http://blog.gsmarena.com/samsung-wireless-charging-pad-review/
Just for clarification, i seen the 920 and the HTC DNA wireless charging in action, neither has to be place in direct center of its charging pad(nokia fatboy, and the lg model), the DNA charges as fast as if it was plugged in. So sadly this is just a poor implantation by Samsung, now i have to cross this off of my to-get list when the phone is out.
And for the people that wonders what is good about wireless charging, is mainly just a laziness factor. Think of it this way, you'll likely to have the same phone for 2 years, and for 2 years, you'll have to plug/unplug a phone every night for the next two years, that's a lot of hassle you're saving yourself with a wireless charger, it only gets better if you're the type that runs multiple devices. So between your ipod, fuel band, bluetooth headset...is really nice to have one less item that you don't have to plug in every night.
I consider myself as lazy as it gets with electronics, so that's why I have charging desktop docks for both my SIII and N7, they keep the devices mounted at a nice angle and I never have to use two hands in order to plug in either device.... I use the Seidio Innodock Jr. for the Samsung devices, used since the Skyrocket, and an eBay dock for the N7, roughly the same concepts but the MicroUSB port is rotated 180 degrees for the two devices
WHEN I get wireless charging for the S4, I'm going to attempt at mounting it on the wall and using some of my PuGoo, cut down to fit the charging pad, and make it happen.... the review refers to centimeters of distance for charging to work properly, and this stuff is pretty thin, maybe 3-4mm thick, so it shouldn't be an issue, then I'll have wireless charging on the WALL - the ultimate in laziness!
Oh, and who wouldn't want the SLIGHTLY thicker battery cover with wireless charging? the camera lens port is now flush, just like my white "carbon fiber look" battery cover is on my SIII, and was going to get one that did that again with the S4 - these phones need to stop coming out thinner and thinner and concentrate more on stuffing bigger batteries in smaller spaces! They could have put a 3,000mAh battery under the hood of this if they kept it the same thickness as the SIII going off of the thinner 2,600mAh battery they put in the S4!
Related
Did anyone try this Desk Cradle out?
http://cgi.ebay.ca/Samsung-i9000-Ga...ewItem&pt=PDA_Accessories&hash=item23087d70c8
looks quite interesting, and you can easily connect the usb cable for sync and charge.
but it's a bit pricey for just a piece of plastic
Well, it is made in Korea so you could expect it to be high quality compared to the ones from China which can break at any moment (had one and never going to get one again if I can resist). Plus, this stand seems to be able to be used indoors and in cars which is pretty cool, IMO.
i was reading the other post about chargers and i think i'll prefer this other one
Samsung Desk Stand w. Battery Charger - To Suit Samsung Galaxy S i9000 - Black
http://www.techbuy.com.au/p/146642/MOBILE_PHONES_ACCESSORIES_-_CHARGERS/Samsung/EBH973USBEBSTD.asp
too bad it is not on sale yet
AllGamer said:
i was reading the other post about chargers and i think i'll prefer this other one
Samsung Desk Stand w. Battery Charger - To Suit Samsung Galaxy S i9000 - Black
http://www.techbuy.com.au/p/146642/MOBILE_PHONES_ACCESSORIES_-_CHARGERS/Samsung/EBH973USBEBSTD.asp
too bad it is not on sale yet
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Click to collapse
Not charging the main battery? Only the spare one?
Hey guys. So I've had the 7500mAh battery for a little while now and felt it was time for the review. So here ya go!
Let me guess:
whole night charging time for original S4 charger,
24h charging time for generic USB ports,
on airport checkpoints everybody thinks it is portable C4 improvised explosive device pretending phone,
when you drop it, than there is no doubts if screen is broken or not - it will be for sure because of heavy weight (high impact force).
