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Spyder s $90 PowerShadow i4 Battery Case & Charge/Sync Dock for iPhone 4 and4S offers an interesting take on the charging case. The black polycarbonate case, which offers 2000 milliamp hours ofpower, adds 2.6 ounces to your iPhone s weight. It measures 5.01inches tall, 2.4 inches wide, and 0.79 inches deep. Like many battery cases, the i4 consists of two pieces: the mainbase, which contains the battery and a dock connector plug, and asmall cap. This cases cap feels disconcertingly flimsy; off thephone, it lacks any rigidity and seems more fragile than I dprefer. Inserting the iPhone into the i4 case is simple enough. The caseuses cutouts that expose the buttons, rear camera, and headphonejack. I prefer button overlays to cutouts for cases as a generalrule, because I find that pressing the volume buttons and using theRing/Silent switch takes notably more effort when those buttons areonly accessible through slim cutouts; that s certainly the casewith the i4. On the base of the case is a Micro-USB port; you can charge thecase by plugging the included USB cable into your iPhone poweradapter or computer. But the i4 includes a second charging optionthat sets it apart from its competitors: You can instead place youri4-clad iPhone into the included dock for cordless phone-styleinduction recharging. The dock, like the case itself, has aMicro-USB port; again, though, you ll need to provide your ownpower source or adapter for the USB cable. (Note that Spyder saysyou should not stick the i4 into the dock sans iPhone. You can charge the casealone via USB cable, but should only charge it with the dock whenyour iPhone is inside the i4.) In practice, the dock is a very nice feature. It docks the iPhonestably, and it recharges the case (and the phone within it), justas you d expect. Not needing to fumble for cables is always aplus. The i4 isn t meant to afford your iPhone any drop protection. Infact, Spyder warns you in the manual not to drop the case. The casedoesn t extend past the screen, so think of the case as providingextra nick and scratch defense for the sides and back of youriPhone along with the significant power boost, of course. On the power front, however, note that Spyder offers some unusualrecommendations for how best to use the case ones I haven t seenelsewhere, and I ve reviewed oodles of battery cases. From themanual: We recommend turning on the i4 only after your iPhone sbattery has dropped to 20 percent of full charge or less. Whether your phone s power reserves have dripped as low as Spyderrecommends or not, you press and hold the power button on the rearof the i4 case for a couple seconds to turn it on. Four blue LEDsilluminate to indicate the case s charge level, and those lightsstay on for as long as the case is powered on. I d prefer that myiPhone not glow continually like that, but this isn t a majorcomplaint. When charging, the LEDs blink until the case is fullycharged. Macworld s buying advice Overall, the i4 is a fine case, and the included charging base addsvalue. It s not my favorite battery case; I m still partial tothe Mophie Juice Pack Plus , which costs about the same and offers a better feel plus a bitmore protection, though lacks the innovative charging base option.But if you want backup battery power and appreciate the benefits ofthe charging base, the i4 is certainly a fine option. I am an expert from industrialpanel-pc.com, while we provides the quality product, such as Industrial Panel PC Manufacturer , China Rugged Military Computers, Touch Screen Industrial Panel PC,and more.
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