Stylish battery extenders
My iPhone is clearly the gadget I use the most, so I don’t find it too strange that nearly every iPhone battery extender and charging case seems to gravitate my way.
My main complaint about the iPhone from the beginning has been the short battery life. I’m lucky to get 24 hours from a charge.
Instead of complaining loudly to Apple, I think most people (myself included) have simply bought one or more devices that store energy to recharge your iPhone when you need more power.
I’ve been reviewing four cases from SaFPWR, whose offices are in Lewisville.
X-type ($69.95)
This is a fairly bare-bones battery backpack for the iPhone that offers protection on the back and corners but leaves the phone’s sides and top exposed.
It’s got a great design, with a battery that connects to the iPhone dock connector and uses a plastic clip to hang onto the phone on the top corners. It sounds more complicated than it looks.
The case weighs 2.4 ounces, and its 1200mAh battery can provide an additional 4.5 hours of talk time or nine hours of video playback. The battery takes 3.5 hours to recharge and will last about 500 charge cycles.
The case charges through a mini USB jack and has status lights on the back that light up at the touch of a button.
There is no on/off switch on the SaFPWR cases. When you attach them to your phone the charging begins, and once the case is exhausted, the iPhone’s battery takes over.
Standard ($79.95)
It’s hard to believe how many options this case has. There are 27 color and texture choices available, in both horizontal and vertical orientations. The cases close with a small magnetic closure. They’re available with or without a belt clip.
Battery life is also 1200mAh, and the case weighs just under 3 ounces. The standard case is 0.78 inches thick.
For reference, the iPhone’s 3G/GS internal battery is rated at 1190mAh, so you’re doubling your iPhone’s battery life of Inspiron 640m battery ,Inspiron E1405 battery , XPS M140 .
I reviewed the vertical case. The phone slides into the battery and a flap comes up from the bottom and attaches at the top. To use the phone, there’s the matter of letting the flap hang down or trying to fold it up against the back of the case.
I like the protection the case offers, and it looks great, but I’m not sure this format is right for me.
XR ($99.95)
The XR is identical physically to the standard case except the VGP-BPS9/B has a capacity of 2000mAh, which will charge your iPhone’s battery almost two full times.
The increased capacity means the XR weighs more (4.2 ounces) and is thicker (1.02 inches). The XR is also available with a belt clip.
The SaFPWR people sent me the XR in a color they call bronze. It’s quite – how should I put this nicely? – bright. This might be a color that Phyllis Diller would be proud to display.
Because the iPhone’s camera is on the back, the cases have a hole slightly smaller than a dime for the lens to see through without cutting off any of the image.
Case for iPod Touch ($79.95)
This case looks just like the standard case and has the same capacity (1200mAh).
It comes in 15 colors and textures. The iPod Touch cases only come in a horizontal orientation. Because the iPod’s headphone jack is on the bottom, there’s a notch cut out of the bottom corner that looks a little awkward, but it’s nothing to complain about.
The iPod Touch case will add another 42 hours of music playback or seven additional hours of video playback.
Overall, I’m impressed with the build quality and look of these cases. All models come with a USB charging cable.
There are dozens of companies making iPod and iPhone battery extenders and cases, and SaFPWR really stands out as having great-looking and functional products.
The cases are available on the SaFPWR Web site, safpwr.com, or from local retailers. SaFPWR battery extenders, charging cases