Diamond 2 owner said:
Let me guess:
whole night charging time for original S4 charger,
24h charging time for generic USB ports,
on airport checkpoints everybody thinks it is portable C4 improvised explosive device pretending phone,
when you drop it, than there is no doubts if screen is broken or not - it will be for sure because of heavy weight (high impact force).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol,
only takes a couple off hours to charge and with this cover i feel much more safe to drop it (or put it in my pocket without taking risk off breaking screen like in other reviews) because off special shock absorbing material wich also goes a little around the front off the phone protecting the front from scratches when lying upside down. This phone feels like a tank now, especially if i add a nano screenprotector
(90gr extra is high impact force allready?)
in airport they have something called scanners wich know the difference between c4 & a battery so no need to worry
Other then that this battery finally makes my phone worth it's money (what is good about a 700 euro phone if the battery is empty after 3 hours driving with google navigate ?)
if you don't like better battery life and extended batterys, it's no problem but don't give fantasy opinions about how you think it will work if you know not much about the subject..
contrinsan said:
lol,
only takes a couple off hours to charge and with this cover i feel much more safe to drop it (or put it in my pocket without taking risk off breaking screen like in other reviews) because off special shock absorbing material wich also goes a little around the front off the phone protecting the front from scratches when lying upside down. This phone feels like a tank now, especially if i add a nano screenprotector
(90gr extra is high impact force allready?)
in airport they have something called scanners wich know the difference between c4 & a battery so no need to worry
Other then that this battery finally makes my phone worth it's money (what is good about a 700 euro phone if the battery is empty after 3 hours driving with google navigate ?)
if you don't like better battery life and extended batterys, it's no problem but don't give fantasy opinions about how you think it will work if you know not much about the subject..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
7500mAh vs. 2600mAh means it is almost tripled. Tripled capacity means tripled charging time. Dead simple physics. Do the math.
90g vs. 130g means it is almost doubled. Doubled weight means doubled kinetic energy, which will have to be dissipated during ground impact. Doubled impact energy means more damage. Dead simple physics.
3 hours driving with google navigate and you forgot about charging port in your vehicle? S4 is not an heavy duty survival device. It was never meant. If you need GPS device for all day skateboard rides look for GARMIN devices.
Yes, sure extra battery life is nice (especially if you are Bear Grylls and need S4 with two week standby time, or teenager and need 24h gaming time). Nobody said it is opposite. Just don't try to pretend, that this solution does not have mentioned drawbacks or looks nice.
Diamond 2 owner said:
7500mAh vs. 2600mAh means it is almost tripled. Tripled capacity means tripled charging time. Dead simple physics. Do the math.
90g vs. 130g means it is almost doubled. Doubled weight means doubled kinetic energy, which will have to be dissipated during ground impact. Doubled impact energy means more damage. Dead simple physics.
3 hours driving with google navigate and you forgot about charging port in your vehicle? S4 is not an heavy duty survival device. It was never meant. If you need GPS device for all day skateboard rides look for GARMIN devices.
Yes, sure extra battery life is nice (especially if you are Bear Grylls and need S4 with two week standby time, or teenager and need 24h gaming time). Nobody said it is opposite. Just don't try to pretend, that this solution does not have mentioned drawbacks or looks nice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's Allah Akbar, not Allahu Akbar. And for your "terrorist" comment, as a muslim, I find it very disrespectful.
Back to topic, extended batteries hardly look nice anyway. But for me, extra battery life means more. The problem is the cases for these don't offer a lot of protector.
Diamond 2 owner said:
7500mAh vs. 2600mAh means it is almost tripled. Tripled capacity means tripled charging time. Dead simple physics. Do the math.
90g vs. 130g means it is almost doubled. Doubled weight means doubled kinetic energy, which will have to be dissipated during ground impact. Doubled impact energy means more damage. Dead simple physics.
3 hours driving with google navigate and you forgot about charging port in your vehicle? S4 is not an heavy duty survival device. It was never meant. If you need GPS device for all day skateboard rides look for GARMIN devices.
Yes, sure extra battery life is nice (especially if you are Bear Grylls and need S4 with two week standby time, or teenager and need 24h gaming time). Nobody said it is opposite. Just don't try to pretend, that this solution does not have mentioned drawbacks or looks nice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You might be right about the charging, i don't know how long it takes because it charges when i sleep and it's fully charged when i wake up.
