PhoneSuit Elite Battery Case for iPhone 4 Review
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Nothing is more useful than a good battery case when it comes to iPhone accessories, we can tell you that much. By now we've taken a look at some of the most known battery cases for the iPhone 4, and today we've got yet another battery case to review from PhoneSuit called the PhoneSuit Elite. Hopefully this time we can really justify the price and how useful it is to own one of these battery cases when using a gadget like the iPhone 4 that can barely last for a day with regular use. The PhoneSuit Elite is said to be the thinnest, fastest battery charging battery case ever to provide enough juicy energy to charge the iPhone 4 more than 100%.
You know we love bold statements, and that means putting them to the test. Will this one be worth your cold, hard cash? Be sure to jump past the break for the full review!
With so many battery cases to choose from, PhoneSuit Elite faces some hard competition. Unless it can deliver on the battery performance side of things, there isn't much going for it. Unboxing the PhoneSuit Elite reveals a second extra top piece in case you lose one, a very welcome addition. In addition, a screen protector and the usual USB charging cable is also included used to charge up the battery case itself or both iPhone 4 simultaneous while also letting you sync with iTunes all at once. That's all pretty standard battery case stuff right here.
Generally battery cases tend to be on the bulky side, and you can't really blame them too much. Having a battery built into a protective case is not easy task. The PhoneSuit Elite manages to pack a 2100mAh rechargeable battery into a fairly slim body compared to other battery cases packing only 2000mAh such as the Fuel Max, PowerSkin and the Juice Pack Plus, respectively. Like almost all battery cases, this one doesn't have a front edge protecting your iPhone 4 screen in order to reduce as much bulk as possible, and that's where the included screen protector comes in handy.
It's designed with a slider-style allowing you to easily slide-in your iPhone 4 into the case and securing it with the top piece that locks into place flawlessly without noticeable gaps.
Build quality is solid and the PhoneSuit Elite's exterior has a subtle black matte finish that's grippy, but doesn't attract lint making it a breeze to quickly pull out from within a deep pocket. The contoured edge design makes for a comfortable hold of the iPhone 4. Compared to most battery cases, this one feels great to hold without feeling bulky for a battery case making it good enough to be used as an every day protective case against very minor drops, scuffs and scratches.
On the back you'll find the battery capacity meter with 5 blue LEDs. Pressing the button will let you know how much juice the PhoneSuit Elite has left.
At the bottom there are two cutouts for both the speaker and mic as well as the micro-USB charging port. Instead of using the battery meter button on the back side as a multi-function button for ease of use and a much cleaner interface, the PhoneSuit Elite has a mechanical power switch on the bottom that feels very flimsy and cheap. It works though and I guess I'm just spoiled by other battery cases like the PowerSkin.
No problems accessing the volume buttons, silent switch and the top sleep/wake power button. The headphone port cutout is on the narrow side and will fit just about any of today's slim 3.5mm audio plugs.
What really matters is how well the PhoneSuit Elite performs in charging up the iPhone 4. The built-in 2100mAh battery has been able to fully charge up my iPhone 4 from a complete dead state all the way up to 100% with push notification turned with email data fetching set to 30 minute duration, and I still had enough juice left in the PhoneSuit Elite to later on give me an extra 20% charge. That's what I call a fulfilling battery case that stands behind its glorious product description. I'm amazed by these outstanding results at such a relatively slim battery case. Charging is also done fast thanks to the PhoneSuit Elite's 1 amp (5 watt) power output that enables it to fully charge up the iPhone 4 in 2 hours. Before you know it you've got a second round in the chamber.
If you're looking for the best possible battery case with the most amount of juice that isn't overly bulky for what it offers, the PhoneSuit Elite for the iPhone 4 at $79.95 is quite unbeatable at the moment. Now you know to pick one of these up for your next adventure.
