Just Mobile Gum Plus
The Gum Plus is just about small enough to go into a pocket, although according to our resident style guru, is perfectly suited for handbags. While it isn't the lightest of chargers, it does pack more juice than usual into such a compact shell and unlike some of the others here, doesn't get hot at all while pumping out the energy.
A series of five tiny LEDs glow when on charge, depleting accordingly as power is drained. It's simple to use and comes with a soft pouch and two USB cables, one with a micro USB on the end, the other with the old iDevice connector. It is a bit pricey, but has a fairly large capacity and your girlfriend will love it, apparently.
Reg Rating 85%
Price £65
Capacity 5000mAh
More info Mobile Fun
Lindy Mobile Power Pack
This power pack from Lindy feels like a more polished, longer version of the aforementioned Avantree, with an identical capacity. While it also gets rather warm while on charge, there's a switch for power rather than a button and - guess what - it works.
A couple of small handy LEDs hidden behind the plastic on one side glow different colours depending on the gadget's juice status and there's a small USB to Micro USB charging cable supplied. Standard. Being the size of a tube of Smarties means this tube for smarties, can be tucked away in one's pocket smartly on the London tube. Although depending on how you sit, there may be some raised eyebrows from longing housewives sat across the aisle.
Reg Rating 75%
Price £30
Capacity 2200mAh
More info Mobile Fun
Next page: Mophie Powerstation Pro
COMMENTS
Product convergence
I was quite happy to put the double size battery and big cover on the back of my Motorola Timeport, back in the 90s.
I think that phone manufacturers are all chasing the one market. I'd have thought that, like the big-button market for older users there was a case for a big-battery market for people like me away from base for days.
I agree that the fact that so many of these external devices exist show the phone makers are being a bit too mee-too in following each other down one road. Lets have some divergence for a change.
erm
There really shouldnt be a market for these things, if only phone manufacturers bundled their phones with a decent sized battery and made them more efficient...
amprere hours
Figures in mAh are pretty meaningless when the things have various different output voltages.
Unless all of them have a single 3.6v Li-ion inside and use boost converters, which is not clear and pretty unlikely (some of them must use more than one cell)
Please quote the energy capacity in watt hours. It would be much more useful.
New Trent chargers
You missed this off completely. It's far better than of of those listed and half the price. I purchased the 11000mAh one for my trip around Europe and it was superb. The new one is now 12000mAh with dual USB outputs. For the current £37 on Amazon this makes it cheaper than anything else here for power per pound!
Crummy selection
Pretty useless selection of products I'm afraid reg. do a search on Amazon between 20 and 30 quid and there's loads. Personally I went for the powergen 8400mAh which I can vouch for as providing enough juice for two iPhones heavy usage for three days (festival last weekend) and only cost £23
And it's got a built in torch!
