- Compatibility: iPod nano 1G, 2G, 3G; iPod classic 4G, 5G, 5.5G, 6G; iPod touch; iPhone 1G, 3G, 4
- Power and charge your iPhone or iPod--extends playtime up to 30 hours of music or 6 hours of video (on iPod nano 3G) or 3 hours of talk (on iPhone)
- Includes retractable USB charging cable
- High-capacity rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery pack for increased energy efficiency
- Small enough to keep connected to your iPhone or iPod
If you have an Apple iPhone 3G, then you probably have the same three complaints that everyone else does:
1) No video camcorder
2) No flash
3) Battery life is poor
Well, the Kensington Mini Battery Extender helps address the third flaw. I also bought an Incase Power Slider because I was wondering how they compared. I had read reviews and heard from people that the Mophie Juice Pack had problems with the rubber case falling off, so I decided to skip that one, although I played around with it a bit before buying the Incase.
All these products perform their basic function admirably they charge your iPhone when you don't have access to an outlet. I can't actually compare which one recharges the most or for the longest, but it's pretty safe to say that they should take care of you through most typical situations (e.g. a transcontinental flight, a busy day on the phone, or a night out with friends after a long day at work). Unless you are Jack Bauer and have a magical cell phone that never runs down, chances are that any of these will keep you in power.
But the fit and finish of these products is the real differentiator (along with price). In reverse order, are my preferences:
3) Mophie Juice Pack: Adds a little bulk to the iPhone, but the rubber covering can cause problems in the long run. But I also didn't like the design it only partially covers the iPhone, leaving the top part exposed. Seemed awkward to me, combine that with the high price, and this wouldn't be my first (or second) choice.
2) Kensington Mini Battery Extender: The design is very awkward. Other owners had talked about keeping it attached while using the phone not only does the connection feel flimsy (making me fear that the dock connector would be damaged), but it also looks unattractive. I'd only use this in an emergency situation or if I wasn't planning on using the phone at the same time. The only reason I have it as my second choice is because the price is right for less than $35 (MSRP is $39), you can have the same power backup as with the Mophie or the Incase. If you are on a budget, then this is a great option. Another possible scenario is if you want to have more than one battery extender/charger you can get three of these for the same price as one of the others.
1) Incase Power Slider: By far, the Power Slider had the best design. The two-part design completely encases the iPhone, increasing the dimensions only slightly. It's a little wider, a little longer, a little thicker, and a little heavier. But it's a very natural look, and most people wouldn't even realize it's also a battery pack. It's pretty easy to put on and take off, and feels like a second skin in the end without impeding the camera. But it is harder to access buttons, so I don't plan on using this on a daily basis only when I travel.
SUMMARY: Like I said, any of these will do the basic job, but the Kensington will do it cheaper and the Incase will do it in style.
Buy Kensington Mini Battery Extender and Charger for iPod; iPhone 1G, 3G (Black) Now
Wanted to confirm that this works with Iphone 3g just fine. You can keep using your Iphone and listening to music etc while this is attached (it puts it into charging mode like plugging it into a wall outlet). Hoping to use this for my plane travel this week will report on battery life.
Also, wanted to say that this seems to charge fine with my Belkin Iphone charger (the set where you get wall and car charger with usb plug ins on both) it's really nice because the wall charger has two usb outlets so you can charge both the battery and Iphone at the same time without a laptop etc.
Read Best Reviews of Kensington Mini Battery Extender and Charger for iPod; iPhone 1G, 3G (Black) Here
I tested this charger on my iPhone(first iphone version when they just came out.)
I drained my iphone down to 10% warning and plugged in a fully-charger Kensington Battery. It took about 70 minutes until the charger's juice was gone and it powered my iPhone to about 50%. Surely enough, 3 hours later of constant texting, my iphone gave me the 10% business.
The Good:
Truly Portable. Dimensions are 2.5 x 2 x 0.5 inches. (I'm not sure why at the time of this review, it shows dimensions as 5.2 x 6 x 1.5 units. I pondered why this was the case, and it turns out that these dimentions are in centimeters.) Dimensions blend in well with your iPhone: it doesn't stick out, but just extends the lenght of your iphone by 2 inches.
Charge and use your phone at same time: No need to wait til the power transfers.
Stylish: Yes, I said "stylish." Every time I plug this in, the other iPhone users turn their heads and wonder what my little attachment does. The brightly-lit blue energy bar really stands out and lets you charge in style.
Tiny charging retractible USB cable: While its 4 inches in closed position, its retractible up to 2 feet at full lenght. Its fully compatible with iphone's usb plug adapter, so you can charge your battery on the plug OR using computer's USB slot.
The Bad:
For emergencies only. It would be nice if this portable charger had more juice capacity than 50% of the iPhone's battery. Because of this, I don't carry it as much and only take it with me for emergency purposes. Its a good thing to keep in your car's glove compartment or at home for those blackouts.
Bottom Line: Perfect for emergencies, but will leave you wishing for more juice in the long run.
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With my morning 30 minute conference calls, I barely get by each day without needing to recharge my iPhone.
What drew me to this was the all in one style design. No cables or mess to deal with. Here's the low down:
Cons:
Simultaneous charging (connected to my Macbook Pro) took a little longer than preferred, but I guess it was because my iPhone was completely dead.
Pros:
Tiny battery pack was able to charge my iPhone to about 65% from dead which was impressive in a relatively short period of time
Battery indicator was extremely helpful
Small enough to keep in my pocket without the weight and bulk
The smartest thing about this battery pack is that it leaves about a 1.5mm gap on the bottom of the iPhone so the microphone isn't blocked. Genius.
Oh yeah, it comes with a plastic cap to protect the connector if you toss it in your work bag or something.
Just got this battery from amazon today. It works great.
To test it out on my new 3G iPhone, I drained the phone's battery completely. The external battery was not charged out of the box so I fully charged the external battery through my computer, which took about 3 hours. Then I attached the charged external battery to the iPhone. I kept the iPhone off while it was being charged by the external battery. The external battery charged my iPhone back to 80% battery life. The charge took about 1 hour.
Also, I have a case on the iPhone and did not encounter any issues with charging the phone with the external battery. The case did not have to come off!
Excellent product. I'll use this just about daily at work/home.
