Although wireless charging in mobile phones has been around for quite some time, it seems to have picked up a little steam as of late. Largely due to Apple’s MagSafe tech for its latest devices, consumers are more interested in wireless charging than ever.
Mophie, no stranger to the world of charging, is out with a new ecosystem of products centered around one common goal. In short, it aims to offer MagSafe-like experience to all handsets, regardless of whether it runs iOS or Android.
We’ve been provided a sample of some of the first accessories to hit the market and have come away quite impressed. Here’s a Test Drive review of the mophie snap ecosystem.
Test Drive posts are our way of sharing immediate impressions and early reactions to products, apps, and services. Not to be construed as a full review, these are first-blush looks at things we think you’d enjoy.
Here’s a quick official description of the three accessories we’re reviewing.
- snap vent mount ($29.95) – The snap vent mount keeps smartphones at the perfect viewing angle while driving and holds it in portrait or landscape mode. The strong magnets secure your phone in place, making it easy to use for GPS navigation or hands‑free calling.
- snap+ wireless vent mount ($49.95) – The snap+ wireless charging vent mount delivers up to 15W of power to your phone while holding it at the perfect viewing angle. The strong magnets secure your phone in place and make it easy to use for GPS navigation or hands‑free calling. The snap+ wireless charger is removable for added versatility, and the snap+ wireless vent mount includes a 20W USB-C car adapter.
- snap+ juice pack mini ($49.95) – The snap+ juice pack mini contains a 5,000mAh internal battery and demonstrates mophie’s deep commitment to the performance and convenience of mobile power. Use the USB-C input/output port to quickly recharge the snap+ juice pack mini or to charge another device at up to 12W. The magnetic array ensures accurate placement so charging begins on contact, and the integrated four-light LED power indicator displays charging status and current battery life.
Early Impressions
Here’s how things break down in a nutshell. The mophie snap products employ the use of a circular magnetic ring that adheres to the back of your phone. Once in place it can help your phone stick to a car mount, wireless charger, or other accessory in the line.
If your phone has wireless charging capabilities and you’ve yet to purchase a car mount, you’d be wise to consider something in the mophie snap lineup. Not only will it make travel more convenient, it also opens the door to extra flexibility in other areas, too.
Sticking the snap plate onto your phone is about as easy as it gets, provided you know where your charging coils are located on the phone. There is a simple tool included with the snap adapters to help ensure you line things up properly.
Our advice is to clean the back of your phone properly and, if possible, avoid any cases with too much texture. There is an adhesive at play so the more of a tight seal or bite, the better. After you’ve got your snap adapter in place, you’re good to go.
We found the mophie snap products connect to each other easily and with a bit of “oomph”. There’s no questioning of whether things are connected; however, it doesn’t require all that much to pull them apart.
It’s important that point out that the snap adapters are nice to have even if you don’t want or need the wireless charging. Take the vent mount, for instance. This one doesn’t have any charging capabilities, but it makes it so you can place your phone in an easy-to-reach spot. If you rely on Google Maps, Waze, or Android Auto for anything, it’s nice to have a convenient place to glance at every so often.
On the other hand, if you do plan to utilize wireless charging as often as possible, check out the snap+ wireless vent mount. In short, it adds a powered wireless charger to the mount. This is a great option for those who like to top off the battery on the way home or to keep powered up on a road trip.
The snap+ juice pack mini is a portable charger for phones that calls to mind the other battery packs in the mophie lineup. The key difference here is that there are no extra ports for plugging in a device. Well, aside from the requisite USB-C port which can be used for both charging the battery or a phone.
Smaller than a deck of playing cards, it’s an extra 5,000mAh to keep in your pocket or purse. And similar to other mophie chargers, you get the soft fabric and minimalist design as well as four LED indicator lights. Indeed, you can see just how much battery is left in the reserve so you know when it’s time to charge it back up.
With other accessories due later this year, we like where mophie is headed. The snap adapters are a great way of adding MagSafe-like functionality to existing Apple devices as well as Qi-enabled handsets.
If you have a phone that supports wireless charging and have not purchased any accessories yet, the snap ecosystem is a no-brainer. Likewise, they’re convenient for standard devices, too.
Share a vehicle or desk with someone who utilizes the snap mounts? You can purchase two snap adapters for $20 and add them to other phones. This way everyone in the family can use the same car mount, even if they’re not charging off of it. All of the snap products come with a snap adapter.
One of the best parts about buying mophie products is that it backs them with a two-year warranty.
Where to Buy
You can learn more about the various mophie snap accessories at the manufacturer’s website where’s they are also available to purchase. Additionally, select products are offered at places like Best Buy and Amazon.
Look for more mophie snap products to arrive later in the year.
