Charge Stream Powerstation Wireless XL analysis

For many years I have ignored the market for external batteries, since either the battery of my iPhone itself has given enough or I have always been able to recharge it partially or totally at various times when I have had access to a plug. It wasn’t until I’ve had the iPhone 7 that I’ve come to suffer because I didn’t have enough charge for some of my most moved days at work.

And best of all, when you look at batteries to decide on one you realize that far there are those little batteries that gave you a little extra push: now there’s a huge market of high-powered batteries that can charge from phones to orde nadores. In fact some are so powerful that they are not even allowed in airports and planes.

And from all that battery network, today we’re going to take a look at the bet that Mophie’s offered us: the Charge Stream Powerstation Wireless XL. Behind this long name is a capable battery, with its advantages and disadvantages. Let’s see it in detail.

An induction charging base that you can take wherever you want

Let’s start with the features. The Charge Stream Powerstation Wireless XL measures 69 x 128 x 20 mm and weighs 235 grams, making it quite compact for its 10,000 mAh capacity. Its outer material is of a plastic of smooth texture, very pleasant to the touch. Because of the dimensions and weight, the feeling when taking the battery is robust.

On the Charge Stream Powerstation Wireless XL there is only one button on the side, accompanied by four small lights next to it. Pressing the button tells us how to charge the battery in the style of the old MacBook Pro. It is the button that also activates induction charging in case the battery has been inactive for a while.

For connectivity we have a USB-A port where we can connect devices and thus charge them, and a USB-C port that serves only to charge the battery itself. The USB-C to USB-A cable to charge it is included, but there is no power adapter in the box. We can use the same one we have for our iPhones or iPads.

What really stands out this Charge Stream Powerstation Wireless XL from the rest of the batteries is, without a doubt, that it can be at the same time a Qi charging base. That means that we can carry the charged battery in our bag or backpack without any cable: just place the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, X, XS or XR on top of the battery to start charging the device. More comfortable, impossible.

This Qi charging is done at 5W power, while charging via USB-A port can be done at a maximum of 10W. Which means wired charging will be faster than Qi charging, so if you need as fast a charge as possible you’ll need to pick up the USB to Lightning cable. And by the way: the Charge Stream Powerstation Wireless XL can charge two devices (one via Qi charging and one via THE USB-A port) without any problems. You can charge your iPhone and AirPods, Apple Watch, or Bluetooth headset.

10,000 mAh for your Appla device to last more than a day

Based on the tests we’ve done, and only through Qi charging, the Charge Stream Powerstation Wireless XL can charge an iPhone XS about twice with a little more residual charge. And if we charge it at the same time as connecting the battery to the power, it prioritizes the iPhone’s charging first over charging itself. Put another way: we can go out on a weekend from home just with the battery and not worry about charging the iPhone. That said: if we load more things then things can already be reduced.

The battery itself is charged in a few hours, but what is recommended here is to simply leave it charging at night so that the next morning you find it ready. If you do, remember that you can use the battery itself as a charging dock for your iPhone and one more accessory.

-The key factor of this battery is the convenience: having the induction charging base directly integrated is perfect for those who depend on additional loads frequently-

Things I would have liked to see in the Charge Stream Powerstation Wireless XL that are not: also take advantage of that USB-C port to offer charging through that connection, or that the Qi charge is 7.5W thus matching the chargers by induction of the big brands. So the battery would have been much more flexible, which would be especially welcome considering its price of 99.95 USD.

The key factor here is the comfort you want. You can get 10,000mAh batteries at much lower prices sacrificing the plus of having Qi charge, but I have to say that being able to take out the battery and not have to deal with cables to charge my phone is great.

You may only want an external battery for isolated cases, where you appreciate having it handy but not very often. In that case any alternative serves you even if you don’t want that Qi charge. But if you use your iPhone and certain accessories very intensively and you are one of those who complain that the phone only lasts a few hours, the convenience offered by this Charge Stream Powerstation Wireless XL is something to consider.