Mophie iPhone 11 battery case adds hours between recharges [Review]

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Mophie Juice Pack Access for iPhone 11
Mophie Juice Pack Access adds to the thickness of the iPhone 11, but also adds hours of battery life.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Mophie Juice Pack Access for the iPhone 11 extends the battery life of Apple’s latest handset while also protecting it. This hard case leaves the iPhone’s Lightning port available, while also letting you charge you phone with your MacBook’s cable.

Discover if this is the right iPhone 11 battery case for you in our hands-on review.

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Mophie Juice Pack Access for iPhone 11 review

The basic design of the Juice Pack Access is a hard plastic case that wraps around the back and sides of the iPhone 11. A bulge on the back makes room for the external battery.

The extra sheathing, especially on the corners, and internal rubberized support pads help protect the handset if it gets dropped. And a raised “lip” around the screen is designed to prevent scratches.

A large opening across the bottom exposes the speakers and Lightning port, giving you the option to plug in headphones with this case attached. Or plug in a regular charging cable.

Next to this is USB-C port, one of the ways to charge up the Mophie Juice Pack Access. It can also get its power wirelessly.

There are also openings for the camera lenses and mute switch, and covers for the buttons that protect them but leave them fully usable.

Our sample unit is black, which looks professional though it has a tendency to hold greasy fingerprints. Mophie will offer blush pink, and Product(red) soon, if you want to add some color to your phone.

The whole Juice Pack Access comes in two sections, which makes putting it on and taking it off a snap. Simply slide the iPhone into the bottom section then add the top section.

Our test unit fits the 6.1-inch iPhone 11, but Mophie also makes versions for the 5.8-inch iPhone 11 Pro and 6.5-inch iPhone 11 Pro Max. Naturally, the size of the battery case varies slightly between these versions.

Ours is 6.1 inches by 3.1 in. by 0.74 in. (155mm by 80mm by 19mm), so it’s just a bit taller and wider than the iPhone. But it’s noticeably thicker.

Mophie Juice Pack Access with iPhone 11

Battery

The bulge on the bottom the Juice Pack Access for the iPhone 11 or iPhone 11 Pro makes room for a 2,000mAh battery. The iPhone 11 Pro Max version includes a 2,200mAh battery.

You can‘t tell from the outside, but this bulge also holds a pair of wireless charging coils. One powers up the Juice Pack Access, and the other allows this battery case to send power to the iPhone.

While slightly hefty, this hump actually makes this case more comfortable to hold. It’s thick enough to grip easily, and the rounded corners fit easily in the palm.

You’re going to notice the weight, though. Our iPhone 11 version is 0.2 pounds, while the iPhone 11 Pro Max version is 0.25 lbs. That’s half the weight of the handset.

On the back of the Juice Pack Access sits a set of four white LEDs to indicate the battery level. There’s a power button next to them. Use this when you want the case to recharge the handset.

Mophie Juice Pack Access for iPhone 11 performance

Recharging the iPhone 11 and the Juice Pack Access just requires setting the combination on a wireless charger. The case will send power to the handset before charging itself.

Later, when it’s time to send power from Mophie’s battery case to the iPhone, press and hold the button on the back.

To test the 2,000 mAh/7.6 Wh battery in this hard case, we used it to charge an iPhone 11. (Duh.) The Juice Pack Access raised this handset’s battery level 35%. Previously, when we tested the version of this case for the iPhone XS Max, it increased that handset’s battery level by the exact same amount, so this is typical.

An iPhone can receive wireless power at 7.5 watts, but the charger built into this accessory can provide only 5 W. Still, in our tests, it was able to increase the battery level in our iPhone 11 by 15% in half an hour. While that’s slow compared to wired charging, it’s typical for wireless.

And don’t forget, the handset’s Lightning port is always available. You can more quickly charge the iPhone that way whenever you have access to a wall socket and the right cable.

Replenishing the Juice Pack Access itself can be done wirelessly. It can receive 7.5 W, but still takes 2+ hours to get a full charge.

Alternatively, plug in a USB-C charging cord to power up this battery case far more quickly.

Mophie Juice Pack Access is made up of two parts
Taking the Mophie Juice Pack Access apart makes it easy to slide onto the iPhone 11.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Mophie Juice Pack Access final thoughts

This battery case lets you just push a button at any time and add about half a day of use to your iPhone 11. And it also helps protect the handset from drops and scraps, without interfering with the Lightning port.

But it’s bulky.

Pricing

The official price for the Juice Pack Access on the Mophie website is $99.95. That’s true whether the case is designed for the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro or iPhone 11 Pro Max.

Buy from: Amazon

Comparable products

At the time of this writing, Apple has not yet introduced its own battery cases for the iPhone 11 series, but references buried in iOS 13 show it’s planning to.

Alternatively, consider a battery pack. The Mophie Powerstation Hub is a 6000 mAh powerbank with an extra trick: wireless charging. And it has electrical prongs to plug it right into a wall socket. It’s priced at $99.95.

The Uniq HydeAir doesn’t have built-in AC plugs, but it does include wireless charging and a 10,000mAh battery for $49.95.

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

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