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There are hundreds of external battery packs available for the iPhone, but only a small subset of those are given the Apple seal of approval and offered in Apple retail stores and the Apple online store. MiPow's 3,000 mAh Smart Power Tube is one of the newest portable batteries Apple offers, with a lot of perks like built-in charging cables and an accompanying app.

powertube3000inbox-800x600.jpg

Design and Features

MiPow's Smart Power Tube is, as the name suggests, tube shaped. While it's small enough to fit comfortably in a bag or a purse at just over four inches long and an inch thick, it's an odd shape for a pocket and it isn't as convenient to use while charging an iPhone like the flatter Mophie-style battery packs. It comes with a little matching carrying pouch so it can be dropped in a bag without worrying about scratches and scuffs.

powertube3000pouch-800x600.jpg

The Smart Power Tube is available in black, white, gray, and a handful of bright candy colors: turquoise, green, and pink. A smooth, soft-touch material covers the outside of the Smart Power Tube and a metal band separates the body from the cap of the device. On the metal band there are three LEDs that display the power level and a button that activates the Tube when it's plugged into an iPhone.

powertubeleds-800x600.jpg

Underneath the cap, there's a USB connector for charging the internal battery and a cleverly placed Lightning cable that connects the Power Tube to an iPhone and also holds the cap of the device in place. On the whole, the Smart Power Tube feels like a premium product with coordinated colors, clean lines, and quality materials.


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Article Link: Review: MiPow's Power Tube 3000 Battery Pack is Compact and Cute, but App Needs Improvement
 

Aston441

macrumors 68030
Sep 16, 2014
2,606
3,934
I am dumbfounded that Apple wants this in their store, but won't let the company add a lightning connector for charging.
 
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beanbaguk

macrumors 65816
Mar 19, 2014
1,338
2,347
Europe
More hyper-inflated priced junk!

Not only are Anker units a fraction of the price, you can buy Xiaomi Mi 16000mAh for just $25. While it's a lot bigger, I can charge both my iPhone and iPad at the same time....twice on one charge.
 
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Roadstar

macrumors 68000
Sep 24, 2006
1,718
2,186
Vantaa, Finland
And they want to keep making the sodding things slimmer while at the same time removing an essential items from the phone. The 3.5mm audio connector. Apple is not what it used to be.

Yep, this isn't the Apple I used to know. Looks like they've extended the storage milking. Base iPhone 6s $649. Want some storage on it? That'll be $99-$199 more. Want some battery? $99 please. How about 3.5mm audio? $39?
 
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