Edit, it's done in less then 4 hours, i don't know how long a stock battery needs ?
Hearing people complain about how a phone looks always makes me smile, a nice looking phone attracts thieves is one thing and we're not talking about a pretty woman that gained too much weight, we're talking about an object that promises us to give us features such as calling, texting, hd screen & hd recording, games, music, camera, the android app store and much more... but came with a battery that laughs in my face when i want to use these features.
I have replaced my gps, mp3player, camera and even my watch a couple off phones ago allready, this worked fine in the past with other phones (nokia n82 & nokia n8 with selfcooked firmware), saves me money and i don't need to take care off 4-5 extra things.
(if i needed a phone only to make some calls i would buy an old 39 dollar nokia symbian phone and have one/two week(s) standby time on 2g)
I also have no wish to buy ugly cables for charging in my car and i hate the need for taking usb-cables or chargers with me everywhere and look for (slow) usb ports or electricity every couple off hours when i am reading an online newspaper on 3G/LTE.. (this is another example of what happens to me if i forgot my charger and needs no reply that i should buy a newspaper
Anyway, so far i've been bragging about the good sides but this battery also has bad sides wich people should think about before buying.
-bluetooth distance between my phone & bluetooth speakers was bad allready in samsung (compared to nokia and i-sheep) & it get's worse with this cover.
-same for mobile connection, dbm goes with this +2 wich means connection get's a little less good.
-sound might sound better, it doesn't get louder, a mod/app for getting louder speaker is almost a must have.
Diamond 2 owner said:
7500mAh vs. 2600mAh means it is almost tripled. Tripled capacity means tripled charging time. Dead simple physics. Do the math.
90g vs. 130g means it is almost doubled. Doubled weight means doubled kinetic energy, which will have to be dissipated during ground impact. Doubled impact energy means more damage. Dead simple physics.
3 hours driving with google navigate and you forgot about charging port in your vehicle? S4 is not an heavy duty survival device. It was never meant. If you need GPS device for all day skateboard rides look for GARMIN devices.
Yes, sure extra battery life is nice (especially if you are Bear Grylls and need S4 with two week standby time, or teenager and need 24h gaming time). Nobody said it is opposite. Just don't try to pretend, that this solution does not have mentioned drawbacks or looks nice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stop trolling.........
I love how the people that don't like extended batteries are so passionate about it. I won't name the other guy that trolled the other thread by name, but I find myself asking if this is his alter ego in this thread, lol!
My 1st Cycle Results
First, lets talk about the results from using the battery. Per the instructions for the best performance you are to go through 5-6 cycles. For this review I only went through one cycle. The instructions also encourage you to leave the phone on the charger for 12hours for its first charge, which I complied.
The result was getting two and half days worth of battery life. Check the video for a full explanation. In short, I have full brightness on most of the time, 4G over WiFi, lots of automatic push notifications, emails pushed and streaming services being used. I would consider myself a heavy user. If you are not a heavy user, you will for sure get better battery life than I.
The TPU case is really tough and is a perfect fit for the battery and phone. There are white and black covers available to choose from. The surface is smooth but not slippery and is pocketable. Cutouts are great. The power and volume controls are covered up and require a little bit more effort to press as if the case was not installed.
The NFC capabilities works great. I tried it out on TYLT NFC Tags stickers and car mount and I had no issues at all.
Overall, for an extended battery with NFC it performed well for me. It was exciting to see two and half days of battery life on a smartphone. That was a first for me. I don’t know if I could use this as a daily driver because the thickness and heaviness got on my nerves at times. I like my devices thin and not as heavy. This battery will definitely get you through the weekend or would be a nice travel companion for anyone not able to charge the device on demand.
"I like this phone, but I wish the battery wasn't so big."
"It's such a convenience to carry around a charger and data cable."
"This iPhone lasts forever on a charge!"
3 phrases you'll never hear anybody utter.
