Everyone needs more battery power. However, the design of the iPhone 5/5s doesn’t allow swapping out your battery for a fresh one, and you’re not always near an outlet to get a fresh charge. What’s a user to do? Enter the ibattz mojo REFUEL Removable Battery Case.
Overview
The mojo REFUEL Removable Battery Case allows you to protect your iPhone 5/5s while keeping an extra charge in reserve for your iPhone stored inside the case via a removable 2200mAh battery pack. The battery case contains a removable battery, the same type Samsung uses in its Galaxy line of devices. This allows you to pre-charge a couple of extra batteries that you can swap out as needed. Allowing you time of use beyond normal battery cases.
While the REFUEL is charged partially straight from the box, the manufacturer suggest going through a full charge cycle before using it with your iPhone for best results.
The REFUEL is made of a durable material, sports an on/off toggle switch to start and stop charging sessions, and holds a removable 2200mAh battery pack behind a removable panel. The iPhone slides in to the case, and connects via the case’s built-in lightning connector. The case, and your iPhone are charged via an included micro USB cable which can be connected to any iPhone compatible wall charger or USB port.
I found that the battery case charged quickly, and held its charge well until it was needed. With a quick 2 second press of the recessed button on the side of the case, the REFUEL would begin charging my iPhone 5, and later, my iPhone 5s.
While the iPhone slides into the case, it is held securely in the case via a silver colored metal “bumper.” While causing all of the buttons on the iPhone 5 to become recessed, they were still easily accessible when needed. I was still able to use any set of headphones I tried while using the case easily enough via the included pass-through headphone adaptor.
While the case acted to amplify the sound of the iPhone’s built-in speakers, I did find that during phone calls the party on the other end needed to ask me to repeat myself more than usual. Not a big deal for me, as I usually use a Bluetooth speaker or headphones for calls, but it’s something to keep in mind.
Verdict
The ibattz mojo REFUEL Removable Battery Case is definitely a contender when you’re considering iPhone cases to extend your battery life while using your phone. I found that I was easily able to bring my iPhone 5 and 5s all the way up to 100% from around 20% when the REFUEL was fully charged. I also found I had a little reserve left after bringing my iPhone back up to full charge, enough to give a quick boost to get the iPhone through until the end of the day,
While the REFUEL does a great job of both protecting your iPhone and extending its usefulness during the day, it does add a bit of bulk and heft to the phone, so if you keep your iPhone in your pocket, and your pants run tight already, that is also something to keep in mind.
The main advantage of the REFUEL is its ability to use readily available removable 220mAh batteries. This allows you to pre-charge multiple batteries when needed, and swap them out as the need presents itself. That’s an added attraction for me on long plane trips where a recharging source may not be readily available.
If you’re in the market for a rechargeable battery pack, you can do a lot worse that considering the REFUEL. Its ease of use, and quality of assembly puts it tops on my list of cases of this type.
Rating:4/5[rating:4.0]
Price: $74.95 via the ibattz website. Also available on Amazon.com. (Additional batteries and bumpers are also available via the ibattz website.)
Pros:
- Removable rechargeable batteries. Such a plus.
- Stylish, and easy to use.
- Quickly recharges your iPhone 5 or iPhone 5s.
- Protects your iPhone as well as recharging it.
Cons:
- I was asked repeatedly to repeat myself when on a phone call while using the case. Your mileage may vary.
- The case does add bulk. Something to consider if you keep your iPhone in your pants or jeans pocket.
