These days smart phones are more power hungry than ever before – but then they do so much more than they used to. It’s not uncommon for handsets such as the HTC Hero to be used now as MP3 players, Sat Nav, Internet & Email devices, Games consoles, video players and more, so it’s no real surprise that most phones now only last around a day before they run out of charge.
The Hero is one of the most popular smart phones currently available from HTC and if you’re using it with the latest software update you should be able to get just over a day’s use out of it before you’ll need to recharge it. For the casual user this isn’t too bad, but if you rely on your phone throughout your working day, you’re going to be running out of power by lunchtime.
Fortunately, the guys at HTC realise this is a problem for most people and have released the HTC Battery Bank BB G300 to help people get more out of their phone.
HTC Battery Bank gives your Hero more power
The Battery Bank is essentially an external battery for your Hero (or any other handset that can be charged using a USB cable). It has a 2680mAh battery, which is roughly twice the capacity of the standard HTC Hero and is capable of charging your handset 3 times before it runs out of power. The Battery Bank is smaller and lighter than the HTC Hero and will fit easily into your pocket or bag, so carrying it around shouldn’t really cause you any issues.
Battery Bank is smaller & lighter than the HTC Hero
Simple to Use
Charging the battery bank is extremely simple. It comes with a Mini USB cable that you can use to charge it from your PC or Laptop, or if you’d prefer you can charge it using your existing HTC charger. To check the remaining power level of the Battery Bank you just need to press a small button on the side of the Battery Bank and a series of LED lights will show you how much power is remaining.
4 LED lights show charge level
As you’d expect, you connect the Battery Bank in the same way as you would your charger. One end of the USB cable connects to your phone and the other to the Battery Bank and your phone starts charging straight away. If your phone is completely dead you can connect the Battery Bank and after a couple of minutes you’ll be able to use your phone while it charges. To fully charge a Hero from empty will take around two hours – longer if you’re using the phone while it’s charging.
Multiple Device Support
While the Battery Bank is made by HTC, it doesn’t mean that it’s only suitable for use with HTC phones. I’ve successfully used the Battery Bank to charge iPods, Bluetooth Headsets, Car Kits as well as phones by Nokia, Sony Ericsson and BlackBerry. All you’ll need to charge these devices is a USB cable that supports charging.
HTC Battery Bank can also be used with iPods & MP3 Players
Summary
The Battery Bank is a handy accessory to carry around with you – particularly if you don’t work in an office. If you travel a lot or spend long periods of time away from power points then you could find this to be one of those accessories that you can’t be without. The Battery Bank does what it sets out to do and it does it well. The fact that you can use it to power other devices too is an added bonus. It does cost more than some of the other emergency chargers on the market, but you get what you pay for. The Battery Bank is fast, powerful and doesn’t run off AA batteries. If you don’t use your phone that much and just want a spare charger for emergencies then this isn’t the charger for you, this is more suited to those who are using their phone heavily and find they can’t make it through a day without running out of juice.