iPhone Accessory Review: QYG-Power iPhone 4 Power Pack from USB Fever

I’m taking a day trip to Florida today to visit some folks who spend the winter down there. It’s going to be a long day that begins with a 6am flight (the alarm will go off before 4am), and, if everything goes according to plan will end when I get home at about midnight. Among the items coming south are both my iPhone and the MyTouch 4G I’m reviewing. I wanted to have some extra juice with me since I’ll be using my iPhone as my camera. I have a number of other external power options that I could use with the iPhone, but I choose to bring the QYG-Power iPhone 4 Power Pack that I received for review from USB Fever. Why choose it when I could bring a variety of other batteries instead?

Read on to find out.

From USB Fever:

As the iPhone 4G uses a non-replaceable internal battery, an extended time backup battery, included within this case, is a convenient addition to your mobile phone. There are some external batteries in the market, but they are either too bulky. Some people try to make a case + battery, however, when you need to Sync your iPhone with your PC / Mac, you still need to take your iPhone out because you cannot sync your iPhone 3G thru an external battery. Here we have a solution for you! It is a 3-in-1 External Rechargeable Battery for iPhone 4G (Rechargeable battery, Mobile Power and Protective case) With this item, you can “wear” this battery on your iPhone 4G, you can sync your iPhone 4G with your PC / Mac even the battery is on. With this External battery, you are no longer to hassle with the external battery and the synchronization.

Features:

– As a juice pack; provides extra battery life for iPhone 4G

– World thinnest external battery for iPhone 4 (only 15mm thick)

– Access to all ports of your iPhone 4G

– Works as a protective case to your iPhone 4G

– Perfect integration, almost no seams, non-bulky

– Turn the proprietary iPhone dock connector into another more popular connector – Micro USB to rejuice the battery

– Turn the dock connector to another more popular connector – Micro USB to Sync your iPhone with PC / Mac.

– Protect IC Circuit, efficiently avoid short-circuits, over-charging, over-discharging and malfunctioning even under extreme conditions.

– To Sync with your PC / Mac even when the battery is on

– No need to take off the battery even you need to Sync your iPhone 4G

– LED Power Indicator

The Power Pack with Click Stand for iPhone 4G comes in two pieces; a microUSB cable is also included.

The case has a soft-touch feel that is nice to hold and offers just a bit of extra “grippiness”. It is a far cry from batteries such as the original Mophie JuicePack Air, which had a hard glossy case; they now use soft touch material also. But I digress.

To use the case you simply slide the iPhone inside. It is a tight fit but not a struggle to get on, unlike some slider cases.

Obviously you can’t use a clear shield on the back due to the tight tolerances, but you can use a screen protector and there won’t be an issue with it bubbling.

After inserting the iPhone in the lower part of the case, you simply place the smaller top piece over the iPhone’s top and secure it to the case’s lower portion. The top piece is thin, but I had no issue securing it in place.

Here is a look at the iPhone while in the battery case. When I first put the case on my iPhone I was surprised by how little weight and bulk it added. It really does feel as if you were using any slider case, but with this one you get a good deal of added battery life.

On the left side the case leaves open the volume buttons and mute toggle. Because there is so little space left around the controls, a nice feature from a visual perspective, they are a bit more difficult to access than they are on a naked iPhone.

The top of the case leaves open the power button, the 3.5 mm headphone jack and the noise canceling microphone. It is a clean and neat design that looks great up close.

The bottom of the case has an opening for the microphone and a micro USB charge/sync port. The case is designed to allow for charging AND syncing without having to remove the iPhone from the case. In fact, the case turns Apple’s proprietary connector into a universal one; this is a good feature.

The case has an added “surprise” in the form of a built-in kickstand.

The kickstand takes a bit of force, and risking a broken fingernail, the first few times you open it, but after that it pops out and keeps the iPhone at a great angle for hands-free viewing.

Here’s a view of the case from the top down. As you can see, the battery/case makes a nice, neat package even when the kickstand is popped out.

Finally, from this angle you can get a sense of how the top portion fits on the case. The fit is good and the seam is tight.

And if you prefer the case in white, that is available too!

In all I’m quite pleased with this battery case. It adds 1440 mAh of battery life and only weighs 53.5 grams. The case/battery can also be found under the name What I like about it is the fact that it really looks and feels like any other slider case.

Unlike the Mophie JuicePack Air (also an amazing product), it doesn’t add bulk to the iPhone to any serious degree. The Mophie also adds significantly more power and costs twice as much, so that too should be a consideration. For situations where the iPhone will be heavily taxed all day, the Mophie might be a better choice, but the trade-off with such a large extended battery is the added bulk and weight. The QYG-Power with Click Stand for iPhone 4G, on the other hand, really looks and feels like the kind of case you might keep on your phone 24/7; as such it is the perfect companion for my trip.

I really like this case, but it is not without its issues. The top piece of the case feels a tad flimsy. I have not had any issues, but I do wonder if it will remain as good a fit as it currently is after a period of use. Another consideration is that because the case is so thin and light, the kickstand is also rather thin and light. Once again, while I have not had any issues with it I do see how it might easily break. Finally, the case fits like a glove, and as a result offers no “lay on the table” protection.

These considerations aside, the QYG-Power with Click Stand for iPhone 4G from USB Fever is definitely worth a look, especially with a price below $45!

You can order your own over on USB Fever.

MSRP: $43.99

What I Like: Thin, light; adds significant battery life to the iPhone without adding a lot of weight; built-in kickstand is a nice bonus

What Needs Improvement: Kickstand and cap are a bit thin; no “lay on the table” protection