iBattz Mojo Armor Battery Case for iPhone 4S Review
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When we run into a lifeless iPhone while we're on the go, Mophie is typically the company we look towards for a solution. However, iBattz has come up with their own competitor that puts up quite a fight against its better known counterpart. The iBattz Mojo Armor removable iPhone battery case packs a huge power punch and then some in a solid enclosure that would make the creators of Otterbox proud. Head on down for our full review to reveal how iBattz stood up against its competition.
iBattz boasts huge battery capacities in its rather awesome and unique packaging. We all know when a product is packaged to impress, the contents inside should be made to do the same. Don't worry, it met our standards. Designed to compete against Mophie's Juice Pack Pro battery case while borrowing Otterbox's Defender Series' design, the Mojo Armor Case combines amazing battery life with solid protection for a best of both worlds experience.
The case itself consists of four separate parts along with a removable battery. We warn you now: be prepared to add a significant amount of bulk to your iPhone in exchange for coveted battery life and premium protection. Starting with the solid front cover, we move along to the main battery module compartment, then there's a back cover which holds your battery in place, keeping in mind this entire enclosure is constructed out of solid polycarbonate. To round things up, you have a silicon sleeve that wraps everything up nicely in a soft and comfortable shock-absorbing cushion.
You'd think with all these layers, there would be no way any of the physical buttons work anymore. Actually, on the contrary, they work amazingly. The tactile feedback is great and there's no extra effort needed to access all of the key functions.
As with most maximum protection cases, there is a built in screen protector. Thankfully, the quality of the plastic doesn't create uncomfortable friction while you use your iPhone nor are there any obscene air bubbles.
To top things off, the sleeve fits perfectly within the cutouts to create a snug weather seal that will protect your device from whatever mother nature decides to throw at it. Of course, don't expect Lifeproof-esque quality weather proofing, otherwise iBattz might be "borrowing" too many ideas from too many of its competitors.
Let's say you're tired of the huge brick of a case and want to switch to something less conspicuous but still want the extra battery perk. It would be your lucky day because iBattz includes a simple bumper that replaces the blaring orange colored front plate to shed some weight for a much more comfortable experience and sleek look.
Now that we know our device can survive just about any physical damage, what about the internals? How does the battery life stand up against the grueling tasks we throw at our iPhones on a daily basis? The answer is, very well. Coming in at 3400 mAh, the Mojo Armor case will keep your iPhone running for days, literally. Of course, a 3400 mAh battery would be ridiculous to stuff into any design of a case for comfortable use, so iBattz provides two 1700 mAh removable batteries instead.
Obviously, there are pros and cons to this approach. The good news is that you get a whopping amount of battery power that'll keep you doing whatever it is you want for much longer than most battery pack cases. The bad news is you'll have to carry around the extra battery and taking out and replacing the battery modules can become tedious real fast. However, with a single 1700 mAh battery at full charge, it'll get you pretty far through the day. In fact, it'll bring your iPhone back from the grave to around a 80%-90% charge, give or take. Reasonably speaking, to go through three full charges of battery life a day would be a bit too much to swallow, even for the heaviest of users out there.
As we've come to expect by now, micro USB has become standard to charging battery cases. You'll be able to charge both the removable battery as well as the internal iPhone battery while syncing to iTunes. Our friends at iBattz were kind enough to send their Mojo USB Battery Charger as well. This is not included with the Battery case but may be a smart investment if you want to charge your batteries as quickly as possible.
Now, everything good has to eventually come to an end and we move on to the bad. As soft as the silicon sleeve is, it falls victim to the attack of dust and other clingy particles. Just moving the case from my pocket to my desk, I found an unusual amount of dust all over the sleeve. Since I mentioned pockets, I should point out that there is no belt clip included with the Mojo Battery Case and you can only imagine the size of the lump this kind of case would create in your pants. It's uncomfortable for both myself and other people around me.
The battery display button is placed in an awkward position so that my palm would constantly light up the blue LED indicator whenever I needed to use my phone. It seems rather harmless and trivial, but once the LED lights up constantly, its bound to take a hit on your overall battery life.
The decisive factor for us to recommend the Mojo Battery Case resides in the call quality. Hoping that iBattz resolved what Mophie could not, I was disappointed to find that people receiving my call had a hard time hearing what I was saying. It is to be expected as every single gap and hole is snuggly sealed by the silicone sleeve, leaving no room for much to get through.
After putting the Mojo Battery Case through the stages, we wound up with the conclusion that we may have a tie between iBattz and Mophie. Designed for maximum protection while giving your iPhone extra juice, the Mojo Armor Battery Case has set out to do just that, and to do it well. However, when the main function of an iPhone is its phone-calling feature, we cannot recommend this product to you guys.
Although, all things considered, the Mojo Armor Battery Case has great battery life with its dual removable batteries and provides versatile form factors for all kinds of scenarios. To seal the deal, you'd only fork over $100 instead of $130 for the Mophie Juice Pack Pro. If you're looking to take your iPhone out on the adventure of your life and could not imagine a single moment with a lifeless device, iBattz has got you covered.
