One of the biggest problems people have with the iPhone is the battery usage. Many complain that they have to charge their iPhone at least once a day, and sometimes more. I have always sided with Apple on this one though. The reason the first iPhone didn’t have GPS, 3G, and 3rd party apps is because they knew it would drain the battery faster than normal. Well people whined and cried enough that they gave in. Now what has happened. Those same people that cried before are crying now. But never fear battery solutions are here. There is the Mophie Juice Pack, Richard Solo’s backup battery and InCases Power Slider. But let’s eliminate the crap first. Richard Solo’s Backup battery is that crap. Thought into it is great. Design is what gets this the big stamp of crap! All the Richard Solo version is , is a dongle. That may not seem bad at first, but imagine having this dongle that extends your iPhone by about 2 inches and the only thing holding it there is the connector between the iPhone and Dongle. All it takes is that dongle bending and it snaps off inside the iPhone. Plus this is the same guy that started Sharper Image and they have been known to have some pretty shady products anyways.
Next up is the Mophie Juice Pack. Great idea again, Simple design, and not too bad looking either. This battery grips the entire iPhone and is not going to cause any problems when connected. You can also leave this hooked up all the time and not have to worry about it. It almost looks like part of the phone. It does add some bulk to the phone, But that is a small price to pay for extended battery usage.
Now for my favorite — the InCase Power Slider. Now I may be biased because I actually own this one. But in my opinion it is the best choice. It acts just as the Mophie Juice pack, however, this battery solution also acts as a protective case. When you hook this baby onto your iPhone you slide the top over it and you have a fully protected iPhone with an extended battery. I use mine all the time. Especially when I work since I pull 15-24 hour shifts at the hospital. Not to mention days that I sleep there so I don’t have to drive in the snow.
The Juice pack and Power slider will set you back $99 USD, but is well worth it. They come with everything you need, even the USB cable to charge them. You can keep the batteries on your iPhone while charging and it will also charge the iPhone. When the battery has been drained, your iPhone will automatically switch over to using its built-in battery.
Now if you want something cheaper that you probably won’t be happy with, then go with Richard Solo’s it is only $49.95. But I don’t want to hear you crying when it snaps off inside your iPhone and your apple care wont cover it, and Richard Solo laughs at you.
