Nowadays people have embraced the “always online” lifestyle. Telcos have responded by offering unlimited mobile data plans. Unfortunately, being always online translates to your smartphone’s battery draining faster than you can “Like” your friends’ posts.
Enter the Third Rail System Battery Case for iPhone 4/4S.
This system consists of a Slim Case and a Smart Battery. You will only need to attach the battery if you need the extra juice, thus keeping your iPhone 4/4S looking sleek and slim most of the time. Remove the top part of the case, slide your iPhone 4/4S in, click the top part into place and you’re done. A word of caution though: if you have a back protection film installed on your iPhone 4/4S, REMOVE IT before using this battery case. The fit of this case is very tight and precise. I spent a good 15 minutes prying my iPhone 4S off the case and damaged my back protection film in the process.
The case has a smooth, matte black finish that not only complements the iPhone 4/4S aesthetics, it also provides extra grip. This is a big plus as we all know the iPhone 4/4S is a slippery little device. This case offer no lay-on-the-table protection since it sits flush to the screen. The rear camera cutout is sufficient and photos shot using the built-in LED flash show no glare. The earphone /headset cutout is a bit small though and will not accommodate high-end IEMs/headphones without some sort of adapter. At the bottom of the case is a small switch to toggle battery power On/Off. There is also a micro USB port that can be used in place of Apple’s 30-pin dock connector port to sync and charge the iPhone 4/4S.
The Smart Battery is what truly sets this system apart from all the other battery cases. This small and light battery (1.4 ounces) can be used and charged in a variety of ways:
- Attached to the slim case – this configuration will charge the iPhone 4/4S from 0% to 52% (as per my actual test) in about 70 minutes. It provides around 3 hours more of 3G data tethering via wifi.
- Stackable – you can stack up to 6 Smart Batteries onto the slim case to charge everything from one charging source via the micro USB port on the case. Stacking 2 or more batteries on top of each other without attaching a charging source will transfer power to a single battery automatically. For example, if you have 3 batteries with 30% charge each, if you stack them up together, power from the 2 batteries will be transferred to the 3rd battery giving it 90% capacity. Pretty cool huh?
- Stand-alone charging – you can also charge the Smart Batteries without using the slim case. Just plug in your charging source to the micro USB port on the battery itself. You can stack up to 6 batteries and charge them all from a single charging source.
- Charge other devices – the Smart Battery has an ‘out’ port which you can use to charge other devices such as bluetooth headsets, iPods, and even iPads.
- Universal – when the next generation iPhone comes out, you can still use the Smart Battery. You just have to get the updated slim case for the new iPhone. No need to buy new batteries.
The Third Rail System Battery Case for iPhone 4/4S retails for PHP3,850 (includes a Slim Case and 1 Smart Battery). Additional Smart Batteries are PHP2,650 a pop. Available at the Digital Hub.
Plus: Slim and smooth case provides protection and extra grip; Smart Batteries are ultra light, stackable and can be used in a number of different configurations; Smart Batteries can charge other devices; Build quality is superb
Minus: Currently comes in black only; Fit is very precise, you won’t be able to use a back protection film on the iPhone 4/4S
Rating: 9/10
