iPhone Buzz first covered the Juice Pack for the iPhone way back in early December, and we have been waiting patiently for its arrival. Nearly six months later, I'm thrilled to report that it is finally here. Was the wait worth it? Heck yes! The package arrived directly from mophie earlier today, so I haven't had adequate time to thoroughly put the Juice Pack through a rigorous test yet. Fear not, I'm traveling the next few days so I'll have plenty of time to test it out. You can expect a full review Monday morning.

The Juice Pack weighs 3 ounces and measures 2.5 x 4.75 x .75 inches. Mophie claim additional standby time of up to 250 hours, 24 hours of audio playback, 8 hours of additional yak time, 7 hours of video playback or 6 hours of Internet usage. Keep in mind that your results will vary based on numerous factors, such as signal strength.

I like the four light LED battery status indicator located on the back of the Juice Pack. It works exactly like the battery indicator on your Macbook Pro; simply press the test button and it lets you know how much power is available. The LED lights also indicate the charging status and the charging progress. Mophie advertised that the Juice Pack arrives fully pre-charged, but my review unit arrived only 75% full. It's not a big deal, but it seems odd for mophie to make this claim.

I love the design and would probably love it a whole lot more if it weren't so thick. At first glance it's easy to mistake it for a case. The rubber inserts and the soft touch finish inside and out set the unit apart from any case on the market today. It's extremely comfortable to hold and operate the iPhone. There are two openings directly below the speakers, along with cut outs for the camera on the back and full access to the buttons on the left hand side of the iPhone.

The Juice Pack charges using the iPhone Adaptor or any iPod connector whether the iPhone is in or out. When you charge your iPhone while connected to the Juice Pack the charge will pass-through the Juice Pack to the iPhone. That works fine, but unfortunately, my review unit caused my iPhone to beep intermittently. As you guys know, I take my iPhone to bed with me. Earlier tonight, my wife nearly kicked me out of bed, so unfortunately I had to separate charge the Juice Pack separately. I'll check in with mophie later today to see whether this is a known issue and update the article with what I find.

The Juice Pack utilizes a rechargeable lithium-polymer battery cell. There's a built-in circuit to prevent the Juice Pack from shorting, over-charging or misbehaving under extreme weather conditions. Mophie claims that the battery cell is highly condensed and is able to store and deliver more energy than rivals of a similar size, hence their claim that it can as much as double the iPhone's internal battery.

From my point of view, the Juice Pack is a must have accessory for globetrotters. Putting things into perspective, I can watch three movies on a direct flight from San Francisco to New York via the Juice Pack before tapping into the iPhone's battery. The best thing about the Juice Pack is that it's always there, ready and waiting for that critical moment when your iPhone runs out of juice and there's not a single power outlet in sight. I've traveled enough to know that it's better to have the Juice Pack and not need it, than to need it and not have it

I'll be updating this first-look article with hands-on feedback from living and traveling with the mophie Juice Pack over the weekend

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