Product Name: Mophie Charge Stream Powerstation Qi Wireless 6040mAh Power Bank & USB-C
Model: 401101514
Condition: New
Input: USB-C
Output: Qi Wireless & USB-A
Dimensions: 4.29" x 1.45" x 7.91"
Weight: .62 lbs
Portable batteries with wireless and USB charging output
Made for Qi-enabled smartphones, tablets, and other USB devices
The integrated four-light LED power indicator displays charging status and the current battery life
These reliable 6,040mAh batteries can extend the life of your smartphone for up to 48 hours, a small tablet for 24 hours, and a large tablet for 17 hours
Place your Qi-enabled device on the powerstation wireless portable battery and push the button to begin charging wirelessly
The powerstation wireless portable battery can charge through lightweight cases up to 3mm thick
Charge two devices at once using wireless charging and the high-output USB-A port
Use the dedicated USB-C input port to recharge the powerstation wireless portable battery up to 67% faster than micro USB input ports
What’s in the Box?
2x Mophie Charge Stream Powerstation Qi Wireless 6040mAh Power Banks
@CatsAreGods@Stallion Bingo. It’s way easier to pocket one of the recently-available Mophie slim power banks than any 10-20 Ah brick. If you need that capacity, then sure, you’ll have to toss it in a backpack or something, but if 3-6 Ah will work for keeping your phone topped off during the day then these are extremely convenient!
@caffeine_dude I was thinking the same thing. A few months ago there was a similar powerbank that could charge itself wirelessly (i.e., you drop it onto a wireless charger and it will charge itself, albeit slowly.) But that one couldn’t charge your device wirelessly.
This one appears to be the opposite. It will charge your device wirelessly but can’t charge itself that way. On the other hand, charging via the USB-C input from a good source will definitely let it charge up more quickly. But ideally wireless in/out would be ideal. it could then “sandwich” below your device on a wireless charger. I just realize that maybe this isn’t technically feasible since they both use electromagnetic fields; it might not be possible to have a device do both at the same time. So maybe there is some logic behind these being this way.
@caffeine_dude@pmarin My sons phone can do both at the same time (although reality is you will discharge faster than you charge due to the laws of physics or some such)
When the charge stream powerstation wireless portable battery is plugged into a power source (like a wall socket), it will send power to any device that it’s wirelessly charging first (like your phone) before recharging itself. (Requires a 5V / 2.1.A wall charger.)
@chienfou@yeppers can confirm, used my lightning cable version of this pack plugged into a charger overnight on a recent camping trip and it worked just fine to charge both phone and pack.
Looks like the “high-current” USB A output is 2A, rather than the usual “1A which is higher current than an amount of current which is less than 1A” version of “high-current” most power banks offer.
@mwarren I don’t know where that gif is from, but I’ve seen giant piles of plastic when I was deployed to Africa.
It was common for people to throw their trash in the gutter/ditch on the side of the road. Anything that was paper/cardboard was picked out to use as fuel for cooking/heat by the less fortunate. The plastic was left in the ditch because they knew it wouldn’t work for what they needed.
Eventually the piles of plastic got too big, or a rare rain storm would carry it all to a choke point in the ditch. Instead of picking it up, the locals would just light it on fire. (Sometimes on purpose, sometimes an errant cigarette butt). You could see black plumes of smoke all over the horizon as the sun set.
These people didn’t really have environmentalism in mind. They just needed to get rid of the trash.
@ellett True, but I’d rather have that USB-C port there for recharging this device than, say, microUSB or worse, a proprietary connector. You can still recharge your Type-C phone or whatever via the included USB-A-to-C cable plugged into this thing’s Type-A port.
@Atomizer@ellett Now I’m hearing that usb-c connectors are even more fragile than micro-b. I have micro-b now and it is flaky as hell and I’d been looking forward to getting a usb-c phone with power delivery, but now it sounds even worse. Wireless seems like the way to go. Bah. Anyway no wireless powerbanks for me until I get a phone that can use it. These things are somewhat heavier than non-wireless of same capacity, and maybe the size is a bit awkward. Either you want a tiny carry-everywhere one that can keep you going in a pinch, or a big not-so-portable one that you can use around the house or office. Middle size = disadvantages of both.
@ellett@troy USB-C to USB-C is clearly what will be happening in the future more and more. I already do it that way for some of my chargers/devices, and it’s clearly the best choice. In recent years almost all the new chargers (home and car 12V) have had at least one USB-C charge port.
But, yes, due to almost everyone still having lots of “legacy” micro-USB everywhere, you’re right that at the moment, people still use the inferior USB-A to USB-C method. Very possibly that’s why these were sent to the “clearance” bin, i.e. sold on Meh!
@ellett@pmarin@troy USB-A is a far more solid and reliable connector than -C from what I can tell. But C is needed for USB PD fast charging, so there is that.
