Mota Battery case for iPhone 5/5s Review – Great Battery Capacity in a Slim Form

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mota-iphone-5-mfi-battery-case-9The Mota Battery Case for iPhone 5/5s combines the convenience of additional battery life with a sleek, slim design that’s easy to keep in your pocket.  I’ve always been wary of extended battery cases because I keep my phone in my pocket and don’t want the added bulk, but the Mota eliminates that concern.  The Mota Battery Case is $99.99.

1-Mota Battery Case Gear DiaryThe Mota Battery Case is extremely similar in design and features to the Naztech Battery Case I reviewed recently.  They both are made of two parts, the battery pack itself and a plastic frame that sleeves over the side of your phone and secures your phone to the battery pack.  Just like the Naztech, the plastic frame has cutouts that give you access to the volume and power buttons, and the frame does obscure use of those buttons but you get used to it over time.  The included headphone adapter is required in order to use headphones, as the bottom of the battery pack covers your phone’s headphone jack.

2-Mota Battery Case Gear Diary-001This battery pack also has a kickstand on the rear of the unit, which you’ll need long nails to extend.  Unfortunately, however, the kickstand is not secure enough to hold your phone upright in portrait mode…only landscape mode.  The back of the battery pack also has a power button as well as indicator LEDs which let you know how much juice is left in the battery pack.

3-Mota Battery Case Gear Diary-002Where this case differs from the above mentioned Naztech Battery Case is that the frame on the Mota Battery Case feels much more secure around your phone while attached to the battery pack.  This does make the frame difficult to remove, however, but you’ve got to take the good with the bad.  The battery pack and frame together also only weigh 2.6 oz, which is really not bad when it comes to extended battery cases.

The Mota Battery Case has a battery capacity of 2,400 mAh, which nearly doubles the iPhone’s internal battery capacity of 1,440 mAh.  The iPhone 5S battery has a capacity of about 1,570 mAh.  The battery pack also has overcharge protection, which will turn off the charger as soon as your iPhone’s battery reaches about 100% full.  The battery is charged using a microUSB cable, which can also charge the phone while plugged in.

4-Mota Battery Case Gear Diary-003The Mota Battery Case for iPhone 5/5s is a very good option for those who are budget-conscious as long as you don’t care about finding the most aesthetically pleasing case.  At $99.99, it beats out the Mophie Juice Pack Plus in price, battery capacity, and weight.

The Mota Battery Case for iPhone 5/5s can be purchased directly from the manufacturer.

MSRP:  $99.99

What I Like:  Large battery capacity; Built-in kickstand; Quick charge; Smaller and lighter than the leading battery packs.

What Needs Improvement:  Buttons built-in to frame would add to the design; A stronger kickstand would be huge.

Source:  Manufacturer supplied review sample

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About the Author

Perry Brauner
I'm an architect by trade, but the overarching theme of my life has always been trying to keep up with the newest, coolest technology. Ever since I picked up an NES controller, I've been hooked on the latest and greatest gadgets, gizmos, and toys. Whether it's gaming, mobile phones, and accessories, or PCs and Apple products, I'm interested. I use many Apple products in my daily life, such as the iPhone, iPad, and my MacBook Pro. I've also built a few PCs in my day, so I'd like to say that I'm a pretty well-rounded techie.