The phone news sites for the last day or so have reported that Motorola has filed to trademark the name "Droid Maxx", and rumors for a "Maxx" version of the Moto X or X+1 (or could be a G). For those that don't know, the Maxx line of Motorolas are thicker than their slimmer counterparts, packed with huge batteries. 3300mAh for the Razr Maxx and HD Maxx, 3500 for the Droid Maxx. And apart from a HSPA version of the original Razr Maxx (XT910), they're exclusive to Verizon in the USA.
But why is this so uncommon? Why are there so few phones that come with bigger batteries? Big enough to power the huge screens phones have these days, and the power-hungry processors inside? And why are so many companies going with non-replaceable batteries? Even on some phones with removable backs like the Moto line and the OnePlus One, where you can see and touch the battery, it's not replaceable.
There are a couple reasons I can think of why manufacturers are leaning towards non-replaceable batteries. One is construction. By making the battery integral, you can shave a layer or two of plastic, making the phone thinner or making the battery bigger. It can also make the phone more solid, or at least feel solid. A HTC One, Sony Z2, or iPhone certainly feels like a more solid and high-quality device than a Samsung Galaxy with a flimsy battery cover. And face it, nobody likes chasing down a flying battery cover when they drop their phone, hoping it didn't break the cover or the little tabs that hold it in place.
The other reason is so the user can't replace the battery. Every so often, you'll see on the news sites a story about a Samsung Galaxy phone catching fire or exploding. The reason is always the same: cheap/knockoff/counterfeit batteries. Or maybe it was a cheap charger (as is the case anytime somebody's gets toasted). But by at least preventing the battery from being replaced, they can prevent you from buying a $5 battery from China off eBay.
I suppose planned obsolescence could be a reason too. Li-ion and Li-po batteries have a life of a few hundred cycles. But there's only a few hundred days in a year, and phones often get charged more than once a day. So that means most of our batteries turn to crap and degrade after about a year, give or take. And if you can't replace the $10-20 battery, you have to replace your multi-hundred-dollar phone, or at least spend a bunch to get it repaired (if you don't want to do it yourself, or don't realize that you probably can).
But here's the thing: bigger batteries last longer. That might sound like an obvious statement, but it's not just about how long a charge it'll hold. The bigger a battery, the lower the internal resistance is. That means it degrades slower over time. Combined with requiring less charge cycles, it takes longer to degrade over time. Lower internal resistance also means a bigger battery is more efficient. A jump from 2000mAh to 3000mAh isn't just a a 50% increase in capacity, but a more than 50% increase in actual runtime on a charge.
So why can't we get bigger batteries in our phones? Is thin really that in? For example, look at the Droid Ultra and Droid Maxx. The Ultra is pretty dang thin at 0.28" (7.18mm), vs the still fairly svelte Droid Maxx at .33" (8.5mm). Plus about an ounce (30g) in weight. But the Maxx has a massive 3500mAh vs an anemic 2130mAh on the Ultra. That's a 64% increase in capacity, and it without making much of an extra burden in your pocket.
I'm not saying that everybody should follow my opinion and start asking for fatter phones - maybe you want/need something as svelte as possible. All I'm saying is that I want the option of having a bigger battery, or at least a replaceable one. I'm increasingly less and less a fan of Samsung, but at least they're keeping with replaceable batteries. And if you pick up a popular one (Galaxy S series, Note), you can pick up an battery/case like Zerolemon or if not something that fat (with 8500-10000mAh batteries), there are slimmer options. Other popular devices might have cases with built-in batteries, but that's just not the same (plus they're fat and longer as well). And carrying around a charger/cord is an annoyance as is one of those battery blocks or whatever they're called.
Manufacturers are also touting their software that has so-called ultra-power saving modes, but that's just not the same thing (since if you need to use the mode, you're also not using your phone). And it's no substitute for simply cramming a bigass battery in the phone.
I'll conclude my musings with a story - a true one.
