Battery life has been a common complaint of iPhone 5 owners.
The accessory maker Mophie claims to be the first to address the problem with a battery case, which is called the Juice Pack Helium.
The Helium is a plastic case with an integrated lithium-ion battery, and it is light, at under three ounces. And while it adds a bit of bulk â€" almost a third of an inch â€" it’s still easy to slide in a pocket.
The case holds a 1500 mAh battery that can almost double talk time. The case snaps over the phone. There are cutouts for the buttons, speaker and camera â€" some buttons are recessd such that it’s not easy for thick fingers to reach them, and anything other than a slim straight headphone plug won’t work (it comes with an adapter â€" don’t lose it).
Made with a gray soft-touch finish, the Helium is not very fingerprint-resistant. Those marks won’t come off without cleaning solution.
One peculiarity is the inability to sync the phone by cable. The case plugs into the Thunderbolt port in the phone, but the case itself has a micro- USB connection for charging.
The case is priced at $80. There are cheaper, more powerful batteries, but right now those aren’t integrated into a case.
