If you've got a 3G iPhone and use its Wi-Fi and 3G capabilities regularly, you'll be well aware of the device's lack of battery life. For most users this means finding an electrical socket at least once a day or so — a major hassle for users on the run. Dexim's BluePack was built to address this problem by extending the iPhone's battery life. The device's rectangular lithium-ion battery connects to the bottom of the iPhone and gives up to 3.5 hours of extra talk time.
Design and Features
The Dexim BluePack certainly isn't the most attractive iPhone accessory on the market. While the black finish looks nice enough in isolation, attaching a 4-5cm black brick to the bottom of your iPhone certainly does detract from the iPhone's pleasing aesthetics.
To charge the Dexim BluePack, a retractable USB cord is included; connected to a computer it takes a few hours to recharge. While the BluePack connects to the iPhone without a hitch, users may want to be careful when using it, as the extra weight dangling precariously from bottom of your beloved iPhone may, with a bit of rough use, unclip and damage the connector on either device.
Performance
Looks aside the Dexim BluePack does do what it is advertised to, which is to give your iPhone more battery life when you're without recharging options. The makers claim an extra 36 hours of extra audio playback, seven hours of video playback, and up to 3.5 hours of talk time with the BluePack attached. While we weren't able to fully verify the accuracy of these claims completely, we did manage to eke out a few extra days of fairly typical usage: light calling and messaging, heavy Wi-Fi use, and a couple of hours audio playback.
Conclusion
While the Dexim BluePack, like most additional battery packs, won't compliment the iPhone in terms of style, it's a worthwhile buy for heavy iPhone users who spend plenty of time on the road or want to keep it as a backup in the glove box of their car.
Note: we reviewed DCA001 model, which is designed for the iPhone, iPod Touch and full-size iPods. A thinner DCA005, suited to the first, second and fourth generation Nanos, is also available
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