Mobility

Mophie Charge Force wireless charging system: The smart person's guide

Wireless charging is the focus of Mophie's latest entry in the smartphone accessory market. The lineup offers juice packs for some Samsung and iPhone models that bond to a base for instant charging capabilities.

By | July 22, 2016, 5:00 AM PST

An iPhone 6 Plus encased in a Mophie Juice Pack and the Charge Force vent mount.
Image: Teena Maddox

One of the biggest complaints about smartphones is the short battery life. Although there are plenty of battery packs on the market, they often come with a plethora of additional cords that add clutter to your desktop.

Enter the Mophie Charge Force wireless power accessory lineup. It's an easy way to charge your smartphone wirelessly whether on your desk, at your bedside, or in the car. The charging bases are solid black with a streamlined look, and they are extremely useful.

And the best part? No more dead batteries.

SEE: Check out all of TechRepublic's smart person's guides

Executive summary

  • What it is: Mophie debuts its Charge Force wireless charging ecosystem.

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  • What it does: The lineup includes a desktop pedestal, a car vent and a tabletop base for wireless charging for the iPhone 6s/6 or 6s Plus/6 Plus, or the Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 Edge.The bases pair with juice packs.
  • Why it matters: Battery life is a major issue for smartphone users, so it's important to have an easy way to charge a device.
  • Who it's for: It's for anyone who can't get through the day on a single charge on their smartphone.
  • Why you should get it: It's an easy-to-use charging device that holds your phone in place with a strong magnet as it charges. It's affordable, and works well.
  • Why you shouldn't get it: You have to position your smartphone in a precise way on the mounts in order for it to charge. The case is somewhat heavy, adding 4.2 ounces to the iPhone 6s Plus/6 Plus.
  • How to get it: It's available online from Mophie. Prices vary a bit, but it's $99.95 for an iPhone 6s/6 Juice Pack wireless case and charging base. The desk mount and the vent mount are priced at $59.95 each.
  • What it looks like: See photos of the Mophie Charge Force lineup in our TechRepublic gallery.
  • The style quotient: This one scores an easy 8 on a 1-10 scale in that it doesn't try too hard to be stylish, yet it has a simple design that works.

What it is

The Mophie Charge Force wireless charging system includes Juice Pack wireless cases for the iPhone 6s/6 as well as the 6s Plus/6 Plus. It also includes the Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 Edge Juice Pack, which was released earlier this year. They all work in conjunction with the Charge Force basic mount, desk mount, or vent mount.

The smartphone must be kept in a Mophie Juice Pack case, and then it can be charged when paired with the magnetized desk mount, vent mount, or basic mount. The wireless battery case is sold in a bundle with a mount for iPhone users, but Galaxy users who opt for the Juice Pack must buy the mount separately. The bases also work with any Qi-compatible wireless device.

The desk and vent mounts hold a 5.5" phone and a Juice Pack upright or in a landscape position, thanks to the embedded magnets.

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What it does

It offers fast charging for a smartphone. The wireless base charges the phone, and then it charges the Juice Pack to provide more than 50% more battery power when needed. If your smartphone starts to run out of power, and you aren't near a wireless base, you can turn on the Juice Pack to give it a charge.

The wireless charging mount or base sits on your desk or next to your bedside, or in your car's vent, so it's a no-brainer to place the phone on the mount. The magnets hold it in place and charging begins instantly.

The Juice Pack for the iPhone 6s Plus comes in two pieces: a front and a back. The back includes a 2,420 mAh battery and the necessary wireless charging components. The iPhone's rear camera works perfectly even with the case in place, thanks to a large opening for the camera lens. It includes a microUSB port on the bottom of the case, and a headphone jack opening. It's necessary to use a long headphone jack adapter with the case, unless you opt for Bluetooth headphones.

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Why it matters

This is the first wireless charging ecosystem that Mophie has produced. The company released the Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 Edge Juice Pack earlier this year, and debuted the iPhone Juice Packs and mounts for wireless charging on May 31, 2016.

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Who it's for

Running out of battery on a smartphone is a problem in the workplace, and having a simplified way to keep it continually charged adds to productivity. Anyone who uses their smartphone in the office, or depends on having it handy when they're in the car, or at home—basically, everyone—will appreciate having a fully-charged smartphone ready to go.

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Why you should get it

It's a seamless integration of a smartphone case and wireless charging capabilities. Having multiple options for charging—desktop, car vent, or the basic wireless mount—at a reasonable price means that it's easy to keep multiple wireless chargers around the home and office so that your smartphone is always handy and fully charged. And luckily the charging bases are black and fairly unnoticeable, so they won't add clutter to your home or desk. (As a sidenote, the Samsung Galaxy S7 Juice Pack is available in gold, but not the corresponding mount.) The vent mount is obvious in your car, but it's easy to remove when not in use. It also serves a dual purpose as a regular mount for your phone if you need it for GPS capabilities while driving.

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Why you shouldn't get it

The magnetic hold is strong, and once you place your smartphone on the base, but it's easy to place on the mount in the wrong positions. If that happens, you'll likely wake up to a dead battery. The good news is this will likely only happen once; after that, you'll be more careful where you place the smartphone on the mount.

Also, although the charging system is wireless, the bases do need to be either plugged into a wall outlet, or a USB port. So there are cords involved, just not from the phone to the base.

The Juice Pack is quite heavy, and adds bulk to your phone. A headphone jack adapter is needed, or else you'll have to opt for Bluetooth headphones. This isn't a huge problem, unless you forget to bring the adapter with you.

It's easy to get the iPhone 6s/6 Plus into the case, but it's difficult to get it out. This is the only case that I tested with my own phone.

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How to get it

Go to Mophie online to order the Charge Force ecosystem.

  • The Charge Force wireless charging base is $39.95. It's a rectangular device that lays on any flat surface.
  • The Charge Force desk mount, at $59.95, sits on a pedestal and allows the phone to be viewed from various angles.
  • The Charge Force vent mount, at $59.95, comes with a car charger and has a rubber prong mount that allows it to be placed in a car's AC vent.
  • The Juice Pack and wireless charging base for the iPhone 6s/6 is $99.95.
  • The Juice Pack and wireless charging base for the iPhone 6s Plus/6 Plus is $129.95.
  • The Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 Edge Juice Pack, without a wireless charging base, is $74.95.

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What it looks like

The Mophie tabletop flat wireless charging base with the iPhone 6 Plus in a Juice Pack.
Image: Teena Maddox

To see more photos of the Mophie Charge Force wireless charging system, check out TechRepublic's gallery of images.

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The style quotient

The Mophie Charge Force will make you look like someone who knows the latest in smartphone accessories, and who cares about having their phone fully charged. It's your secret whether that means your coworkers will think you're prepping for an intense Vitality team battle on Pokemon Go, or getting ready for an-all day phone meeting.

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Three takeaways for TechRepublic readers

  1. The Juice Pack wireless charging system is only available for certain iPhone and Galaxy smartphone models.
  2. A headphone adapter is necessary for using audio devices other than Bluetooth headphones with the Juice Pack in place.
  3. This is Mophie's first wireless charging ecosystem and it offers 50% more battery power.

Also see

Related Topics:

Smart Persons Guides Security Hardware Software Apple Android

About Teena Maddox

Teena Maddox is a Senior Writer at TechRepublic, covering hardware devices, IoT, smart cities and wearables. She ties together the style and substance of tech. Teena has spent 20-plus years writing business and features for publications including Peo...

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