In November I was forced to walk home from work because of a flat tire. Rather than walking down a main road, I went down a side-road (it was quicker) that wasn't well lit. Tucson isn't really a city, it's more a big town, so it wasn't like I was walking down a sketchy alley like you see in a movie. It was just a road through a residential area. Right by a highschool. Long story short, I got jumped by 2 guys, beat up and stabbed in the abdomen. I'll spare the details (it wasn't cinematic - I got my ass kicked and couldn't fight back). I tried calling the 911, but touchscreens don't work when covered in blood. A passer-by called for me, and help was on the way.
At this point in time, I got my phone to respond, and I called my parents. My phone was a Motorola Droid Razr Maxx, and it's beefy 3300mAh battery was at 69% after a 11 hour shift at work, which included texting my boss and complaining about not having enough help, and complaining on Facebook about how much my day was sucking (little did I know...). By the time I called my parents again and my boss to let him know what happened, my phone was down to 63%. All the police left me with was my phone, keys and wallet. It should have occured to me to ask for my charger (and work clothes - they cut all mine off and put them in evidence) from my backpack, but hey, I just stabbed and the crap kicked out of me and wasn't thinking very clearly.
I spent the night in the hospital, during which I used my phone to text and FB to let my friends and family know what happened (and to check every few minutes for "get well" messages). By the time a friend brought me my backpack (which the cops were nice enough to drop off at my work for me), my battery was at 9%.
The point is you can't always rely on having a charger or a spare battery when you need one. And I don't mean "need" as in you want to charge it because you're on a hot streak on a game, or you have to go into a power-saving mode. I mean need it. That's why I want bigger batteries in phones and more phones with them. On a side-note, it's a good idea to memorize a few important phone numbers (friends/family/work), because you might not even have your phone when the worst happens, or you have it but the battery completely dies.
And BTW, I'm fine. Went home that evening, was up and about in 2 days and back at work a week after. I was very lucky. Cops never found the guys though.
I much prefer a power bank. Granted my first instinct used to be get a larger, high capacity battery and a case to fit it in..
But then my flip cover became important to me, so I ended up with a power bank.. and actually I'm much happier and more mobile this way.
I either prefer a phone that is really power efficient or has a huge battery
Lol love the Sir Mixalot reference
I just replaced the batteries in my HTC One V (which is a "non-replaceable" one). After viewing a youtube video that showed the procedure I was able to do it during 15 minutes.
I think this is not much time for 2 years of usage. Why would I want to remove the battery? A removable battery requires extra room for an elsewhere unneeded cover.
Even if I don't want to do it myself I could spent the 30$ for the replacement by a professional or I would buy a new phone because a two year old model is no longer powerful enough...
frakn said:
Why would I want to remove the battery?
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Click to collapse
To pop in a fresh spare, duh.
I have 2 phones at the moment. A Samsung Galaxy Light and a Nexus 4. The Galaxy Light has a 1800mAh battery. Pretty small, but so is the phone. But it's replaceable, so I bought a spare. I only recently got the Nexus 4, 2nd hand. Replaced a broken screen, and while I was at it, I put a brand new battery in. It wasn't difficult, but it's not exactly something you can do on-the-fly, or would want to. Being stuck with the internal battery, I'm toying with custom kernels to maximize battery life.
If you read my whole post, including my sob story, you'll understand my point is that your best plans and intentions are probably going to be thrown out the window when the SHTF. You won't always have a charger, or a spare battery, or your power bank. When in the hospital, I asked the nurses/orderlies if anyone could lend me a charger, even for a brief time, but they all had iPhones.
Too many phones have smallish batteries because people want thin phones, and there aren't enough options available for those that want phones with bigger batteries. The point is that you never know when you might need extra time from your phone, be it an unexpectedly long day at work, a broken-down car on a road trip, or an overnight stay at Hotel Liverstab.
I don't want to insist in my point but even a large battery will be empty in the moment you will need it. That's murphys law...
You are right, bigger batteries would be better but people want tiny phones with giant screens and endless running times and tremendous computing/gaming power. All of them is simply not possible. So constructors ask their marketing departements what to do. And _most_ people can live with existing solutions.
