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April 30, 2009 7:30 AM PDT

iPWR SuperPack packs extra juice for iPhone, iPod

by Dong Ngo
  • 7 comments

Updated at 4:50 PDT: You can read the full review of the product here.

No matter how long your iPhone or iPod's battery life is, it's never long enough. (In the case of the iPhone 3G, it's not even long to begin with). So, it's natural that you'd want to get a juice pack, which will provide extended battery power that can double or even triple the amount of time you can use your device between charges.

Most juice packs work with only a particular model of a device. The Juice Pack Air from Mophie, for example, works only with the iPhone 3G.

This doesn't present a problem if you only have the iPhone 3G. But if you also have an iPod Nano, you may get frustrated with its inflexibility. This is when you want something like the iPWR SuperPack from Wireless Input, the first juice pack I've seen that works with most of Apple's handheld devices, including the original iPhone, the iPhone 3G, the iPod Touch (first and second generations), the iPod Video, the iPod Nano (third and fourth generations), and the iPod Classic. It's also one of the most affordable devices for extended battery life, costing less than $60.

Other than that, the iPWR SuperPack is equipped with an 1,800mAh battery to double the iPhone 3G's battery life. As the iPhone 3G is the biggest battery drainer on the list of supported devices, the SuperPack will likely increase use time even more for others, such as the iPod Nano.

The iPWR SuperPack does have a few easily noticeable shortcomings, however. For example, when connected to a device, it can't be charged, and you can't sync the device with a computer at the same time. It also doesn't have a battery gauge to show how much juice it has left.

Check back at CNET soon for a full review of the product. In the meantime, enjoy a quick slide show.

April 21, 2009 12:58 PM PDT

Mophie Juice Pack Air is here, and it's not perfect (review)

by Dong Ngo
  • 10 comments

Following a long wait after my first blog, I finally got my hands on Mophie's Juice Pack Air for the iPhone 3G. The company announced the availability of the accessory Tuesday with a price tag of $79.95.

If you own an iPhone 3G, you know how bad the device's battery life is, especially when you have 3G, GPS, and Wi-Fi turned on. For this reason, extended batteries, such as the original Juice Pack from Mophie are a must. However, this juice pack is rather bulky and doesn't cover the top of the phone. This is where the Juice Pack Air comes into play.

The new Juice Pack Air is thinner, though not by much, and has a top part to make it a complete protective case for the iPhone 3G while doubling the phone's battery life.

Unfortunately, the Juice Pack Air comes with a Micro-USB port, instead of the Mini-USB port that's used in many handheld devices, including the original Juice Pack. This makes it a little inconvenient to use. Other than that I liked it.

Before making the purchase, make sure you read the full review of the unit here.

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