You know one of the definite flaws about the new HTC One phones that have just come out, is the fact that there is a built-in battery and you are unable to get any kind of battery extension for it. Now some of you, like me, have overlooked this factor and went and got an HTC One phone anyways, because of its true magnificence. Yet, the dust has settled, and the honeymoon stage is over, so now you are craving some more battery life.
Well if you got an HTC One S, a PowerSkin battery case is here to save the day. This sleek designed case is just what the doctor ordered for those long days of surfing the net, killing zombies, and stalking people on Twitter. I have been rocking the case every work day, and really have not complaints about it. With that, lets take a look at it.
Package Contents
- PowerSkin
- Charging cable
Design
The PowerSkin is made out of a lightweight silicone rubber, that will definitely protect your phone from those random times it decides to leap out of your hands. Now one problem one might have with having a PowerSkin, is th fact that it does create some girth to your phone. It is not really anything to worry about, since the HTC One S is super thin as it is. Soin a way, it really compliments the phone and makes it feel like you have a sturdy device in your hand.
If you are like me, you love having a black phone, and since the T-Mobile version of the One S only comes in only gray, here is a chance to make it the dark bad boy it was meant to be. Another complaint one might have, is the fact that where the USB input has to go, it sticks out as if it is an older phone that has an antenna. Phones had antennas? Oh memories.
How much more battery life will you get
The PowerSkin has a 1500 mah battery under that rubber, so you will not get a full charge. You get roughly 238 minutes talk time, and roughly 136 hours stand-by time. Using it for about a month, I learned some tricks in helping achieve the most juice you can get from it.
First trick is kind of common sense. If you are using the phone while the PowerSkin is charging it, you will not get as much battery life put back on your phone. Anytime that I was using my phone while it was being charged, I got about 30-40% battery life put back, which is not at all that bad. It will still get you through the workday on a heavy use day. I think the best trick to do is, if you know you will not be using your phone for a couple of hours, hit the power button and let it charge while you are not using it. This way you can suck out every bit of battery love juice out of th PowerSkin, and it will get you through the entire day without having to plug it into a wall. Doing this got me around 80% battery life put back on my phone.
What people might not like
Now I really have no complaints about the PowerSkin, but I know there will be a few out there with some issues. First, not getting a full charge from the battery. It really is not a big deal, but I guess it would be nice if there was a more powerful battery underneath that rubber. Second, the fact that the battery creates a thickness to the phone. Again, not a big deal since the One S is so thin already, but it would be nice if HTC spilled the secrets on how they fit a more powerful battery inside such a thin body. If PowerSkin can learn this secret, they would be unstoppable.
What people will like
Obviously people will like the fact that you can get a charge on their phone without having to search for a power outlet. Moderate to heavy users will definitely enjoy the PowerSkin, but even you light users out there can get some use out of it. You light users can probably make it two days with the PowerSkin, which is something I would never be able to do
Overall
I think the PowerSkin is a great product. Especially us HTC One S users that are plagued with that built-in battery. As much as we would like to knock on HTC’s door and punch them in the throat for deciding such an erroneous design decision, we can find solace with the PowerSkin for our phones. If you still are not convinced on the PowerSkin for the HTC One S, check out my video review below and it might help you pry open that wallet and purchase one.
