Hands-on: Mugen Power Extended Battery case for the Moto X, an extra 2,800 mAh and a microSD card slot

I enjoy using my Moto X, but unlike a few of my friends I am not at all impressed with the battery life. Using devices like the Galaxy S5 and One (M8) have actually spoiled me in regards to excellent battery life and my Moto X has primarily been in the drawer.

Mugen Power just launched their new Mugen Power Extended Battery case for the Moto X for $89.50. This case not only provides more than double the battery capacity (2,800 mAh), the Moto X has a 2,200 mAh battery, it also adds a microSD expansion card slot.

The top of the case slides up and off and then you simply slide your Moto X in place. The top stays on securely and I never once felt like my Moto X was going to slip out of the case.

The case charges up via standard microUSB on the lower left side of the case with a small indicator light next to the port. Along the back you will find a button and four indicator lights that glow to the charge level available in the battery.

There are openings on the center upper back for the camera and flash with a small slit for the rear speaker. I did not notice any impact on the camera performance since the openings are rather large. I did notice the speaker seems a bit louder and it already is one of the loudest rear speakers available today.

There are openings on the right side for the power and volume buttons that do make you have to be a bit more aware of pushing them in. There is a 3.5mm headset jack opening on the top and a hole for a mic.

The microSD expansion card slot is on the bottom with a door to cover the slot. I don't have long fingernails so it took a bit of effort to get my card in and out. Android has made some changes to how expansion cards are handled, but Mugen provides some great instructions and I was able to have my card appear and use it for storage for the camera and many apps.

There is a switch on the bottom next to the microSD card compartment for you to choose to charge the Moto X, use the microSD card, or turn the case off. You cannot charge up the device and use the microSD card at the same time, which then requires you to think a bit more about battery management than I was hoping for.

The entire Mugen Power case is covered with black soft touch material. While I appreciate a solution to solve my limited battery life issues, one of the only reasons I carry the Moto X today is because of its super slim and pocketable form factor. That is completely killed with the use of this battery pack that quickly brought back memories of the old expansion packs I carried with my iPaq devices. It is thick and bulky, although there are curves to fit well in your hand.

The Mugen Power Extended Battery case is a nice solution for those working out in the field who need their Moto X to function all day long and it adds some expansion capability to those who need to carry more. The bulk and inability to both charge the device and use the microSD card disappoint me and this is one accessory I will not be purchasing for my Moto X.