When Pokémon Go became a smash hit for mobile games in July, many people found that the augmented reality game ate up their smartphone batteries. So they hit the stores, buying all sorts of Mophie Juice Pack mobile battery cases and Mophie Powerstation external chargers.
Now the company is unveiling a whole new line-up of universal external power chargers for mobile devices. They include Powerstation USB chargers, Powerstation USB-C chargers for the newest smartphones, and Powerstation Plus chargers with removable tips. Mophie is the No. 1 battery-charging case maker in North America, according to market researcher NPD Group.
“We are known for battery cases, but we are the market leader in external power too,” said Ross Howe, vice president of marketing at Mophie, based in Tustin, Calif. ”
Mophie’s line-up includes the previously announced Charge Force Powerstation, a wireless charging solution that allows you to set an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy S series smartphone (with a Mophie Juice Pack charging case) on top of it and charge it. It holds more than 10,000 milliamps, or about five times the normal need for most smartphones. It also works with Qi wireless charging devices. You can also plug a wire into the USB port and charge a second device using the wire.
Mophie also is catching up with the times by launching its Powerstation USB-C charger, for the new connectors being introduced in many devices this year. The aluminum charger carries 10,000 milliamps of power for both USB-C and USB-A charge ports. It includes both USB-C and USB-A charging cables. It will be available at mophie.com and select retailers for $100. It charges at a fast 15-watt rate.
The company also has a new Powerstation Plus, which features a covered wire that you can pull out from the end of the pack. you can plug it directly into either an iPhone or an Android device. It comes with a removable tip that you can use to plug into the iPhone’s lightning socket or an Android phone’s USB-micro connector. It starts at $60 and comes with three charge capacities: 4,000 milliamps, 6,000 milliamps, or 12,000 milliamps. And it comes in space gray, gold, or rose gold colors.
Lastly, the company is also introducing the fourth generation of its Powerstation family. That includes the Powerstation Mini (3,000 milliamps); Powerstation (6,000 milliamps); Powerstation XL (10,000 milliamps); and the Powerstation XXL (20,000 milliamps). The Powerstation Mini features “five bold colors inspired by the vibrant street art of Los Angeles,” including pink, blue, purple, black and white.
The Powerstation comes in four colors including space grey, gold, rose gold and white, while the Powerstation XL is offered in space gray, gold, and rose gold. Built with three USB outputs, the Powerstation XXL is the largest capacity universal battery from Mophie to-date, and is offered in space gray and rose gold. The new Powerstation family is currently available at mophie.com starting at $30. That’s a big discount compared to previous models, as the previous starting price was $60.
“It’s a tremendous value with our most affordable line to date,” said Howe.
Mophie could very well have some more charging cases coming, but it’s not ready to talk about anything yet.