iBattz isn’t just the producer of some of our top-rated iPhone battery cases — as it turns out, the company also makes standalone battery packs, now including the Mojo Vogue Battstation ($50). The plastic-encased battery contains a 5600mAh cell, and the ability to put out 1 Amp of power. While it may not be the most exciting backup charger around, the aggressive price point and solid performance make it worth some attention.
In addition to the standard micro-USB cable, iBattz includes a fabric drawstring carrying bag and two Dock Connector tips.
At 4” long, about 1.75” wide, and just less than 1” tall, Mojo Vogue is definitely portable, whether it’s going to be tossed in a bag or carried in a pocket. As we’ve come to expect from most standard battery packs, there’s a micro-USB port for bringing power in, and a full-sized port for charging output. There’s also an LED flashlight, which isn’t unheard of on external batteries, but somewhat odd and unnecessary; if you want it, it’s there.
One of the things we appreciate most about iBattz is how efficiently its batteries charge Apple’s devices: the performance is often better than rivals with similar on-paper battery capacities.
With a first-generation iPad mini, we’d expect a 5600mAh cell to be able to deliver a charge around the 85% level, but Mojo Vogue was able to bring our fully depleted unit to 98%, just shy of a full recharge. This is an impressive figure, but the charging time is a drawback. Since iBattz only has this unit outputting power at 1-Amp speeds, the battery took four hours to juice up the tablet.
