MiLi Power Pack for iPhone.
I got my MiLi Power Pack in today. It’s basically an extended battery that slips on the back of the phone. Let’s start with the unboxing.
The packing is very much like the iPhone packaging, which is to say it’s pretty nice looking.
Slide the top part off the bottom, and you’re greeted with your new battery pack.
Under the tray that holds the battery, you get a cable. It’s a standard USB to mini USB, so if you’re a gadget nerd like me, you likely already have a few, but it’s still good to have extras.
I got it home and took some pics with a real camera.
The button on the front checks the power level. Each LED represents 25% battery capacity.
The bottom has a USB IN port, which you use to charge the device or sync with your computer, and a USB OUT port, which you can use to charge anything that has a USB cable. This feature really impressed me. If you have, say, a bluetooth headset with a miniusb cable, you can charge your MiLi, your phone, and your bluetooth headset with just one cable, even powering up your bluetooth when you aren’t near a computer.
The back has a “cutout” for the camera lens.
And the side stops low enough for unfettered access to the volume controls.
A couple of shots with a pack of cigarettes to demonstrate the size.
I’m currently giving it a full charge, so I can’t comment on battery life yet, but I have no reason to doubt their claim to double the battery life. As soon as it charges fully, I’ll see how long it lasts with normal usage.
In general, it works like this. You slip the phone in the case, then plug it into your computer. The phone will be charged first, then the battery pack. Discharging works the opposite way, it uses external power if it’s connected, then the battery pack will be used down to 5%, then the phone battery will begin to discharge. This is important for one reason that I haven’t seen mentioned; as we all know, the iPhone’s battery isn’t user replaceable, and any battery will only survive a finite number of charge cycles. Using this battery pack should greatly extend your battery’s service life, as well as preserve it’s efficiency for longer. Certainly something to consider. It’s also worth noting that you can still connect your phone to itunes while in the case, you don’t lose the ability to sync. In fact, you gain the ability to sync with a standard USB cable.
As you can see from the battery icon, the phone essentially thinks it’s on external power while attached to the battery pack.
The fit and finish is very good, but it certainly adds a lot of bulk. Your phone will not slide into the front pocket of your jeans with this battery attached, unless you have some very big jeans. I think my method will be to charge my phone, in the battery pack, at night, then carry it in the battery pack at work so I won’t have to worry about it all day. After work, I’ll slip my phone out of it so I can go out without carrying a brick around, as I doubt I’ll discharge a whole battery over the course of a night out.
Overall, I’m very pleased with it. If the battery life lives up to their claims, it’s a winner. Stay tuned for an update tomorrow.
Rating: 