@Atomizer@ellett@phr I have found USB-C to be far more reliable than micro USB. I’ve had my phone 2 years and I’ve had no issues with the charging port. The cables seem to be better too.
@Fuzzalini Hmm that’s good to hear. Is wireless as great as it sounds? I’ve had so many bad experiences with charging cables that wireless charging sounds like a dream by comparison. But the phones that I otherwise like the most (e.g. Pixel 4A) don’t have it so I don’t know whether to hold out for it.
@phr Can’t help you there. Here’s my concern about wireless charging. When my phone is dead and I still want to use it, I still have to plug it in. Maybe it would make me use my phone less, but I constantly use my phone while it’s also charging.
@Fuzzalini wait what, you mean using a wireless charger requires your phone to have enough power to get its wireless charging circuitry going, so you can’t do it if the phone is dead? Or do you mean that it’s practical to talk on your phone while it has a charging cord plugged in, and less so while it’s sitting on top of a wireless pad?
If the latter, yeah, I understand, though maybe you could hold the wireless Mophie pack and the phone at the same time. If the Mophie pack had a clip to attach it to the phone that would make it easier, or there could be a phone pouch that held both the phone and the pack.
@phr No, I mean I play a couple of games that drain my battery like crazy, and I also do most of my internet surfing on my phone. I have fast charging, but I still use my phone while it’s plugged in a great deal.
If I had wireless charging on my phone, I still think I’d be plugging it in quite a bit.
Simply place your Qi-enabled smartphone on top of the powerstation wireless and push the button to wirelessly deliver up to 5W of power to your device.
Mophie for sale on Meh is “the Libratone of powerbanks.” They keep coming back in different forms and apparently there is a warehouse still full of 'em. Or else they keep multiplying.
@richrauch I believe that’s actually the intended use of this so it should be fine. As someone noted earlier, this one is a bit thicker and heavier due to including the wireless charge system, so therefore it’s a bit less easy to carry around.
I already have a whole herd of Mophies I’ve bought from this site, but not this one. I did consider getting it as a wireless charge “base.” One nice thing is that it’ll always have a ready charge, and for example, in case of power outage, this will keep you going for quite a while. So think of it like a “UPS for your phone.”
I am surprised that it has USB-C that is input-only (according to an earlier post.) I’m not sure that’s true but it seems like a big limitation if that’s true. I have another Mophie I got here recently, and it has USB-C in/out (it says so on the box.) But no wireless…
@richrauch@pmarin For that approach I’d want to use a much bigger power bank, like 20ah or 30ah, since it doesn’t have to be pocketable (a 30ah one would weigh about a pound). You’d then be able to run your phone a long time, or charge quite a few phones, in the event of a power outage. It would also be good to have 10W instead of 5W of wireless charging power.
Wireless charging is a lot less efficient than wired. Wired is something like 85% of the power gets to the phone, and wireless is 75% when setup optimally. Add in a phone case and unless you align the thing perfectly this is more like a 4,000 mAh battery.
@mthlmw makes sense, but in exchange it’s less wear and tear on the connection port, especially when picking up the phone and forgetting it’s plugged in, and it gets yanked out of your hand, falls the the floor, and shatters the screen.
Yeah. It’s an efficiency loss that is made up elsewhere.
Got mine yesterday (OK technically today at 1am when I got home from work).
Brought one with me to work this afternoon and my phone is sitting on it as I type. It charged to 100% wirelessly with no issue, and now the powerbank itself is charging. REALLY like the fact it does pass thru charging of the phone first, then kicks into charging the brick once the phone is full.
@chienfou Got mine as well. I’m hoping to use mine when on vacation or at nerd conventions, to use as a charger in the hotel room and as a power bank when out 'n about. Best of both worlds, dual-duty
@Bandrik
Yep, my thought entirely. I usually use a Qi pad and have several (including these) around the house and at work. I figure I will sub this out for one of them so I will always have a ‘grab-n-go’ bank charged and ready. The other will be in my travel stuff for our next trip away from home. Plus mophie is a pretty reputable supplier.
Specs
What’s in the Box?
Price Comparison
$30.12 at Amazon for 2
Warranty
2-Year Mophie
Estimated Delivery
Friday, Sep 17 - Tuesday, Sep 21
Meh. Capacity is kind of low compared to what you can buy these days.
@Stallion which makes them easier to carry!
@CatsAreGods @Stallion Bingo. It’s way easier to pocket one of the recently-available Mophie slim power banks than any 10-20 Ah brick. If you need that capacity, then sure, you’ll have to toss it in a backpack or something, but if 3-6 Ah will work for keeping your phone topped off during the day then these are extremely convenient!
