For a cyclist, a cell phone is almost one of those essential items to have along on every ride. But when you carry it with you on the bike, there's also a strong need to keep that phone protected -- from shock (i.e., dropping it) or moisture, such as rain or perspiration. There is also the fact that a phone's battery can run low, particularly if you're using it for GPS or mapping function on a longer ride, such as a 100-mile "century" ride.
We had the opportunity to test the Mojo Refuel Aqua Battery Case, a phone case specifically for the iPhone 5 and 5s. The manufacturer, ibattz, touts the case as having several revolutionary facets of design and performance. It offers:
- "world's first" waterproof iPhone case with built in battery for recharging your phone
- interchangeable 2200mAh battery
- 100% protection from dirt, snow, drops, etc.
In looking at this, the first thing to note is that this Mojo Refuel Aqua Battery Case actually has a couple configurations. Both use the back of the phone case for mounting, which is what contains the battery that provides back-up power to your phone.
In its full water-proof configuration, the phone case incorporates a plastic face with clear screen that goes over the phone and clicks into the battery pack on the back of the case. Then a rubber outer skin encases the phone from the back, forming a seal with the front face. We tested this waterproof set-up (as recommended in the directions) to make sure that it would indeed keep the phone dry. 15 minutes underwater in the kitchen sink and the inside of the case was dry as a desert. That's an impressive feat and the product documentation indicates this waterproofing is good to 3 meters. Think about it: you can take your phone with you on your bike in the rain, or have it with you poolside without the worry of what in the world you're going to do if it hits the water.
Now the downside. To keep the phone protected, naturally it's got to be sealed pretty tight. And that affects the audio quality -- both in your ability to hear others and in the way you sound to them. So if you have a phone that you'll need to talk regularly on and with clarity, the waterproof option may cause you some dissatisfaction. Also, we found that the sensitivity on the bottom part of the screen to user touch is compromised. The phone did not always respond to the sideways swipe and other touch functions toward the bottom of the screen needed to operate the phone effectively.
In it's "light" (non-waterproof) configuration -- what you get if you buy just the Mojo Refuel case, the clear plastic screen and the rubber outer shell are set aside, and the phone merely has a silver plastic frame (or "bumper," as ibattz, the manufacturer calls it) attached to the back and mounted over the face of the phone like a typical phone case. Certainly in this setting the waterproofing is gone and a good deal of the shock protection is as well, but the upside is that you have the full functionality of the iPhone touch screen.
Apart from the waterproof features of the Refuel Aqua case, the back-up battery power that it provides is pretty cool in its own right, essentially doubling the useful life of your phone. Sure you can use a solar charger to keep juice in your phone, say, if you're out on a bike tour but that's going to be somewhat reliant having on a sunny day. A single cord charges both your phone and the battery back-up, with priority going to the phone first then the back-up battery. With a charging time of approximately five hours for the case plus whatever it takes to charge your phone, an overnight charge will likely get both to 100%. The battery has a lifecycle of 500 charges. Then with the brilliant capability to change out the battery -- which ibattz claims is unique to this product -- you don't have to discard the entire phone case if only the battery itself is depleted.
Regarding sizing, this case will add to the bulk of your phone. If you're used to carrying your iPhone 5 in your front pocket, that may not be possible any more. But the trend these days is to larger phones generally, and in my opinion the trade-off for extra protection and extra battery life is certainly worth the extra bulk.
So is the phone case recommended? Yes for waterproof protection of your phone and almost bomb-proof durability, but beware the trade-off: compromised sound quality. Aside from that, the rechargeable and replaceable battery built into the case to augment your phone's own power is a very attractive feature in its own right.
Cost of the Refuel Aqua Battery Case is around $100, depending on source. Comes with one year limited warranty. At this time only available for the iPhone5 and 5s.
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