Review: Macally PowerLink8

review by Bill Palmer

The good news is that there are now enough bottom snap-on batteries on the market for iPhone and iPod that you have your choice of vendors. The bad news is that some of these options just don’t measure up when it comes to capacity vs price. That such an example comes from a vendor like Macally is a surprise, as the company’s products, while rarely splashy, are typically priced aggressively enough to rank pretty high on the value scale.



But not so much with its new PowerLink8, whose most distinctive quality is that its back and sides are shiny acrylic white, which may appeal to users of white iPhones. But aside from that, the PowerLink8 sports a surprisingly high $39 price tag, which puts it in direct competition with an identically priced competing battery from Kensington, yet the PowerLink8 doesn’t last as long (750mAh capacity vs. 100mAh capacity). Even the Kensington product will only give your iPhone about a 50% boost, and the PowerLink8 offers even less, barely boosting your battery life by a third. And if you can stomach buying a no-name generic competitor, such batteries with 1000mAh or more can be found around the web for $15.



My recommendation when it comes to boosting your iPhone’s battery life hasn’t changed: if you can afford to, skip the snap-ons and get yourself an $80 form-fitting battery case or a $100 battery cradle, as such products can be used at all times while these bottom snap-on batteries are too awkward and unstable to keep plugged into your iPhone while in your pocket. Then again, having an inexpensive snap-on battery around can’t hurt, especially if you’ve got more than one iPhone/iPod model in the house and want to be able to mix and match. But it’s tough to recommend a snap-on battery that competes both with identically priced higher-capacity name brand products and with significantly cheaper no-name options that also have higher capacities. So this one’s probably only for users of white iPhones.

Learn more about the PowerLink8 at Macally.com.