PopSockets has a proposition: what if you could change the grip on your phone (which may or may not hold lipstick or a multi tool) and stick to a battery bank with a built-in cable whenever you need to charge your phone and keep it secure? That seems to be the idea behind his new PopGrip handlea 2,200mAh battery (we’ll talk about that number in a bit) that mounts to the standard PopSocket mount and charges your phone with a pop-up USB-C or Lightning cable (via gizmodo).
It’s a smart idea, no doubt, but I have some… concerns. Standard PopSockets are convenient to use because they appear to be the right size and shape. However, as you may have already guessed, the JumpStart is a bit larger, given that it’s a full bank of batteries and a cable instead of a plastic circle. To put it bluntly, it looks pretty awkward to hold.
Fortunately, it’s designed to be interchangeable: you can attach it to and detach it from your phone by twisting it on a PopMount 2. If you have a Grip with an interchangeable top that sticks to your phone with adhesive or one of the PopSockets slide-on bands, you should be able to twist the JumpStart when your phone is running low on power. To charge the JumpStart’s battery, you use the USB-C port on the bottom (and if you plug it into your phone, you can pass through charging, which is nice to see).
Unfortunately for MagSafe fans (warning: link contains karate), PopSockets says that JumpStart is not compatible with the MagSafe Grip Base. It is also not compatible with Otterbox’s Symmetry or Defender cases with built-in PopSockets. Returning to MagSafe, however, the question arises as to why this accessory doesn’t just use Qi charging; it would certainly be more convenient for PopSockets if it didn’t have to make USB-C and Lightning versions.
The likely culprit is distance: between the phone mount and the case PopSockets wants you to install (the site says “Gel doesn’t stick ‘as well’ with bare iPhones”), it seems like it would be hard to guarantee charging wireless would be efficient or even possible. The company put a PopSocket sized hole in a wireless charger to allow your customers to access wireless charging, which seems impractical for a mobile accessory. Still, it’s a shame MagSafe can support a PopSocket or a wireless charging packbut not both combined.
Speaking of the MagSafe charging pack, there is an important note about battery capacity when it comes to JumpStart, as we mentioned in our Apple snap battery review (which is similar to JumpStart in some ways, but isn’t very compatible with PopSocket), the number of milliamp hours alone doesn’t tell the whole story. PopSockets estimates that it will boost your phone by 50 percent, though that seems to depend on which phone model you have.
I have to give it to PopSockets for making this product though; I can see people dedicated to living the PopSockets lifestyle taking advantage of this. I just pray that their fingers don’t cramp while charging their phones.