Battery Pack for iPhone

Posted on May 1, 2010

One of my complaints about the iPhone is that the batteries tend to run out quickly if you are using it intensively for work. And as we all know, the batteries are built-in so you cannot carry around a spare. On my first walkabout at the Red Shirt protest site the battery run out after less than four hours. Admittedly, I was using it extensively to take pictures, edit photos and send them out onto the Internet via Twitter. I was also writing moblogs and uploading videos. On my second visit I turned off a number of options that helped make the battery last longer. I will talk about tips for making your battery last longer another time. Today I want to introduce you to this portable battery pack that I picked up the other day at MBK in Bangkok.

The battery pack weighs only 54 grams and plugs into the bottom of your iPhone as you can see here. It then starts to charge your iPhone straight away. The sales staff said it can take your battery from 10% to a full 100%. You have to charge the battery pack first by plugging in your normal USB at the bottom. The four blue LED lights tell you that you have a full charge. It doesn't take long. Incidentally, the capacity of this battery pack is 1900 mAh. During my test, the iPhone had about 20% left on the battery when I plugged the battery pack into the bottom. The above picture was taken 90 minutes later. As you can see, there are still two lights showing on the battery pack meaning I could do another charge later. At this moment, I cannot tell you how long the battery pack will keep the charge, but at least with the LED lights you will be able to keep an eye on it.

I bought this battery pack for the iPhone at MBK which has easy access from the sky train station at BTS National Stadium. I have also seen them at Fortune Tower which has easy access from the underground station at MRT Rama 9. There seems to be two or three versions including one with solar panels. The prices varied from 450 baht to 795 baht. You need to shop around to get a good price. I got mine for 500 baht which is about US$15. Another vendor said 796 baht for the same battery pack. You need to look at the capacity. I saw one less than mine and another at 2000 mAh. You might find one higher but as I said, 1900 mAh managed to do the job. You also need one that has LED lights so you can see how much charge is left. A more expensive version of mine had adaptors for different mobile phones. Alternatively, go to the Apple store and pick one up for 1,600 baht!

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Catherine
May 1st, 2010 - 21:40

Richard, thanks so much for your tips on buying a battery pack. My iPhone drains when I’m out too. It’s annoying when I’m on a road trip as I’m forced to recharge via my computer, bumping around in the back seat of a car.

I did a bit of looking around online, but not on the ground in Thailand. So you have saved me a fair amount of money as I most likely would have ended up going to the Apple Store. Ouch!
Richard Barrow
May 1st, 2010 - 22:40

At MBK you can also buy non-brand cigarette lighter chargers for good prices. Much cheaper than the official ones. Make sure that you get one with a long enough cord. Also make sure it is not plugged in when you start up the car.
Jane
May 2nd, 2010 - 10:43

This is such a great resource that you are providing and you give it away for free. I enjoy seeing websites that understand the value of providing a prime resource for free. I truly loved reading your post. Thanks!
Benny
June 8th, 2010 - 12:50

Not bad but I think what I have is better.
I use a case for the iPhone with built-in battery 1800mAh.
That is more comfortable than what Richard is using. Though the one from Richard is ways cheaper.
You can find the battery case here in Rayong. You can charge the iPhone battery almost 2 cycles with it.
Benny
June 8th, 2010 - 13:29

http://tinyurl.com/38g8prd

That was the link to the battery case.
Richard Barrow
June 8th, 2010 - 13:35

I would agree with Benny that a “battery case” would be better than what I have if you are trying to charge while still on the go. If you move the battery pack just a little then it disconnects. Though at least a light shows you that it is no longer charging. However, his option is more than four times the price of what I bought even though it is the same capacity. I think you can buy brandname battery cases for around 1,500 baht at MBK which I might consider. But then again, I might be upgrading to iPhone 4 in September and these battery cases probably wouldn’t fit it.
Benny
June 8th, 2010 - 14:02

Yes Richard, they won’t fit anymore with iPhone 4. Regarding brand name cases, I got one from the USA which is Mophie Juice. It’s a well known brand. It only has 1200mAh built-in battery and it costs US$79. They advertise it on the US Apple Store. But not in the Thai Apple Store. Not sure what they have in MBK, haven’t been there quite some time.
I want to upgrade to iPhone 4 as well when it comes out. Well, I always need to newest version … lol. But I am on AIS so I wonder whether they can provide me the MicroSim. Worried that if I have to cut my card it might loose some functionality … not sure.
Andrewp
July 24th, 2010 - 10:23

I am bringing my iphone 3g with me from the US and was wondering if I should bring a replacement battery or are they easily available in Bangkok?
Richard Barrow
July 24th, 2010 - 15:15

Can you really buy replacement batteries for an iPhone? I don’t think so. However, at places like MBK you can easily buy batter packs that you can use to charge your iPhones.
Andrewp
July 24th, 2010 - 21:18

Yeah, sure you can, even from Amazon for as little as $4. Some of them come with tools and there are many videos on youtube that show you how to do it. http://www.iphonebatteryrepair.com/
JayFromBKK
October 18th, 2011 - 18:49

There is no way to tell by visual inspection alone whether one of these external batteries is well made or a cheap piece of junk. The only way to tell is to actually use it and this carries the risk of not only wasting money but also destroying your iPhone.

A loose connection between an iPhone (or iPad) and any charging device such that the physical connection couples and uncouples repeatedly in a short span of time is extremely risky. This has the effect of starting and stopping the charging cycle which can fry the battery in the iPhone or damage the phone’s firmware to the point where you can’t even boot up and recover or recharge from another source.

The hard and fast rule must be that you never, ever charge any iPhone with an accessory which does not physically click into place and lock into the 30-pin socket if there’s even the slightest chance the iPhone or charger will be moved during the charging cycle.

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On this blog I will be sharing with you tips and methods of using an iPhone and iPad in Thailand. I am not pretending to be an expert, but I hope that from my personal experience of using an iPhone for my work and pleasure you might gain some knowledge. As well as reviewing apps that I use, I will also post about accessories and also the latest news from around the world.

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