Richard Solo Backup Battery Review

Hey Guys and Gals we’re going to be reviewing a brand new product from RichardSolo.com, the iPhone BackUp Battery. Just let me start by saying that this is a must have iPhone/ipod accessory. When I say “must have”, I mean get online and buy it, NOW! The creator of the BackUp Battery is of a friendly and favorite company of all of us. Richard Thalheimer created and founded the Sharper Image. We’ve all, at some point in time, stopped into that store to sit in the massaging chairs and poke around at the cool gadgets. Well this battery is one of those cool gadgets.

Taking a look at the box, it has the familiar “Made for iPod/ Works with iPhone” stamp of approval. It has that sort of matte black finish. Included in the box comes the battery, wall charger and retractable sync cable, all of which are black. One cool thing about the wall charger is that the cable is not connected to it. So if you happen to have any USB compatible products around the house, you can use the charger many times over. The charger comes with a Mini 5pin USB plug, which allows you to use a USB cable to charger the battery while away from home, say at work.

The first time using the charger I decided to charge my wife’s iPod. We just took a trip the weekend before so the ipod was completely dead. I connected the battery with its standard 30pin connector to the Nano and immediately the iPod woke up. The iPod charged fully within the hour. Now that is power! Connecting to the iPhone brings up the battery display and begins to charge the phone. The best thing about the charger is that while charging, you still have access to the phones features. If your iPhone is dying in the car on the way home from a long day, jus clip on the charger and you’ve got yourself an iPhone that is fully charged and ready to go.

Another cool thing about the charger is that you can charge both the battery and the iPhone at once. Connect the battery to the iPhone at night and in the morning, you have a fully charged iPhone along with a full backup battery. Just unplug the battery and pop it in your pocket and you are good to go. The battery provides double the talk time, the same for video playback. It’s made from aluminum, not cheap plastic like other battery packs. The battery includes 3 LEDs that display the status of the charge, Charged, Charging, and Charging an iPhone. Its also about the same thickness of your iPhone so it will lay flat on any surface you place it on. With the ease of use, this becomes a great companion to your iPhone.

Cons
The only two negatives I can say about this product is the price and the connection between the battery and phone. The battery retails for $49.99. But how many times have you been out and your phone has died on you? Personally it’s a price I wouldn’t mind paying, but for some it might be a little steep. The last thing is the connection. I can see where some way some how the connector might break off inside the phone and that wouldn’t be cool.

Verdict
All in all, this battery is an iPhone accessory that EVERY iPhone/iPod owner should have, go and buy it now. I can truly say that this is one of the best items made. The Pros far out weigh the Cons. It has my vote, and it’ll have yours too. We like it so much that we’ve decided to award it the coveted BuyMeAniPhone “Editors’ Choice” Award. Keep up the good work Richard, let us know if you ever make a Massage Chair/Nose Hair Trimmer/iPhone Dock.