Mophie launches limited Chinese New Year edition PowerStation XL

By Christian de Looper January 3, 2017

Charging case

Mophie is gaining a strong reputation for its smartphone accessories, including its phone holders, and perhaps more importantly its external batteries. While those accessories have largely had pretty sleek and stylish designs, they’ve also been somewhat bland. But not anymore.

In celebration of Chinese New Year 2017, Mophie has partnered with popular Chinese street artist Hua Tunan to create a limited edition Powerstation XL which is available from the Mophie website, or from Apple Stores throughout mainland China and Hong Kong.

Recommended Videos

Of course, nothing else is really all that different about the limited edition Powerstation XL compared to the standard one. The external battery still packs a hefty 12,000mAh, and what Mophie calls “premium materials.” Not only that, but the device uses a built-in switch-tip cable to offer compatibility with both the Lightning port and the microUSB port. And you’ll get a second USB port, so you can charge two devices at once.

As Mophie notes, this isn’t the first time that Hua Tunan has partnered with a company to offer an interestingly designed product. In fact, he has worked with huge brands like Louis Vuitton, Adidas, Disney, and even Jaguar.

And Mophie’s accessories seem to be getting increasingly innovative. Just last month the company launched an iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus battery case with a hefty 2,525mAh battery — a battery that can recharge wirelessly with a charging pad. Sure, none of that tech is really groundbreaking, but the fact that it’s so sleek makes it an excellent option for iPhone users looking to get wireless charging while getting a little extra juice for their device.

It’s looking more and more like 2017 will be a good year for Mophie, and it will be interesting to see what the company comes up with.

You can get the limited edition PowerStation XL from Mophie’s website for $100.

Topics

Christian de Looper

Contributor

Christian’s interest in technology began as a child in Australia, when he stumbled upon a computer at a garage sale that he…

Mobile

I record interviews for work. These are my favorite free recorder apps

The iPhone 14 Pro and Google Pixel 7 Pro's voice recording apps running together.

The Voice Recorder app on a phone (left) and the Voice Memos on another phone Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Before you head to the app store on your phone to buy a voice-recording app, take a moment to consider the apps that may already be installed on your phone. Why? In my experience, they're likely all you really need. I’ve recorded interviews and voice-overs for work for years, and I’ve found the two best examples come preinstalled on your phone already, so they’re entirely free to use.

Mobile

The best Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 cases: 10 best ones so far

Two Galaxy Z Fold 5 phones next to each other -- one is open and one is closed.

Samsung’s next-generation foldable is here with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5. This iteration has some notable improvements, including a new hinge design that eliminates the gap from previous generations when the device was folded. You also get a 6.2-inch HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display on the outside while having a 6.7-inch QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display on the inside, with both screens having a 120Hz refresh rate. In other words, they're about as nice as you could ask for.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is made with premium materials, and the triple-lens camera system packs in a 50MP main shooter, 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and a 12MP ultrawide lens. There’s a 10MP selfie camera on the front cover, and a 4MP camera on the inner display. You also get a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip inside for the best performance and power efficiency.

Mobile

Google Pixel Tablet just got its first big discount and it’s worth a look

Google Pixel Tablet on its charging dock.

Tablets are a dime-a-dozen these days, with offerings from all the great brands including Apple, Samsung, Lenovo, and more. So, if you really want to stand out in a sea of similar tech, you need to do things a little differently. That's what Google's Pixel Tablet offers. How? It comes with a unique speaker dock that can be used to both charge the device and offer room-filling sound -- almost like a smart speaker add-on. Better yet, when your Pixel Tablet is docked it benefits from the Hub Mode, turning the device into a smart display, with digital photo frame support, smart home controls, and hands-free Google functionality. Of course, it could set you back at full price, normally $499 unless you find it included in a roundup of the best Google Pixel deals. Well, guess what? Thanks to a Best Buy Google Pixel Tablet deal, you can get it today for $439 and save $60. Hurry, though, it's part of Best Buy's recent 48-hour sale so it won't stick around for long.

Why you should buy the Google Pixel Tablet
Okay, okay, so in our Google Pixel Tablet review, Joe Maring did give it less than stellar remarks, but he called out its reliable fingerprint sensor, comfortability during use and excellent speaker dock. Honestly, how many tablets come with a matching speaker dock that transforms the entire experience? This tablet also marks a "lot of firsts" for Google, as it's the first tablet from the company in nearly five years, the first Android tablet in eight years, and can be converted into a smart home display with the speaker dock. All of which are notable milestones.