iPhone Buzz first covered the Juice Pack for the iPhone way back in early December, and we have been waiting patiently for its arrival. Nearly six months later, I’m thrilled to report that it is finally here. Was the wait worth it? Heck yes! The package arrived directly from mophie earlier today, so I haven’t had adequate time to thoroughly put the Juice Pack through a rigorous test yet. Fear not, I’m traveling the next few days so I’ll have plenty of time to test it out. You can expect a full review Monday morning.
The Juice Pack weighs 3 ounces and measures 2.5 x 4.75 x .75 inches. Mophie claim additional standby time of up to 250 hours, 24 hours of audio playback, 8 hours of additional yak time, 7 hours of video playback or 6 hours of Internet usage. Keep in mind that your results will vary based on numerous factors, such as signal strength.
I like the four light LED battery status indicator located on the back of the Juice Pack. It works exactly like the battery indicator on your Macbook Pro; simply press the test button and it lets you know how much power is available. The LED lights also indicate the charging status and the charging progress. Mophie advertised that the Juice Pack arrives fully pre-charged, but my review unit arrived only 75% full. It’s not a big deal, but it seems odd for mophie to make this claim.
I love the design and would probably love it a whole lot more if it weren’t so thick. At first glance it’s easy to mistake it for a case. The rubber inserts and the soft touch finish inside and out set the unit apart from any case on the market today. It’s extremely comfortable to hold and operate the iPhone. There are two openings directly below the speakers, along with cut outs for the camera on the back and full access to the buttons on the left hand side of the iPhone.
The Juice Pack charges using the iPhone Adaptor or any iPod connector whether the iPhone is in or out. When you charge your iPhone while connected to the Juice Pack the charge will pass-through the Juice Pack to the iPhone. That works fine, but unfortunately, my review unit caused my iPhone to beep intermittently. As you guys know, I take my iPhone to bed with me. Earlier tonight, my wife nearly kicked me out of bed, so unfortunately I had to separate charge the Juice Pack separately. I’ll check in with mophie later today to see whether this is a known issue and update the article with what I find.
The Juice Pack utilizes a rechargeable lithium-polymer battery cell. There’s a built-in circuit to prevent the Juice Pack from shorting, over-charging or misbehaving under extreme weather conditions. Mophie claims that the battery cell is highly condensed and is able to store and deliver more energy than rivals of a similar size, hence their claim that it can as much as double the iPhone’s internal battery.
From my point of view, the Juice Pack is a must have accessory for globetrotters. Putting things into perspective, I can watch three movies on a direct flight from San Francisco to New York via the Juice Pack before tapping into the iPhone’s battery. The best thing about the Juice Pack is that it’s always there, ready and waiting for that critical moment when your iPhone runs out of juice and there’s not a single power outlet in sight. I’ve traveled enough to know that it’s better to have the Juice Pack and not need it, than to need it and not have it
I’ll be updating this first-look article with hands-on feedback from living and traveling with the mophie Juice Pack over the weekend
Written by Vincent Nguyen on April 18th, 2008 with no comments.
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At first glance, Contour Design’s $30 iSee iPhone v3 (
) looks a lot like Contour Design’s original iSee for iPhone. It’s still a solid-feeling, snap-on, clear-polycarbonate case with a plastic holster, but the iSee v3 has some subtle differences that make it a different case than its predecessor.
The major differences start with the assembly of the case itself; it’s two pieces, a front and a back that snap together, instead of the cradle construction of the former iSee. The v3 unfortunately doesn’t have the rubber feet found on the previous iSee, which stop the iPhone from sliding around. On the other hand, the v3 has protective silicone coverings for the iPhone's Sleep/Wake button and volume buttons, and silicone plugs for the earphone jack and dock-connector port. I could still feel the click of the Sleep/Wake and Volume Up buttons through these covers, but I couldn’t feel the Volume Down click, even though I could see on the iPhone's screen that the button was being pressed. The silicone plugs are attached to the case so you won’t lose them, but it took a little bit of fiddling to get the headphone plug in place.
With the original iSee, the opening for the iPhone's dock-connector port was fairly narrow, which prevented some accessories that use that port from making a reliable connection. The v3’s dock opening is even more restrictive—you can’t really connect anything but Apple's standard dock cable—as the case provides more protection around the bottom of the phone, with openings for the speaker and mic. When the aforementioned silicone plug isn’t inserted in the dock-connector port, it folds back and out of the way, but because it’s attached to the case permanently, it prevents you from placing the iPhone in a dock-cradle accessory such as a speaker system.
