I've been looking around for emergency power solutions for my iPhone for a while and have been trying to find a solution that uses AA batteries. I've seen a couple of home brew options (The MintyBoost) but I wanted something cost effective that would just sit in the bottom of my bag and something I would not have to worry about recharging - or forgetting to charge.
The beauty of using AA batteries is that you can either have a stack with you or have the ability to nip to a shop and buy some if required.
The
iGo PowerXtender is universal and uses electronics within
different tips to supply the correct amount of juice to your device. I purchased the main unit for only £9.99 and the iPhone/iPod tip for £4.99 from a Maplin store. You can also use the tips with other iGo chargers and power adapters.
The unit comes complete with two AA Duracell batteries and I found that I got a 20% boost in battery power. This is definitely enough to make that emergency call or order that emergency pizza over the internet ;) adding fresh AA batteries will obviously give you another boost.
I also found the Duracell batteries could be used in other low draining devices as the iPhone only takes the peak of the power rather than draining the whole battery - the iPhone stops charging once the current drops ...
I've also tested a couple of 2100mAh NiMH rechargeables that gave the same amount of boost - and the beauty of these is that you could use an
AA solar charger to recharge on the move.
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