If you have been reading my posts on The Gadgeteer you probably already know that I have increased the amount of travel I do, if you haven’t, I have increased the amount of travel I do. The reason I mention this is because I have previously reviewed iPhone 5 cases that either had built into them or made attachable backup/emergency batteries. The two mainstays we use have been the Dog&Bone BackBone case and the Jackery Leaf, but with progress and since we have decided to go to the iPhone 6, I needed to get a new backup/emergency battery case. EasyAcc offered the EasyACC MFi 3200mAh case for review just in time for my new purchase.
Note: Images can be clicked to view a larger size.
To be honest, other than a review Andy Chen did here earlier this year I had not heard of EasyAcc, but based on his review I was excited to review this iPhone 6 battery case. As you can see the packaging is minimalistic but it’s what’s inside that counts.
The EasyAcc MFi 3200mAh comes with the following:
- EasyAcc MFI 3200mAh iPhone 6 batter case
- Micro USB to USB cable
- Audio jack extender
- User manual
The audio jack extender is a nice addition, while the included EarPods from Apple will work without the extender, others may not.
The EasyAcc MFi 3200mAh has the following specifications:
- Battery type: lithium polymer
- Product Model: 10API6-B3
- Capacity: 3200mAh
- Input: 5V 1A
- Output: 5V 1A
- Dimensions: 6.1″ x 2.8″ x 0.6″
- Weight: 3.5 oz
As a note here, this case is not currently listed on the EasyAcc website so the information is from their listing on Amazon, their primary seller of this case.
The front of the EasyAcc MFi 3200mAh shows the case’s product information, the Lightning connector inside the front, along with two cutouts for sound.
The back of the MFi 3200mAh has a cutout for the phone’s camera and flash, the EasyAcc logo, a power button and four LED power indicator lights. The button and the lights allow you to see how much charge is left in the battery. The power button is used to turn the battery on and off as well as for checking the battery level of the case. The power indicator lights are used to tell how much juice is left in the battery, each light represents 25% of the batteries charge.
The bottom of the EasyAcc MFi 3200mAh has a charging port for the micro USB cable to plug into and an access hole for the headphone jack. As I mentioned above, the headphones that are included with the iPhone 6 can be used through the access hole, but it would probably be a lot quicker and easier to use the included audio jack extender.
The top of this cover has no distinguishing features.
The right side of the MFi 3200mAh has a silver button built-in to control the on/off switch on the iPhone 6.
The left side of the cover has a cutout for the mute switch on the iPhone, and silver volume up and down buttons.
Charging the case was just a matter of plugging in the supplied USB to micro USB cables in and letting it charge. A nice feature of the case is that it will allow you to charge your phone and the case at the same time. The power indicator lights will flash as they charge up and all of them will stay lit when the case is fully charged. To test the battery I let my phone run down to 17% and had the case fully charged to see how long it would take to recharge and how much of a charge I got. The results were as follows:
- 17% to 55% = 41 minutes
- 55% to 100% = 1hr 48 minutes
- 17% to 100% = 2hr 29 minutes
After charging the EasyAcc MFi 3200mAh, it was time to put the case on my iPhone. To put the phone in the case you simply remove the top cover and slide the iPhone 6 into the case until it seats all the way onto the Lightning connector. After the phone is seated you simply replace the top cover. If placing your phone in the case is simple, removing it can be a little challenging. That can be good for making sure your phone stays in the case, but bad if you want to remove it quickly. I have seen this issue noted in some reviews of the case, but I do not personally find it to be a big deal.
Knowing a lot of folks use headphones not only for listening to music, but also for talking on the phone, I thought I should show the audio jack extension plugged into the case with headphones attached.
So, what’s my bottom line here? From a travelers stand point, I like the EasyAcc MFi 3200mAh. It allows you to protect your investment with the added plus of a backup power source for your phone. The fit and finish on this case is well above average and the size and weight are acceptable for what it is. To be honest I don’t think I would use the EasyAcc MFi 3200mAh as an everyday phone case, but it will be with me when I travel where I think this case is best suited. The only complaint I would have, and it is a minor one, is the fact that you will need to charge the case with a USB to micro USB cable. It would be nice if you only had to carry one cable for your phone, in this case a Lightning cable. Currently on sale at amazon.com for $35.99, the EasyAcc MFi 3200mAh is definitely worth a look if you are in the market for this type of case.
Source: The sample for this review was provided by EasyAcc, additional information found at Amazon.