Even with all the changes, the v3 is a lot like the original iSee. We’re not sure that the changes make for dramatic improvements, since some usability is sacrificed. But overall, the v3 provides good protection for your iPhone.
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Written by Roman Loyola on April 14th, 2008 with no comments.
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Last year, soon after the iPhone was released, we took a look at iPhone headphone adapters—short cables that let you use any headphones with the iPhone's recessed headphone jack—from Belkin and RadTech. Since then, a number of vendors have released similar products. Because these cables are essentially minor variations on theme, we aren't going to do extended reviews; instead, here's a quick look at some of the other models we've seen. All work as advertised, so you're really choosing based on appearance, construction, and price.
Griffin Technology Headphone Adapter ($10): Perhaps the most attractive model, Griffin's offering is black and gray, 3.5 inches long, and has a rubbery covering. The cable is fairly flexible, although the female adapter at the end—into which you plug your headphones—is a bit bulky.
Helium Digital 3.5mm Headphone Adapter ($4 CAN): The shortest adapter in the bunch, Helium's offering—pictured at the top of this article—is only 2 inches long (not counting the female adapter at the end) with a fairly flexible cable, but has the bulkiest female adapter of the bunch. The biggest advantage of this model is its super-low price; on the other hand, it ships from Canada, so some of the cost savings may be offset by shipping charges.
FastMac Audio Headphone iPhone Adapter ($5): Although longer than most at nearly 6 inches, FastMac's offering uses the thinnest and most-flexible cable and has the thinnest female adapter, making it the least obtrusive we've seen. The low price is a bonus.
ProCable - Audio Extension Cable 3.5mm Male - Female ($8): Since we looked at RadTech's adapter last July, the company has replaced that model with a new version that comes in two lengths. Although RadTech classifies these lengths as 3 and 4 inches, my measurements—from the beginning of the plug cover on the male end to the juncture between the cable and the female adapter—were 3 and 4.5 inches, respectively. The cable is fairly thin and flexible, although the female adapter is just slightly smaller than the one used on the Helium adapter, above.
Out of the six adapters we've seen (seven if you count both RadTech sizes), FastMac's Audio Headphone iPhone Adapter is my favorite thanks to its thin profile, flexible cable, and low price.
(I have another current favorite, but it isn't available as a separate product; it's actually an accessory included with some SwitchEasy iPod and iPhone cases. These cases fully enclose your iPod or iPhone, so the headphone jack is recessed; SwitchEasy includes a short, slim, flexible adapter—white or black, depending on the case—for using any headphones with these cases. The adapter works great with the iPhone with or without a case, so if you're in the market for an iPod or iPhone case and an iPhone headphone adapter, it's worth giving SwitchEasy a look, especially considering the reasonable price of the company's cases.)
Note: The original version of this article had an incorrect description for the Helium adapter; the error was corrected a few minutes after publication.
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Written by Dan Frakes on April 11th, 2008 with no comments.
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Last Friday we told you we were putting Griffin’s contentious ClearBoost iPhone Case through its paces: Griffin’s sales claim is that the ClearBoost’s in-built copper antenna strip is enough to give you an extra bar or two of coverage when using AT&T’s network. Since then, iPhone Buzz has been hauling the case around various areas of great, middling and patchy coverage, trying to work out whether the $29.99 Griffin are asking is a steal or just daylight robbery.
(more…)
Written by Chris Davies on April 10th, 2008 with no comments.
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If you're on the lookout for an extremely simple, chic sheath for your iPhone, the $30 Sena iPhone UltraSlim Pouch (
) may fit the bill. Made from hand-crafted leather in your choice of eleven different colors, from standard black to orange and green, the pouch keeps your phone completely protected from damage.
The top of the case is open, letting you get at the iPhone's Sleep/Wake switch and headphone jack; the bottom has small holes so you can still hear the phone when it rings. The inside of the case has a soft, microsuede lining that won't scratch the iPhone's exterior. Of course, the downside of a pouch/sleeve style of case is that except for listening to music or—if you're using a headset or the iPhone's earbuds—talking on the phone, you can't use most of the iPhone's functions while it's in the pouch. And the case itself is a bit on the pricey side for just a sleeve. Then again, looking fashionable always costs a little bit extra.
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Written by Dan Moren on April 9th, 2008 with no comments.
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