Mobility Digest Review – Energizer AP1201 iPhone 4 Case and Charger
Energizer recently released the new AP1201 Silicone case and battery backup/charger for the iPhone 4. Since I’ve been using this case, I’ve been getting about 8 to 12 solid hours of constant usage from the energizer battery alone before the iPhone battery takes over for main duty. The 8-12 hours was a lot of heavy usage. Video, Audio streaming, gaming, browsing, and tethering. This makes that iPhone 4’s already impressive smartphone battery life, nearly twice as good.
The case has an integrated Apple dock connector to take care of the power connection to the phone, but doesn’t include a replicated apple dock port. Instead, Energizer opted to use a MicroUSB port to charge and pass through the iPhone’s data to a PC. The case also has a button on the bottom of which lights up four status indicating lights to display the charge level. Holding in this button will activate quick charge which will bypass the case and charge the phone first.
All in all, this is a super solid case which looks great, feels great, and performs great. All is well.
Unless you don’t want to double the thickness of the phone, add about a 1/2” to the overall length, and increase the width by a few millimeters.. This is a beast of a iPhone case. It’s simply massive. Function over form for sure, and it’s impossible to ignore the size difference when you’re using this case. But it’s still a nearly perfect case, even though it’s about the size of Rhode Island.
Would I recommend it? Absolutely. The iPhone doesn’t have a removable battery, and this supplements it wonderfully. I have no doubts that you could watch nearly a day’s worth of video using this case. Music? Probably a few days worth of MP3 playback, and at least a day’s worth of internet music streaming. This is also a perfect compliment to the IK Multimedia Amplitube iRig because that app uses a LOT of battery.
Anyway, the Energizer AP1201 is available online and in stores for about $60 to $70.
I’ll attach my video review to this very soon.
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Sweet! I need one of these. [evil grin]
I bought an Energizer 1201 at an airport Bestbuy Express dispenser in Minneapolis airport last month because I thought it would help me when I was traveling. It has a very nice design although the screen edges of the silicon case are vulnerable to being torn.
However, the first time I tried to charge it I discovered the min-USB connector would only start the flashing blue charge lights if I pressed extremely hard into the socket, and obvious mechanical problem.
When I contacted Energizer they were very helpful and promptly sent me out a new case which I discovered had exactly the same problem except worse. The USB socket on the case did not only not work properly but was loose and fell out!
I’m trying one more time with Energizer’s replacement program but it’s not an impressive start with the very solid competition from Mophie.
I bought an Energizer 1201 at an airport Bestbuy Express dispenser in San Francisco , and after 1st charge the USB socket on the case fell out !!!!!!! VERY DISAPPOINTED !!!!