/
Navigation
Chronicles
Browse all articles
Explore
Semantic exploration
Research
Entity momentum
Nexus
Correlations & relationships
Story Arc
Topic evolution
Drift Map
Semantic trajectory animation
Posts
Analysis & commentary
Pulse API
Tech news intelligence API
Browse
Entities
Companies, people, products, technologies
Domains
Browse by publication source
Handles
Browse by social media handle
Detection
Concept Search
Semantic similarity search
High Impact Stories
Top coverage by position
Sentiment Analysis
Positive/negative coverage
Anomaly Detection
Unusual coverage patterns
Analysis
Rivalry Report
Compare two entities head-to-head
Semantic Pivots
Narrative discontinuities
Crisis Response
Event recovery patterns
Connected
Search: /
Command: ⌘K
Embeddings: large
TEXXR

Chronicles

The story behind the story

days · browse · Enter similar · o open

Mophie juice pack for iPhone 6/6 Plus now available for pre-order; prices start at $99.95

Mophie Juice Pack battery cases for iPhone 6/6 Plus now available for pre-order  —  Mobile battery case maker Mophie announced today three new versions of its popular Juice Pack charging case designed specifically …

9to5Mac Zac Hall

Context & Ripple Effects

By early 2015 Mophie had already built a franchise on iPhone battery cases — it had even run a recall of earlier external battery packs over overheating concerns — so this pre-order window is the company re-establishing its flagship Juice Pack line against Apple's newest, larger iPhones. The months that follow show how aggressively it leaned into the category: the Space Pack adding up to 128GB of storage and the $130 H2PRO waterproof case both arrived within weeks of these pre-orders shipping.

First-order effects

  • iPhone 6 and 6 Plus buyers gain a third-party charging case option at $99.95, priced to undercut nothing but arriving before Apple offers any first-party alternative.

Second-order effects

  • Apple answers directly eleven months later with its own $99 Smart Battery Case for iPhone 6/6S — matching Mophie's entry price point and pulling the most lucrative slice of the category in-house.

Third-order effects

  • With Apple competing at identical price points, standalone battery-case specialists lose pricing power — a squeeze that helps explain why Zagg paid $100M for Mophie just a year after these pre-orders opened, consolidating the category rather than fighting it.

The trend: Third-party iPhone battery accessories flourished only until Apple entered the category itself, pushing specialists toward acquisition and consolidation.