Mophie’s Samsung Galaxy S5 Juice Pack Gives You Ample Smartphone Life

Mophie has a new Juice Pack out, designed for the Galaxy S5. The case packs a huge 3,000 mAh battery within its glossy shell, which is slightly larger than the 2,850 mAh unit within the Galaxy S5 itself. True, you could carry around a spare battery for the GS5 and pop the back whenever you want more power, but the Mophie’s extra juice is just a switch away, and it includes passthrough charging, which is a lot simpler than changing out internal components.

The Mophie comes in a variety of colors, but the review unit I was sent is a glossy white. It’s like the Mophie battery packs you’ve come to know and love, with a curved back ensconcing the ‘baby bump’ of the spare powerhouse. Of note, however, is that this will significantly increase the pocket presence of your GS5, since at its thickest point it more than doubles the depth of the device.

It also adds length to the top and bottom of the 4.7-inch smartphone, giving it a physical footprint more akin to that of the new iPhone 6 Plus, but with a much chunkier profile. As you might expect, it also adds weight. But the trade-offs have immediately apparent value: You’ll likely get a full charge from empty from the battery pack, plus or minus a little bit depending. Given Samsung’s already impressive battery life on the GS5, you’ll find that can mean up to three or more full days of battery on a single charge of both the case and phone, which is game-changing when you’re using it on excursions.

I’m reluctant to carry around the behemoth that the GS5 plus the Mophie becomes when combined Voltron-style too often, but for special cases like conferences it would be a veritable life-saver. Mophie’s typical commitment to quality shows here, too, with a battery that should last you more cycles than lower cost options from Amazon.

Mophie’s accessory will run you $99.95, so it’s worth considering whether you need this kind of gear in your life before laying down some cash, but if you find yourself seeing that red battery icon more often than you’d like, it’s still likely your best, most convenient choice for spare top-ups.