Gizmodo: battery extender

Richard Solo 1800 Charges Your iPhone, Entertains Your Cats

Sean Fallon — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:40:00 EST

Richard|Solo has unveiled a backup battery for the iPhone that has some features its competitors don't—a built-in LED flashlight and a laser pointer. All gimmicks aside, the 1800mAh capacity is good—but I just don't see the value in buying one of these awkward extenders for $70 when you can pick up a more practical case version like the Fastmac iV for only $10 more. [Richard|Solo via TUAW]

Mophie Juice Pack for iPhone 3G Lightning Review: It Doubles the Power

Sean Fallon — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 14:45:00 EDT

The Gadget: The Mophie Juice Pack battery extender for the iPhone 3G snugly wraps around your phone and claims to more than double the available power.

The Price: $100

The Verdict: The $100 price tag isn't cheap, but the Mophie Juice Pack for the iPhone 3G is worth every penny if you are a power user. Mophie claims that you can double the available power of your 3G with their Juice Pack, and I have to say that these claims are pretty spot on. I assaulted my phone with a barrage of web surfing, media streaming and app usage during the day (with brightness settings at 50%), but when all was said and done I had only just begun to tap into the power stored in the iPhone itself. In other words, under normal usage I would be charging every two or two and a half days as opposed to every single day.

The Juice Pack definitely adds a bit of bulk to the phone (2.5 x 4.75 x .75 inches), but I gladly made the trade-off for the power boost. Besides, the added size isn't much more than you would expect from most standard cases. The time it takes to charge your iPhone with the pack is decent at a little over 2 hours (you should get around two rounds of charges with a full pack). It also has pass-through USB for syncing and charging which is a major plus.

This is Mophie's second go around with their Juice Pack (a version is also available for the original iPhone), but with the power demands of the 3G version, a product like this has never been more useful. Plus, the fact that it doesn't dangle off the end of the phone like other chargers makes it suitable for daily use. Again, $100 is a steep price to pay for an iPhone case no matter how you look at it, but if you are willing to drop the cash during these uncertain financial times, the Juice Pack will ship to customers starting this month. [Mophie]

Mophie iPhone 3G Battery Extender Available For Preorder, Shipping This Month

John Herrman — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 07:59:32 EDT

Mophie's wraparound battery extenders for the first iPhone provided some relief to incessant browsers and movie-watchers, and they're looking to adapt their "Juice Pack" to the even more anemic iPhone 3G. What does this pack offer that the others don't? A mini USB port for syncing and charging and Apple's coveted "Works With iPhone" certification, which Mophie assures us will come through soon (their 1st gen packs had it, so they're probably telling the truth). The extenders should ship by the 30th of October, pending Apple's final decision on the certification, but are available for preorder now at $100. Battery life claims are below. [Mophie]

# Standby Time – Up to 350 hours
# Talk Time – Up to 6 hours on 3G | Up to 12 hours on 2G
# Internet Use – Up to 6 hours on 3G | Up to 7 hours on Wi-Fi
# Audio Playback – Up to 28 hours
# Video Playback – Up to 8 hours

Sonnettech Volta: Watch iPod Movies for 16 Hours Straight

Charlie White — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 09:08:15 EDT

If that 3.5-hour playback time of the 30GB iPod or 6.5 hour playback of the 80GB model isn't going to be enough for you, here's the Sonnettech Volta Rechargeable Battery Pack, claiming "up to" (we're always wary of those two weasel words) 16 hours of video playback on a single 5.5 hour charge.

In addition to its extended video playback capabilities, a fully-charged Volta can actually charge your iPod three times if you can't get to a hot USB port or AC adapter. Even though it's yet another device to put into your bag of tricks, this one looks like it could keep you watching video until your eyes get crossed.

Beyond that, it can keep that iPod going for 80 hours of music listening. This is great for those of us who whine about the iPod not having enough battery longevity. If that's a priority, it might be worth shelling out $69.95. – Charlie White

Product Page [Sonnet Technologies, Inc.]