iPhone power pack review part three, the Incase Power Slider for iPhone 3G

Following hot on the heels of the MiLi Power Pack, and the Mophie Juice Pack reviews, comes the Incase Power Slider review.

First impressions

The Incase Power Slider comes supplied in quite nice box, which is very reminiscent to Apples own products, and like so many of Apple's products when you open the box to reveal the Power Slider, there it is all nicely presented. Inside the box you will find the Power Slider itself (obviously), a set of instructions, a USB sync & charge cable and a pouch to put it in.

Out of the box

Remove the Power Slider from its box and the first think you notice is how silky smooth the finish is, with its matt non slip coating. Like the Mophie, the Power Slider has a single mini USB socket on the bottom, which is use to both sync and charge the battery either via the iPhone's USB power adapter or by connecting it to a PC/Mac, and on the rear, the charge level indicator LED's. This is where any similarity with the other external power packs I have reviewed ends, as the Incase Power Slider is not only an external battery pack, but also a protective case, with cut outs for the camera lens, volume controls and headphone socket etc. In addition to the cuts outs you would expect from any case whether it be a battery pack or not, is the addition of some vents at the bottom of the Power Slider that allows sound from the speaker to be heard.

After fully charging the Power Slider it was time to fit this 2 piece case/power pack to my iPhone, and as with the Mophie it was easy to fit and was a good snug fit.

As with all the external power packs so far tested on this site, the Incase Power Slider works in the same way, first powering the iPhone and then when depleted, switching to the iPhones own internal battery.

Features:

• Integrated rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery more than doubles the battery life of iPhone 3G
• Optimized power management system provides continuous charge to iPhone 3G internal battery
• 5 light LED battery status indicator
• Charge and sync without removing iPhone 3G from case using the custom USB cable provided
• Advanced lithium-ion polymer battery cell technology prevents overcharging and short circuiting and provides protection from extreme temperature
• Durable, lightweight hardshell construction with soft-touch coating
• Compatible with USB charging ports that provide 5V at 1A output
• "Works with iPhone" certified by Apple
• Standby time: up to 330 hours
• Audio playback: up to 26 hours
• Talk time: up to 5 hours on 3G network and 10 hours on 2G network
• Video playback: up to 7 hours
• Internet use: up to 5 hours on 3G network and 6 hours on Wi-Fi

Final Thoughts

Like all these power packs the Incase Power Slider makes the charging tones as it switches to the iPhones internal battery, and like the Mophie does not suffer from any vignetting around the lens, but unlike the other battery packs reviewed by this site, the Incase Power Slider has the added advantage of not being just a power pack, but a protective case as well.

Pro's:

• Protective case styling
• Light weight
• Snug Fit
• Price
• Look and Feel
• Battery managment

Con's

• Battery managment during switchover
• Size (felt the bulkiest of all the battery packs we've tested)
• Shows finger prints
• Nothing else

Price and availability:

UK = N/A
USA = $99.99 from Incase