Could this be the solution we have been waiting for from Incase? If you are familiar with Incase products you know they have a huge attention to detail. Well the PowerSlider is no different! We put this new power solution through the paces and we have to say we were very impressed with its sleek design and beautiful build..
If you have been disappointed in your iPhone 3G's battery life, there's a new
solution in town - the InCase Power Slider 3G. The InCase Power Slider 3G provides the battery
life the iPhone 3G we all wished it had from the start. Sure, it bulks up
both the size and weight of the iPhone, but all your battery
frustrations disappear.
Many of you already know that I have been testingl battery packs for the iPhone 3G for quite a while. There's the Backup Battery for iPhone from Richard Solo, the 3G Juice, the MoPhie Juice Pack 3G and now the InCase Power Slider for iPhone 3G. The first two are standalone batteries; the second two do double-duty as cases.
The Power Slider comes with a pouch, a manual, and a USB cable that features a
standard six pin wide USB connector on one end and the smaller four pin
standard USB connector on the other. This is the same cable we are all familiar with so don't get worried thinking you have to use their cable. You dont!
As we look at the case it comes in two pieces, a top half that fits around the
phone, and a bottom sliding half that contains the battery compartment.
At the top of the case there's a cutout for the volume switch and vibrate along with the headset jack. On the back there's a cutout for the
camera, and holes at the bottom provide access for the iPhone's
built-in microphone and the case's USB jack. Our photos clearly show the detail Incase has put into this battery pack which is astonishing! The Power Slider fits perfectly around the iPhone and nevertheless fits like a glove in your hand. The Power Slider with the iPhone is 5.1 inches x 2.6 inches
by 0.86 inches. If I were to match the thickness of the Power Slider I would say the same thickness of the Palm Treo 750w. It also adds about
an inch to the length of the phone..
On the back of the case is a small button which can ilumniate up to five
lights showing you your battery power. If you hold the
button down for 3 seconds, it places the iPhone for syncing state when you plug
in the USB cable. Our Incase Power Slider came fulling discharged which we had to charge for approximately 4 hours.
As we take you to the charging system you'll notice that the Power Slider makes the iPhone drain the external
battery first, and only then fall back on the iPhone's internal
battery. Our battery pack did get quite warm to the touch after an hour of charging our iPhone which we were a bit concerned as to why. Hopefully we can get an official response from Incase.
For those wondering how the Incase Power Slider 3G stacks up? Well I started using the Power Slider at 4 PM with a completely dead iPhone. The Powerslider completely charged my iPhone within a 1.5 of charge time which we were blown away. We will continue to do our tests as we have had the Power Slider for a limited time. Now I know many of you will ask should you buy a Power Slider for your iPhone 3G? If you're a traveler and rely on your iPhone to work at all times I would say this is a MUST have accessory.. If you are thrown by the significant size of the Power Slider then I would definitely recommend the Richard Solo 1800 battery which stacked up very high in our tests.. During our tests we also noticed that whomever we spoke with on speakerphone was hearing an echo everytime they spoke. We will continue to look into this issue as we haven't heard this from anyone yet.. But for $99 I think it has a steep price for the everyday consumer but if Incase plants these in airport stores I feel they will fly off the shelf!
Features
- Integrated rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery more than doubles the battery life of iPhone 3G
- Optimized power management system provides continuous charge to iPhone 3G internal battery
- 5 light LED battery status indicator
- Charge and sync without removing iPhone 3G from case using the custom USB cable provided
- Advanced lithium-ion polymer battery cell technology prevents overcharging and short circuiting and provides protection from extreme temperature
- Durable, lightweight hardshell construction with soft-touch coating
- Compatible with USB charging ports that provide 5V at 1A output
- "Works with iPhone” certified by Apple
Battery
- Rechargeable lithium-ion polymer (1330mAh 4.2V)
- Custom designed and engineered specifically for Power Slider
- Capacity equals approximately 120 percent of iPhone 3G
- Efficient circuitry allows for slim design and maximum power output USB
- Custom USB 2.2 cable specifically designed for Power Silder
- Provides high capacity charging and data exchange for optimal charging and syncing
- Additional battery life provided by Power Slider
- Standby time: up to 330 hours
- Audio playback: up to 26 hours
- Talk time: up to 5 hours on 3G network and 10 hours on 2G network
- Video playback: up to 7 hours
- Internet use: up to 5 hours on 3G network and 6 hours on Wi-Fi
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