At $99.95, mophie’s powerstation plus XL will put a minor dent in your wallet, but it could also put a major dent (in a good way) in your on-the-go charging needs.
This portable power solution sports an integrated Lightning cable, Apple Lightning connector, and a 10W USB-A output port, so you can charge your iPhone or other Apple devices while you’re on-the-go. All you need to recharge the powerstation is the cable that came with your Apple device.
Since the powerstation plus XL provides wireless input, you can recharge it using any mophie wireless charging pad or Qi-compatible charger. That’s good; what’s a drawback (for me, anyway) is that there’s no way to connect the powerstation plus XL directly to a power outlet without purchasing a separate wall charger (which you can pick up for about $12 at Amazon). Of course, if it had a power outlet cable, that would compromise its compact form factor, so I guess it’s a reasonable compromise.
Buy one, however, and you can connect the powerstation to a wall adapter in the evening; pass-through charging will send power to a connected device first, then recharge the powerstation battery so both are fully charged in the morning. The 10W USB-A output port lets you charge one compatible device while the integrated Lightning cable charges another.
One aside: charging the mophie battery pack to full capacity took longer than I thought; you will need to let it juice up overnight. But when you do, its smart adaptive charging technology so that, for example, your iPhone gets the fastest and most efficient charging speeds available.
Available in four colors, the mophie battery pack looks good with its premium fabric finish that helps protect against scratches. It’s also compact (about the size of a slightly fatter iPhone X) for easy portability. The built-in cable tucks into the edge of the device, wrapping around roughly half of its perimeter.
It’s a breeze to use. Take it out of the box, plug in your device, and you’re all set. the powertation plus XL is a fine choice for folks with one or two devices, when those devices use the same connector for charging.
Apple World Today Rating (out of 5 stars): ★★★★
