Every iPhone users must have experienced the need for an iPhone to have a longer battery life. At times it’s not the iPhone’s fault, but simply because there are so many great apps and games on it that we turn our device on too often and too long. Some of us carry the recharging cable everywhere we go just in case we need to add more juice on our iPhones. Others go for a more “exotic” solution, such as getting a portable battery case to get an extra juice boost.
PADACS PowerCase is such case and it comes with a built-in internal battery, to protect and to boost the life out of your iPhone 4, with style.
Inside the PADACS PowerCase packaging, you will also find a screen protector as a bonus. So if you’ve just got your iPhone 4, then buying the PADACS PowerCase is sufficient to fully protect your new iPhone 4.
The PowerCase is made with a glossy material and weighs around 67 grams (for the 1600 mAh model. PADACS also has the 2200mAh model which weighs 85 grams). Since the sample that I have is the 1600 mAh model, I will base this review on that model. Sixty-seven grams more does not sound too bad, considering you are an iPhone heavy user. It’s certainly bulkier than my iPhone 4’s slim case but it’s not that bad once you use it for a while.
The case isn’t slippery and does not have a flat back surface like the iPhone 4’s. So if you hate the new iPhone 4’s flat surface (compared to the previous iPhone models), using the PADACS PowerCase feels like a deja vu.
Wearing the case is as easy as taking your iPhone 4 out of it. The case itself has 2 parts in which the top part acts as a “lock” to hold the iPhone in place within the PowerCase.
The case has the right openings for the iPhone 4’s buttons and ports (any type of earphones jack should fit well):
Unlike the other similar case I reviewed, PADACS PowerCase does not charge the iPhone automatically (thank goodness). There is a small button at the back of the case to check the case’s battery status and to turn the recharging on/off.
Once you turn it on, the case will charge your iPhone until it runs out of juice. Sadly, it does not automatically turn itself off when your iPhone’s battery is full so the best way to use it is to wait until your iPhone’s battery is significantly low enough and then press the magic button to recharge. The LED indicators are quite nice too, giving you an overview of the current PowerCase’s battery level.
PADACS PowerCase comes with a microUSB connector so unfortunately, you cannot use the standard iPhone’s cable to charge and sync with the PowerCase. You can still charge and sync with the iTunes using the microUSB cable though. In addition, you cannot plug your iPhone into a dock anymore because of the non-standard port. Thankfully, it’s fairly easy to take the case off, so you can always open the case up if you find the need to use a docking station.
In my experiment, the PADACS PowerCase could charge my iPhone 4 in about 4-6% in 10 minutes (my experiments may vary with your experience, depending on certain conditions. I had the WiFi turned on, for example). The case itself takes several hours to be fully charged so it’s best to charge it while you go to bed at night (according to the product info, it’d take around 4 hours for the case to be fully recharged).
Overall when I tested, I managed to get around 60-65% power from the fully-recharged 1600 mAh PowerCase before it runs out. It’s not bad considering how many more hours you can get out of your iPhone.
Overall, PADACS PowerCase is very handy to have around. The PowerCase doesn’t add too much bulk yet giving you hours more out of your iPhone 4. When you know that you are going to be out for the whole day and using your phone often (such as on your wedding day or doing some off-site work), you’d be glad to have the PowerCase with you. Or you can even use the PowerCase as your everyday case. It doesn’t add too much weight and you’ll never know when you are going to need the extra juice. Sometimes there are days when all of a sudden, people are looking for you more than usual.
PADACS PowerCase 1600mAh or PADACS PowerCase 2200mAh
PADACS PowerCase Pros
+ Doesn’t add too much bulk, considering what you get
+ You can use your iPhone longer on the go
+ Has button to turn the recharging on and off
+ Has LED indicators to see the current state of the battery
+ It charges the iPhone first, then the case when recharging with the USB cable
PADACS PowerCase Cons
– Using a micro USB cable rather than the Apple’s standard
– It still adds an extra bulk to your phone
– Recharging doesn’t stop automatically when the iPhone is already fully recharged
Note: Sample provided for the review