We’re free. Finally free
@DasJohnson Freedom is just a psychological construct… Unless you’re talking about free two day shipping with Prime?
@DasJohnson Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.
@DasJohnson @heartny Like Kris wrote it & Janis sang it!
And come to think of it, back in the day, the Dead used to do a pretty decent rendition too
Can they charge wirelessly?
@caffeine_dude I was thinking the same thing. A few months ago there was a similar powerbank that could charge itself wirelessly (i.e., you drop it onto a wireless charger and it will charge itself, albeit slowly.) But that one couldn’t charge your device wirelessly.
This one appears to be the opposite. It will charge your device wirelessly but can’t charge itself that way. On the other hand, charging via the USB-C input from a good source will definitely let it charge up more quickly. But ideally wireless in/out would be ideal. it could then “sandwich” below your device on a wireless charger. I just realize that maybe this isn’t technically feasible since they both use electromagnetic fields; it might not be possible to have a device do both at the same time. So maybe there is some logic behind these being this way.
@caffeine_dude @pmarin My sons phone can do both at the same time (although reality is you will discharge faster than you charge due to the laws of physics or some such)
What is the status on pass thru charging? Can you use it as a Qi brick while it is plugged up and getting a charge?
@chienfou According to https://www.zagg.com/en_us/powerstation-wireless, yes:
@chienfou @yeppers can confirm, used my lightning cable version of this pack plugged into a charger overnight on a recent camping trip and it worked just fine to charge both phone and pack.
@djslack @yeppers
Cool Thanks for that info
Looks like the “high-current” USB A output is 2A, rather than the usual “1A which is higher current than an amount of current which is less than 1A” version of “high-current” most power banks offer.
@yeppers I think I had a stroke reading this
@TheOneAlex, I need an aspirin now.
When these are flooding landfills, K- cups will be a distant memory of hysteria.
/giphy powerbank-landfills
Where were those pictures taken and why aren’t they burning all of that waste plastic to fuel cement kilns and/or electrical power?
@mwarren I don’t know where that gif is from, but I’ve seen giant piles of plastic when I was deployed to Africa.
It was common for people to throw their trash in the gutter/ditch on the side of the road. Anything that was paper/cardboard was picked out to use as fuel for cooking/heat by the less fortunate. The plastic was left in the ditch because they knew it wouldn’t work for what they needed.
Eventually the piles of plastic got too big, or a rare rain storm would carry it all to a choke point in the ditch. Instead of picking it up, the locals would just light it on fire. (Sometimes on purpose, sometimes an errant cigarette butt). You could see black plumes of smoke all over the horizon as the sun set.
These people didn’t really have environmentalism in mind. They just needed to get rid of the trash.
The reason these are so cheap is that they cannot charge USB-C devices. The USB-C port is input only. Bad engineering! Meh!
@ellett True, but I’d rather have that USB-C port there for recharging this device than, say, microUSB or worse, a proprietary connector. You can still recharge your Type-C phone or whatever via the included USB-A-to-C cable plugged into this thing’s Type-A port.
@Atomizer @ellett Now I’m hearing that usb-c connectors are even more fragile than micro-b. I have micro-b now and it is flaky as hell and I’d been looking forward to getting a usb-c phone with power delivery, but now it sounds even worse. Wireless seems like the way to go. Bah. Anyway no wireless powerbanks for me until I get a phone that can use it. These things are somewhat heavier than non-wireless of same capacity, and maybe the size is a bit awkward. Either you want a tiny carry-everywhere one that can keep you going in a pinch, or a big not-so-portable one that you can use around the house or office. Middle size = disadvantages of both.
@ellett not really. Most people don’t recharge devices using USB-C to USB-C cables. You can use a USB-A to USB-C cable (way more common) just fine
@ellett @troy USB-C to USB-C is clearly what will be happening in the future more and more. I already do it that way for some of my chargers/devices, and it’s clearly the best choice. In recent years almost all the new chargers (home and car 12V) have had at least one USB-C charge port.
But, yes, due to almost everyone still having lots of “legacy” micro-USB everywhere, you’re right that at the moment, people still use the inferior USB-A to USB-C method. Very possibly that’s why these were sent to the “clearance” bin, i.e. sold on Meh!
@ellett @pmarin @troy USB-A is a far more solid and reliable connector than -C from what I can tell. But C is needed for USB PD fast charging, so there is that.
@Atomizer @ellett @phr I have found USB-C to be far more reliable than micro USB. I’ve had my phone 2 years and I’ve had no issues with the charging port. The cables seem to be better too.
@ellett Thanks for the heads up! Will pass on this one. If it’s only input, should it even be called a “port”?
@Fuzzalini Hmm that’s good to hear. Is wireless as great as it sounds? I’ve had so many bad experiences with charging cables that wireless charging sounds like a dream by comparison. But the phones that I otherwise like the most (e.g. Pixel 4A) don’t have it so I don’t know whether to hold out for it.
