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Phonesuit Primo Micro Battery Pack

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What's hot: Incredibly small form factor that fits on a keychain.

What's not: 800 mAh capacity isn’t long lasting.

Reviewed April 28, 2010 by Tong Zhang, Senior Editor

Battery packs are one of the most popular accessories for iPhone and iPod users who depend on their mobile devices on the go. When you don’t have immediate access to a power outlet, a portable battery can get you through an important call or the long boss fight in a game when your device’s battery is drained dry. Phonesuit, the maker of MiLi Power Pack for the iPhone, has released another battery pack – the Primo. Measuring only 2.4 x 1.24 x 0.68 inches, the Phonesuit Primo battery pack is very small and portable. In fact the battery comes with a custom fit cap with keychain lanyard with which you can attach your battery to a keychain. The unit weighs only 1.23 ounces and will hardly add any weight to your mobile gear bag. Other Primo models are available for the iPod and iPod nano.

Design

The Phonesuit Primo is small and shiny, and it increases the length of you iPhone or iPod touch just a little bit when it’s connected. The Primo has three LED lights that display the battery level on the pack as well as charging status when the battery pack itself is being charged. A standard mini USB port lives on the other side of the Primo. The Phonesuit Primo comes in both black and white to match your iPhone and iPod touch colors. 

Battery Life

The Phonesuite Primo has a built-in Lithium-Ion battery that’s 800 mAh in capacity. The claimed talk time for the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS is 3 hours when your smartphone is running on the battery pack’s power, and claimed music playback time is 11 hours with 3 hours of video playback. These runtime numbers can’t compete with the Mophie Juice Pack or Phonesuit’s own MiLi Power Pack, but as the Primo’s tagline says “size matters”. The 800 mAh capacity won’t last as long as the 2000 mAh batteries in larger battery packs. If you are a heavy user of the iPhone or iPod and can’t get through a day on a single charge, the Primo can easily pick up the slack and cover you until you can charge your iDevice. But if you travel on long flights and are away from a power source for long periods of time and need a lot of extra power, you should consider a portable battery pack with 2000 mAh or higher.

The Phonesuit Primo comes with a standard USB to mini USB cable and the battery pack charges quickly. The right LED light lets you know when the battery is fully charged; it turns from red to green. The left and the middle LED lights indicate the battery level the pack still holds when you plug in your iDevice. The Primo is designed to be charged over 500 times (that’s the usual number of recharges before runtimes decrease for Lithium Ion batteries).

Compatibility

The Phonesuit Primo works with the iPhone, iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS as well as all iPod touch models. Other iPod models including the iPod nano (all generations), the iPod classic, the iPod with video and the original iPod can also work with the Primo battery.

In the Box

The Phonesuit Primo battery pack, a standard USB cable and printed instructions.

Conclusion

One of the smallest portable battery packs we have seen for the iPhone and iPod, the Phonesuit Primo is a good supplemental battery pack to the iPhone or iPod’s internal battery. For users whose devices just need a little help to get through a day or a trip, this battery pack can provide that yet it fits on your keychain.

Price: $34.95

Web site: www.phonesuit.com

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