Getting the iPhone battery blues? Cheer up with new battery boost gadgets.

The iPhone battery life is one of the topics that most iPhone detractors like to point out as a fatal flaw. The reality is that, as far as 3G cell phones are concerned, they all (iPhone included) consume their batteries at an amazing rate! Well, at least for iPhone users, the battery blues may be over with a few gadgets designed to boost the iPhone built in battery.

I know first hand about this battery problem. On most days, I have plenty of access to a charge because I am in my car and in my office primarily. But on those days that I travel or when I am away from my usual routine, I definitely run down my battery down to the dreaded 20% alarm. How? Well, I use my phone for a lot of 3G intensive functions. I am on the web a lot and I use task manager, lists and notes applications that are constantly synchronizing. Throw in a healthy dose of email, text messages, podcasts and music (of course) and you can see how I can run out of juice in less than a full day! Amazingly enough, I don't actually talk a lot on my phone. :-)

So after the first "day" I was stranded without a phone, I began researching the options for enhancing the battery life on the iPhone. At first I was looking for portable "batteries" (like the hundreds available for iPods) but amazingly there were none certified to work with iPhone (and especially in the case of the iPhone 3G, would simply NOT work when I tested a few.) Also the form factor for these batteries, even had they worked, was just odd. Most would "plug in" at the bottom of the phone and stick out rendering the phone unusable (or at least uncomfortable to use.)

Then, I ran into the IOGEAR "Gear Power" which, although not specifically designed for iPhone, has an iPhone tip (available separately) that works well with the iPhone 2g/3g. An amazing little battery that claims to be able to recharge your phone up to 3 times, it is incredibly small and very lightweight. You connect this battery to a standard USB port to recharge it (a huge convenience but only if you lug around a notebook). Also, this battery uses the standard iPhone USB cable to connect to the phone (use your own cable with the IOGEAR tip.) You can even use the phone while connected to the battery as long as you can stand the USB cable connection. I've owned the IOGEAR "Gear Power" for a few months now and it works GREAT! Still, it is a "side battery" concept and carrying the phone in your pocket while connected to this battery is probably not so comfortable! (Picture: phone, usb cable, battery - all bouncing around in your pocket.)

So, although the "battery bost" concept has worked well for me, I still yerned for a device that somehow "attached" to the phone, perhaps changing the form factor slightly (a little bigger and a little heavier) but still allowing for "almost normal" phone use and pocket carry.

And today, I actually found two products in this very category!

The first is the Mophie Juice Pack. This product is a bit pricey at almost $100 plus shipping, but it does carry the "Works with iPhone" seal of approval - which is very important. It also looks real slick and well made - definitely with pocket carry in mind. Their website reports the device weighs 3 oz (my iPhone weighs in at 4.5 oz.) I have not tested this product yet. [UPDATE: I have a Mophie Juice Pack for my iPhone 3G and I LOVE IT! It's awesome and very well made. Look for a review coming soon on this device!]

The second choice is the Brando Workshop iPower Portable Power Station. At $44 direct from the manufacturer in Hong Kong, this product is a real deal, but does not have the "Works with iPhone" seal (although plenty of reviews by other blogs rate it well and confirm that it does work. Read reviews here and here.) From the pictures, the design is not as "slick" as the Mophie, but it definitely seems functional and it even comes with an additional speaker for the iPhone. Their website reports the device weigs 93grams (3.3 oz) so it is just a bit heavier than the Mophie. I have not tested this product yet. [UPDATE: I have a Brando Workshop iPower for my iPhone 3G and it's ok! It's not as well made as the Mophie, but it does function. I also noticed that when the battery is attached, the signal stength on the phone goes down consistently by 1.5 bars! If I take the battery off, the bars come right back. This has to do with the way the battery case wraps around the entire phone. However, for 1/2 of the price of the Mophie, this is a definite alternative for the more budget concious. Look for a review coming soon on this device!]

I am quite happy with the IOGEAR, but the appeal of actually having something "always on" my phone is strong. There have been a few times that I've forgotten to charge the IOGEAR pack and found myself with an extra battery with no juice. The fact that the "always on" devices will always be charged (as I charge my phone) is also very appealing. I am inclined to try the Brando first simply because of the attractive price! We'll see.

If you have any of these devices, I'd love to hear your opinions. Do let me know what you think!