Review: PowerSkin PoP’n battery case attachment for iPhone 5
February 22, 2013 by Beatweek
Battery cases are built on the idea that if you make a case just a bit heftier than normal, you can squeeze an extra battery in there which will recharge your iPhone while you’re using it. But this requires you to use the battery case instead of your favorite case. PowerSkin aims to split the difference with its PoP’n product, a battery pack which attaches to the back of your favorite iPhone 5 case via suction and features a wraparound Lightning port connector on bottom.
PoP’n is well designed. It employs twenty-four small suction cups in the name of making sure it remains tightly attached. Its ruggedized rubber wraparound connector is sturdy enough that there’s no fear of it getting damaged in your pocket. And the battery itself stops short of the iPhone 5 camera, ensuring you can still use it.
In my tests I found that the PoP’n sticks firmly to both hard plastic and soft rubber cases with smooth flat rear surfaces (I couldn’t get it to stick to one particular soft rubber case which had a slightly textured rear surface, which I suppose was to be expected). The Lightning wraparound works with all but the thickest of cases, or those with rubber flaps covering the iPhone’s Lightning port.
As far as the battery-attached-to-third-party-case approach goes, the PoP’n is about the best implementation one might imagine. Still, it’s a far less elegant solution than actual battery cases from PowerSkin and other vendors. Those who want extra battery power on a consistent basis while their iPhone 5 is in a case would do well to simply get a battery case. As such, the PoP’n feels aimed more at those users who want to use their own favorite case regularly but only want to add the extra bulk of battery power in specific instances.
Comes in a choice of black or white.
Price: $79 • power-skin.com
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