iON Universal Mobile Power Bank Review
Jun 11 2009, 12:00am CDT | by Shane McGlaun
Today I am going to look at the FSP Group iON Universal Mobile Power Bank. The iON device is a small battery pack that connects to you iPod or iPhone and offers more run time. The battery pack also connects to other devices as well. Read on for the details on the iON power bank.
Benchmarks
Specifications
The iON Universal Mobile Power Bank works with any device needing 5V or less power. It has a capacity of 1500mAh and can be recharged up to 500 times. The input voltage is 5V and current for input is 0.5A, output voltage is 5V. The iON Universal Mobile Power Bank ships with a standard USB output, barrel connection, iPhone connector tip, soft carry case, and a rubber coated surface. Overall dimensions for the device are 3.39" W x 0.35" H x 2.24" L.
In Use
The iON Universal Mobile Power Bank claims to be able to extend the run time of the iPhone or iPod up to 50 hours for music playback. Obviously, I can’t test that claim very easily. What I did to test the iON Universal Mobile Power Bank was charge the iON up all the way from the USB port on my computer and then connect it to my phone and use the device as I would any other time.
When I connected the iON Universal Mobile Power Bank to my original iPhone the phone had about half its battery life left. That usually means another hour or so before it needs recharged. The iON plugs into the charge port on the iPhone easily and connects securely with two tabs you have to press to remove the battery.
The battery is connected to the iPod tip via a short cord about 3-inches long. Once the iON Universal Mobile Power Bank was attached to my iPhone the phone recognized the battery as a charge source, gave me the little charge tone, and showed it was taking a charge. I proceeded to use the iPhone to play games and place calls for the next several hours without any issues.
By the end of the night, the iON Universal Mobile Power Bank still had power in the batter pack and the iPhone still showed to be charging. I left the iON plugged into the iPhone overnight and when woke the next morning the iON Universal Mobile Power Bank was out of power and the iPhone showed a bit more than 3/4 of a full charge. Based on that I would say that a fully charges iON Universal Mobile Power Bank would be able to charge your iPhone almost fully once before needing recharged.
The biggest issue I had with the iON Universal Mobile Power Bank was that it was awkward to use the phone with the battery pack attached. The cord isn’t that long, but the battery weight does put pressure on the charge port of your device if you simply let the battery hand while using the phone.
The best way to use the iPhone with the iON Universal Mobile Power Bank installed was to fold the cord back on itself and hold the battery pack in my palm while I used the phone. Another issue I fond was the battery got in the way while driving in my car. Typically, I put the iPhone in my cup holder so it stays put and I can get to it easily if a call comes in.
The iON Universal Mobile Power Bank when connected makes putting the iPhone vertically in the cup holder impossible. Having the phone sit upside down really isn’t that big of a deal. I wish there was some sort of clip or other method of attaching the battery to the iPhone included with the iON Universal Mobile Power Bank. As it is the iON Universal Mobile Power Bank works as well as the Mophie Juice Pack, but the design of the battery makes the Mophie easier to live with.
Verdict
Conclusion
Pros
- Easy to use
- Works with iPhone
- Light
Cons
- Battery adds significant bulk to the iPhone
- Awkward to use phone with battery attached
Verdict
The iON Universal Mobile Power Bank charges the iPhone and works well, but the design of the device adds significantly to the bulk of the iPhone.
where to buy
What Others Say about This
DIARY-Malaysia 2012 corporate earnings
Following is a list of release dates for the quarterly earnings of top Malaysia-listed companies. All dates are confirmed except those marked by a "T", which means it will be released around those dates. To submit a date, email: burhan.shariff@thomsonreu ...
Full article at: Reuters.co.uk
More like this 9 hours ago
DIARY-Malaysia 2012 corporate earnings
Following is a list of release dates for the quarterly earnings of top Malaysia-listed companies. All dates are confirmed except those marked by a "T", which means it will be released around those dates. To submit a date, email: burhan.shariff@thomsonreu ...
Full article at: Reuters
More like this 9 hours ago
What is a Virtual Operations Support Team?
I’m fortunate to be working with a group of #SMEM* friends who like to help each other during disasters. We train on real disasters as well as live non-disaster events, such as conferences and fast-moving popular events, so that we can test new social me ...
Full article at: IDisaster 2.0
More like this 15 hours ago, 12:26pm CST
Don't miss ...
news
Seagate GoFlex Satellite 500GB Wireless Storage aimed at Apple iPad Users
May 16 2011
Seagate packs a 500GB HDD in a small Wi-Fi enclosure with...
Shane McGlaun
Leading our review center, Shane knows technology inside out. His
extensive experience in testing computer hardware and consumer
electronics enable him to effectively qualify new products and trends. If you want us review your product, please contact Shane.
Shane can be contacted directly at shane@i4u.com.
blog comments powered by Disqus Comments
Latest stories
The Apple iPad 3 will be announced on March 7. 4G LTE is apparently certain.
Fantastic tool for racers and anyone else looking to easily and quickly remove wheels from the vehicle
- Visit our Homepage for the Latest Rumors, News and Shopping Tips
Featured hubs
I4U: Follow the Gadget Life Cycle
I4U News covers the complete life of a gadget starting with rumors. Some rumors turn out to be true and become news and gadget reviews become interesting. Then a gadget goes on sale. Now it is all about shopping and deals.