@phr Can’t help you there. Here’s my concern about wireless charging. When my phone is dead and I still want to use it, I still have to plug it in. Maybe it would make me use my phone less, but I constantly use my phone while it’s also charging.
@Fuzzalini wait what, you mean using a wireless charger requires your phone to have enough power to get its wireless charging circuitry going, so you can’t do it if the phone is dead? Or do you mean that it’s practical to talk on your phone while it has a charging cord plugged in, and less so while it’s sitting on top of a wireless pad?
If the latter, yeah, I understand, though maybe you could hold the wireless Mophie pack and the phone at the same time. If the Mophie pack had a clip to attach it to the phone that would make it easier, or there could be a phone pouch that held both the phone and the pack.
@phr No, I mean I play a couple of games that drain my battery like crazy, and I also do most of my internet surfing on my phone. I have fast charging, but I still use my phone while it’s plugged in a great deal.
If I had wireless charging on my phone, I still think I’d be plugging it in quite a bit.
I can’t seem to find the wattage for Qi charging - anyone? 5W? 7.5W? 10W? Thanks!
@Dierk Same link as above says
@yeppers In that case it’s an enthusiastic Meh—thanks! Anything below 7.5W is just maintenance, hardly charging.
I’m intrigued. I’ll take a set to try out.
/giphy illiterate-obscene-peace
/buy
@ddbelyea It worked! Your order number is: lofty-cute-barracuda
/image lofty cute barracuda
Mophie for sale on Meh is “the Libratone of powerbanks.” They keep coming back in different forms and apparently there is a warehouse still full of 'em. Or else they keep multiplying.
Can’t wait for the Steam Mop tomorrow
Could I leave this plugged into the wall 24x7, using it as my nightly phone charging station, without degrading its battery?
@richrauch I believe that’s actually the intended use of this so it should be fine. As someone noted earlier, this one is a bit thicker and heavier due to including the wireless charge system, so therefore it’s a bit less easy to carry around.
I already have a whole herd of Mophies I’ve bought from this site, but not this one. I did consider getting it as a wireless charge “base.” One nice thing is that it’ll always have a ready charge, and for example, in case of power outage, this will keep you going for quite a while. So think of it like a “UPS for your phone.”
I am surprised that it has USB-C that is input-only (according to an earlier post.) I’m not sure that’s true but it seems like a big limitation if that’s true. I have another Mophie I got here recently, and it has USB-C in/out (it says so on the box.) But no wireless…
@richrauch @pmarin For that approach I’d want to use a much bigger power bank, like 20ah or 30ah, since it doesn’t have to be pocketable (a 30ah one would weigh about a pound). You’d then be able to run your phone a long time, or charge quite a few phones, in the event of a power outage. It would also be good to have 10W instead of 5W of wireless charging power.
Wireless charging is a lot less efficient than wired. Wired is something like 85% of the power gets to the phone, and wireless is 75% when setup optimally. Add in a phone case and unless you align the thing perfectly this is more like a 4,000 mAh battery.
@mthlmw makes sense, but in exchange it’s less wear and tear on the connection port, especially when picking up the phone and forgetting it’s plugged in, and it gets yanked out of your hand, falls the the floor, and shatters the screen.
Yeah. It’s an efficiency loss that is made up elsewhere.
Fell for it.
/giphy teeming-unflappable-rooster
@Badmojoman I miss that movie. I have been looking for a copy but apparently they’re hard to come by
@thethiefprince Needs to be edited to say “Meh.”
@Fuzzalini I didn’t make it, but if I had the time I would have edited it.
Wireless charging is nice but I prefer the ones that have all the major cables built-in-- usb-C, micro-USB, lightning and its own charging cable
@daggar is that a squid in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?
Golly, a power bank. HOW UNUSUAL! HOW NOVEL!
Shipping is taking forever! When?
@geokahler Yeah I agree, this has been a rather slow delivery…
Got mine yesterday (OK technically today at 1am when I got home from work).
Brought one with me to work this afternoon and my phone is sitting on it as I type. It charged to 100% wirelessly with no issue, and now the powerbank itself is charging. REALLY like the fact it does pass thru charging of the phone first, then kicks into charging the brick once the phone is full.
@chienfou Got mine as well. I’m hoping to use mine when on vacation or at nerd conventions, to use as a charger in the hotel room and as a power bank when out 'n about. Best of both worlds, dual-duty
@Bandrik
Yep, my thought entirely. I usually use a Qi pad and have several (including these) around the house and at work. I figure I will sub this out for one of them so I will always have a ‘grab-n-go’ bank charged and ready. The other will be in my travel stuff for our next trip away from home. Plus mophie is a pretty reputable supplier.