SmartCase® 4 for iPhone 4

Product Rating:

Price
Value
Protection

Product Review (submitted on December 9, 2010):

I noticed this first in a magazine I was reading and thought it was a great idea for my Iphone 4 as I found that even though my phone was quite new, I drained the batter extremely quickly. I also much prefer the idea of a case style battery pack rather than one that fits on the end of the Iphone like the Kensington one available because from experience I find these very flimsy and prone to damaging the connectors when in constant use.
The main difference between this and some of the other ones is that this totally removable which is a great solution to carry the case with or without it and of course that it is based on the quattro 4 glass screen design.
I purchased the black version from ivyskin website directly and it arrived very quickly. In the compact box, you get a USB sync/charge cable (which sort of looks like a Mini usb connector but isn't) and the battery pack case. The battery case comes in 2 parts: the main battery pack that slides on from the base of the quattro 4 case and covers about 1/2 of the phone; and a top cover which slides on from the top of the Iphone to link with the bottom half of the cover. This part is the actual case with glass screen guard that also ships with a slim pack to be used when battery is not used that turns this case into a super slim tank like protector

The smartcase can be charged independently of your Iphone which is also handy. Unlike many other external battery packs since it comes with a second " Slim " back cover, you can still have a full protection of the case while the pack is charging. Also, you can sync and charge your iphone 4 with the smartcase connected as well which is super- handy. You have 5 Red indicator lights at the back of the batter pack to let you know how much life you've got left. When charging the red LED's will flash to show it's charging. When you're using the smartcase or don't have it charging, you can review how much battery is left by pressing a little button near the LED lights and they will flash up to let you know.
The material of the smartcase feels like quite hard plastic and although it has a silky soft coating, it easily slip in pocket unlike another case I'd tried. Access to the headphone port is clear as is the power button and the volume and silent switch. They are all covered by a silicon port covers.

Battery power
The battery charges in about 3-4 hours on my USB port and when activated it provides a 90-95% charge for the iPhone 4.

What's great about this battery pack is that you can;
1. Use a switch at the bottom so that you use up your iphone battery first and then when low you can switch to the smartcase on to kick in and charge the iPhone 4.
2. You can remove the battery pack and slide in a slim pack for times you need to charge the battery but still want to use you iPhone or when you are going out for a drink and just need a slim case.

Pros
Extra battery life so longer talk/standby, gaming and movie watching
Protective case incorporated in design specially with its screen guard which is made of glass touch through material.
Sync your Iphone without having to disconnect the smartcase
On/Off switch
Module system that ships both a separate case and battery pack so you have both to use when needed.

Cons
You can only dock it using cable.
High cost

Pros: Quality, Glass screen guard, Function
Cons: Color

Would you recommend this product to a friend? Definitely yes