Ten Essential... iPhone Accessories
There's an add-on for that
Product Round-up Yes, there are hundreds - nay, thousands - of apps you can download and extend the functionality of your iPhone 3GS. But don't forget there are plenty of hardware add-ons too, from handset battery life boosters to kit to make the Apple phone more care friendly. Here are the ten we think are most deserving of your hard-earned.
Powermat Wireless Charging System
Charging without cables? It sounds like science fiction, but it's available right now from Powermat. You'll need a special iPhone case, which connects to the handset's dock port - it also has a handy pass-through Micro USB port - to a coil of wire which picks up magnetically transmitted charge from the Mat, sold separately. The case, if a smidge heavy, will shield your iPhone from knocks and bumps into the bargain. The mat, meanwhile, can also charge a host of other mobile devices at the same time.
Reg Rating 70%
Price £35 (Case), £70 (Home and Office Mat)
More Info Powermat UK
Duracell Instant Power Charger
Duracell makes batteries and that's what this boy is: a rechargeable 1150mAh Lithium Ion power pack you charge up - it takes a couple of hours - then carry with you to juice up your iPhone whenever you need to. The IC has a physical on/off switch so power doesn't bleed away when it's not in use, and in addition to the standard USB port at one end - that's where you plug your iPhone dock cable - there's a mini USB port to charge other devices too - at the same time, even. The IC is very thin and weighs 45g, so it's not inconvenient to carry.
Reg Rating 75%
Price £35
More Info Duracell UK
COMMENTS
Hey Poindexter
..wanna buy a bridge, and some snake oil to go with that iPhone valve amp?
eh?
"World+Dog will tell you that Apple's iPhone earphones aren't up to much. We don't agree"
April the first was a while ago. The crappy space fillers that ship with the iPod roll off like hell around 150Hz, and are flaccid all over the range- and more importantly, they leak like hell, and make your fellow travellers want to kill you.
How anyone (other than someone with a curious low frequency hearing impairment) could seriously claim that these headphones are any good is beyond me.
To some people, maybe
Well my wife has "the internet" turned on all of the time on her iPhone and she only charges it every two-three days. Guess what? Not everyone gets awful battery life out of every phone.
I'd also say that a tech journalists idea of "essential" is not necessarily the same as the average person, so simply because there are three may just be an indication of the choice available rather than the reflection of an actual concern.
So, no, I wouldn't say it was a concern any more than two or three carry cases in an 'essentials' list means something is difficult to carry.
And I don't see why a spare battery is a better solution than a battery jacket for anyone who wants a longer battery life. In fact, having had no less than three battery doors for my N95, I'd say the spare battery is not without it's pitfalls.
How much use is a spare battery in a phone that can't keep it in because of a broken compartment?
So, when you get to the end of the second day and have two flat batteries so you might manage to put the phone on charge overnight. With two batteries you can only charge one of them at a time, meaning you either need to get up in the middle of the night to charge the second one, do without one of them or buy a charger that can charge the other battery outside of the phone. On top of that you rarely encounter phones that are designed to have the battery compartment opened regularly, often making the act of changing batteries awkward at best and damaging in other cases (N95).
With the battery jacket, you plug the phone in and charge both.
*That's* why I call the "spare battery solution" inelegant
Sure, being able to swap the battery would give you better flexibility, but if I had to pick one I know which one my phone did. Of course, that assumes a phone that doesn't need the battery removing on a regular basis because it crashes. Unlike my N97.
£25 for a stand for a phone?
Indeed. Cable conduit? surely you can build one out of a business card. Works perfectly acceptably with an iphone w/o any case.
(yeah, and I always have a business card + a knife of some description).
http://www.instructables.com/id/Simple-business-card-iPhone--iPod-stand/
re: eh?
Not to mention that they fall apart at the drop of a hat, any hat.
