Thought I'd share a personal review of the new Anker Extended Battery Case for iPhone 5/5S. I'm among the first to get my hands on one since the company sent one to test in return for honest feedback. After owning two of their backup battery chargers I jumped at the chance.
Physical Characteristics: Right out of the box, it started to impress. I was expecting something heavy and thick like in the old days of extended batteries. Two outer rings are supplied, smoke or clear, plus the battery case back and a micro USB charging/sync cable. The whole thing is so light weight I even looked inside the box for a separate battery. It is not much thicker than my original protective case and it is surprising how a lithium battery could be designed into it. Installation was easy, I didn't bother with instructions. Like most hard shell cases the iPhone slips into the case back and the outer ring snaps over it. The fit is actually perfect with cutouts in all the right places, adding a bit of cool factor, like Batman's body armor. It also adds a quarter inch in length to the bottom of the phone where it connects via an internal Lightning connector. I guess that is the part that truly makes it "Apple certified". On one hand, the added length means it's not exactly shirt pocket size, while on the other it fits into my large hand more comfortably than before. Two speaker ports at the bottom allow sound to come through. This changes the tone slightly, like a resonant chamber, but not compromising clarity to my ear.
Operation & Performance: To charge the iPhone you press the button on the back of the case and tiny LEDs show it is in progress along with how much charge remains on the extended battery. I went from 33% on the internal battery to fully charging it, and the LED indicator dropped to 3 out of 4. If that's accurate, this should last me up to two days before plugging in again. Personally, that's ideal while traveling, including overnight weekends away from home. Time will tell, but I've been happy with battery performance of the Astro 5600 and Astro Mini 3000, so I have similar expectation for the 2400 extended case.
Micro USB cable: One feature I did not anticipate is the supplied USB charging sync cord. It means I don't need to have a Lightning cable to charge or sync anymore. That's right, you can charge or sync your iPhone with a standard micro USB cord shared by many other smartphones and devices. The one supplied is rather short, probably intended to charge from laptops. I prefer a longer cord, and since I already own one or can buy another for a few bucks, it's not a big deal. The main point, no more expensive Lighting cable replacements needed if you own this case.
Overall, I'm quite happy with the design and convenience so far. This battery case is going to afford me less worry about battery usage or carrying a cable and USB charger everywhere I go.
Physical Characteristics: Right out of the box, it started to impress. I was expecting something heavy and thick like in the old days of extended batteries. Two outer rings are supplied, smoke or clear, plus the battery case back and a micro USB charging/sync cable. The whole thing is so light weight I even looked inside the box for a separate battery. It is not much thicker than my original protective case and it is surprising how a lithium battery could be designed into it. Installation was easy, I didn't bother with instructions. Like most hard shell cases the iPhone slips into the case back and the outer ring snaps over it. The fit is actually perfect with cutouts in all the right places, adding a bit of cool factor, like Batman's body armor. It also adds a quarter inch in length to the bottom of the phone where it connects via an internal Lightning connector. I guess that is the part that truly makes it "Apple certified". On one hand, the added length means it's not exactly shirt pocket size, while on the other it fits into my large hand more comfortably than before. Two speaker ports at the bottom allow sound to come through. This changes the tone slightly, like a resonant chamber, but not compromising clarity to my ear.
Operation & Performance: To charge the iPhone you press the button on the back of the case and tiny LEDs show it is in progress along with how much charge remains on the extended battery. I went from 33% on the internal battery to fully charging it, and the LED indicator dropped to 3 out of 4. If that's accurate, this should last me up to two days before plugging in again. Personally, that's ideal while traveling, including overnight weekends away from home. Time will tell, but I've been happy with battery performance of the Astro 5600 and Astro Mini 3000, so I have similar expectation for the 2400 extended case.
Micro USB cable: One feature I did not anticipate is the supplied USB charging sync cord. It means I don't need to have a Lightning cable to charge or sync anymore. That's right, you can charge or sync your iPhone with a standard micro USB cord shared by many other smartphones and devices. The one supplied is rather short, probably intended to charge from laptops. I prefer a longer cord, and since I already own one or can buy another for a few bucks, it's not a big deal. The main point, no more expensive Lighting cable replacements needed if you own this case.
Overall, I'm quite happy with the design and convenience so far. This battery case is going to afford me less worry about battery usage or carrying a cable and USB charger everywhere I go.
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