Guide to iPhone Battery Packs

I’ve had my iPhone for just over 18 months now, and I still love it as much as I did the day I got it, but I have to admit the battery life on it isn’t great. On average I get about a days use out of a full charge, which doesn’t normally cause me a problem unless I forget to put the phone on charge overnight.

Poor iPhone battery life has been the subject of many discussions in online forums and chat rooms, and only last night Apple released an update for the software to try and improve the accuracy of the battery meter on the phone. What you may not realise though is that there are a number of third party solutions available to help you get more out of your iPhone battery.

There are 3 different types of iPhone Battery Pack available that will extend the life of your phone, External batteries, Charging Sleeves and Charging Cases.

Here’s a quick look at some of the most popular iPhone Battery Packs at the moment.

iPhone External Battery Packs

These are small, portable batteries that can be charged independently of your iPhone and are designed to be connected to your phone only when needed.

iPhone Dock and External Battery Pack

This is actually two products in one – a handy desk top charger that you can easily sit your iPhone on to sync and charge your iPhone as well as a portable, rechargeable battery for the iPhone. The desktop charger has 2 charging slots that allow you to charge your iPhone and external battery at the same time. The battery pack adds roughly an inch to the length of your phone and covers just over half of the back cover. It can be charged using either the desk stand or a Mini USB data cable. The 1200 mAh battery will give you approximately 4 more hours of talk time and 12 hours stand by time.

iPhone Mobile Power Station

If you just want something simple that you can carry around in your bag or pocket then the Mobile Power Station is a great option. It’s not much bigger than a box of matches and unlike most external iPhone batteries, it has a 30 pin Dock Connector so that you can use your existing mains charger or data cable to charge it up. It takes just two hours to fully charge the 1000mAh battery in the Mobile Power Station, and depending on use will give you around 3 hours more talk time and 12 hours talk time.

iPhone Charging Sleeves

These are a more permanent charging solution than external batteries. As the cases are slightly larger, they tend to hold larger batteries which in turn give better battery life. Sleeves often cover the back and sides of the phone, but leave the screen and top edges exposed.

MiLi Power Pack For iPhone

If you need some serious battery power for your iPhone then you should get yourself a MiLi Power Pack. One full charge can give you an incredible 390 hours extra standby time and up to 13 hours more talktime! At 79g and 23mm thick, it will increase the size and weight of your iPhone but the gains in battery life certainly make up for it. It’s not just your iPhone that you can charge with the MiLi though, the bottom of the case has a standard USB port that you can use to charge any other device that supports USB charging. All you’ll need is the appropriate USB cable. MiLi Power Packs are available in Black or White.

iPhone Case-Mate Fuel

The Case Mate Fuel can either be used as a sleeve or holder for your iPhone. It has a rotating belt clip on the back that can be fixed at a number of angles. Like most of the battery packs here, it charges using a mini USB connection. Battery life from the Case Mate Fuel is great, it adds 9 hours more talk time and 250 hours stand by to the iPhone and has it’s own power switch that allows you to control when the case charges your phone. The Case Mate Fuel weighs in a little heavier than the MiLi at 90g and 25mm thick (excluding the belt clip).

Solar Power iPhone Charging Sleeve

Solar Power is the next big thing in mobile accessories. It’s already found its way into several Bluetooth Car Kits, and is now working it’s way into phone cases too. The back of the case is one big solar panel that converts the sun’s energy into power for your iPhone. Some have commented in the past that leaving your phone in direct sunlight for hours at a time isn’t a great idea, and they’re right – it’s not, but you don’t actually need to. The solar case can be sat on your desk or bedside table and as long as it’s light, it’ll charge. For times when it’s not that bright or night times, it comes with a Mini USB charging cable that you can use to charge it using a USB port on your PC/Mac. The solar case has a 2100mAh battery and gives similar improvements to that of the Case Mate Fuel. Size wise, it’s 23mm thick and weighs 90g.

iPhone Charging Cases & Covers

These are similar to charging sleeves and are another semi-permanent charging solution for the iPhone. As with the sleeves, they tend to hold larger batteries and offer better battery life. Most Cases and Covers cover the all sides of the phone, but leave the screen exposed.

Mophie Juice Pack Air for iPhone

The Juice Pack Air was one of the first charging cases for the iPhone.  It’s slimmer and lighter than the iPhone Charging Sleeves and still manages to match them on performance. The Mophie Juice Pack Air gives you upto 270 hours standby time and up to 9 hours more talk time (on a 2G network). They cover all of the back and sides of your iPhone and can be used with an iPhone screen protector. Juice Pack’s weigh in at 75g and are just 19mm thick.

iPhone Charging Leather Case

This is a more conventional looking case that at first glance doesn’t look like it contains a battery. The flip case has a lightly padded front cover that protects your screen against knocks and scratches. It has a 1400mAh battery built in that can give you an extra 4 hours talk time and around 15 hours more standby. The case is thinner than most of the others listed here and is the only one that covers both the front and back of your iPhone. The case when fitted is 27mm thick. Both the case and your iPhone are charged using a Mini USB cable.

iPhone Battery Case With Stand

If you love watching movies on your phone but find that propping your phone up against a book isn’t really working, then this could be the case you’ve been waiting for. As well as having a built in 1500 mAh battery, the case has a built in kick stand that folds out to hold your phone in landscape mode making it perfect for watching youtube, films, TV shows and photo slide shows. The battery will add up to 3.5 hours of talktime and around 12 hours more standby time. At the time of writing this post I couldn’t get my hands on one of these to get the weight and dimensions, but will update this as soon as I get hold of one.

So there you have it, that’s an overview of the different types of iPhone Battery Pack that are available at the moment.If you aren’t sold on the idea of a charging case there are other ways of keeping your iPhone charged – iPhone Car Chargers, iPhone Docks and the Yogen Portable charger, but these won’t protect your phone at the same time so you’d need to invest in an iPhone Case or iPhone Screen Protector.

What do you think to these cases?  Let us know using the comments form below.