILS
The Powerstation Plus XL Wireless is a portable power bank with an integrated, fast-charging Lightning cable, wireless charging pad, and a USB-A port for output charging. The battery has an 8,000 mAh capacity and the integrated cable charges iPhone with up to 18W of power (get up to 50% battery in 30 minutes). The Powerstation XL can provide up to 42 extra hours for the iPhone and up to 7 extra hours for the iPad Pro. The integrated Lightning cable tucks away beneath a magnetic cover when it’s not in use. The power bank features a high-gloss top surface for a sleek, stylish look.
Tech Specs
- Warranty: 2 years
- Weight: 0.5 lb
- Capacity: 8,000 mAh
- Dimensions: 2.83 in x 5.89 in x 0.75 in
- Color Options: black, gray, navy blue, light pink
USER EXPERIENCE
Mophie does a nice job with packaging. There is always a nice image of the product on the front of the box and nice descriptions of the features on the front and sides. One of the reasons I appreciate mophie’s packaging is because it looks nice in a retail setting. While that might seem like an odd comment, I feel that attractive, eye-catching retail packaging is important to the overall experience a customer has with a product. Mophie does this very well.
When you open the package, you will find the power bank and a quick start guide. That’s it. Because Mophie included a built-in cable, they did not include a detached cable as well. With that in mind though, I think the packaging could be sized down a bit since the battery isn’t very large itself. The quick start guide includes safety guidelines in multiple languages and an illustrated instructional walkthrough of how to use the power bank. This is a handy guide to have, but I found it odd that the user manual (available for download on Mophie’s website) only includes safety information — and no additional product information.
Because this battery has the premium feature of an integrated wireless charging pad, I decided to test its charging rate first. I used an iPhone 11 Pro since it had just recently been used to test with a different power bank meaning I could directly compare the results. With the Mophie power bank, I charted the following results for the charging rates.
Wireless Charging | 0.2 % per minute |
Built-in Lightning Cable | 0.8% per minute |
External Lightning Cable (Using USB-A port) | 0.45% per minute |
As far as the wireless charging goes, I thought the charging rate of 0.2% was on the low side. In comparison to the other recent test I did with a wireless charging power bank, the Mophie power bank was about 40% slower than the other brand. That said, I was very encouraged by the Built-in Lightning cable’s charging rate. It was nearly twice as fast as a standard USB-A connected Lightning cable. But, in comparison to the other recent test I did, it was 20% slower than the other brand’s power bank. Needless to say, after testing the charging rate and comparing it to the other power bank, I was a little disappointed at its performance. Where Mophie shines is in the quality department. I feel safer leaving my devices to charge with a Mophie battery where other brands I tend to watch with a close eye.
That said, I think the design of this battery is stunning. I love the classy finish it has and the fact that Mophie included a smooth silicone strip around the wireless charging pad so that phones don’t slip off of it. The glossy finish of the charging pad is a great touch and the magnetic cover for the built-in cable is awesome. I love how the cable tucks away and is hidden by the cover.
CONCLUSION
This Mophie Powerstation really helped me while I’ve been recovering from my surgery. I didn’t have to search for a Lightning cable and I was able to charge my iPhone and iPad off it with no problem. As I mentioned, I think it’s a little slow as far as charging rates go, but it does get the job done. The MSRP is around $100 (at the time of publishing this article), which is pretty high for a battery of this capacity, but given its features and Mophie’s reliability, I think it’s a worthy investment.