I think if you search hard you will find somewhere a "survival phone" with a hand crank like this :
http://www.dx.com/p/dynamo-hand-crank-usb-cell-phone-emergency-charger-24036#.U-DHpERceVk included. :silly:
Good thread and I agree completely. The only issue I have with your reasoning is that there ARE large battery, high spec phones on the market. But phones have become like jewelry and practical considerations aren't a priority for most users (cough, cough...... The iPhone). The trend towards thinner phones is driven by looks, ego and trendiness since that's what the majority of smartphone users (iPhone type teens and housewives) are looking for. The Huawei Honor 6 isn't the best looking phone on the market but at 5 inches fhd, a massive 3100mah battery, superb processor, dual sim half the price of comparable phones and only 7.5mm thick you would think it would outsell everything. But it probably won't once it becomes widely available. life teaches us otherwise. After all, what use is Kim Kardashian outside of the bedroom? But she seems to be doing ok!
Galaxy S3 with 4400mAh
I have a Galaxy S3, I bought it since the release day (2 years now). I bought also a 4400mAh battery from amazon, and guys, this battery is amazing.
I travel a for my job, I spend on the plane more than 8 hours and I can use the phone without worry about the battery (and also I always carry on with me the original battery), when I am not traveling I use waze to drive to the office that is 30 minutes away from my home without traffic and I use toghether with waze when I am driving Google Music. Sometimes I play plant vs zombies 2, whatsapp, twitter, facebook, evernote, BBM, etc. At the end of the day my battery usually is 15%.
The only inconvenient is the cover, because the battery is bigger, and need another cover, this cover is now broken after 2 years and I need to stick it with some tape hahaha. It does not look to nice but I prefer to have this battery than the original one.
I would happily use a thicker phone if it meant longer batter life and better battery efficiency. My GS3 got about 3 hours of screen-on time when the battery was new. I'd happily have a thicker phone if I could get 8-9 hours SoT out of it.
i Agree, but just in case i have a power bank for my Huawei P1.
Personally I don't mind batteries that drain quickly by XDA's standards. I generally don't use my phone on a continuous loop very much and it's very rare that I'm not around a charging device. So I guess I'd fall in the "give me slimmer" camp. I like my phones to be slim and light over bulky and heavy.
I don't think bigger batteries are the long term solution. Don't get me wrong, I would love to see a battery as large as a screen fit into a phone form-factor, but I think there are still LOTS of gains to be made in software optimization.
IMO, one of the reasons why Linux typically has inferior battery life compared to Windows / Mac is with patents. Google has made steady improvements with Android, but I think if Android was as efficient as iOS we would hardly be complaining about 2800/3100 mAH batteries.
xperia z3c kinda broke the taboo of usual 1 day crap battery , i hope manufacturers follow sony;s trend and for once dont compromise on battery
Lol
I read the title as i like big butts
Battery Mugen Power 6640 mah with qi charge and nfc is a nice opcion.
Good quality , have a case with qi charge and nfc functional.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.es/ulk/itm/302632998267
is this a legit battery? seems too good to be true..
Not quite too good to be true!
Seemanthinis said:
is this a legit battery? seems too good to be true..
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Click to collapse
Yeah, "extended batteries" are a thing, been around over a decade
In this case (and typically) it's 2 regular dimension/capacity cells in one wrap, each with their own protection circuits and with parallel wiring between those and the phone. Dead simple, they're all over the place, DIYable quite easily and safely if you have 2 new batteries:
Just parallel up the +/- terminals, keeping the wires as short as poss (ideally even length to the phone contacts, personally I'd make it flexible enough to flip them over periodically to extend lifespan).
Then play around with thermo contact until it's happy (obvs the hotter battery is the one closest to phone and it's contact will already be connected so no worries there)
Throw on a fatter cover or mod and done.
Only "too good to be true" bit is that in theory when one cell gets tired, it'll drag the other down with it, because the manufacturer won't have invested in a proper charge balance system (no need IMHO, would just shove the price up, cost space and probably wouldn't restore enough use cycles to be worthwhile if you were using sub-"premium" cells)
Speaking of price - as I've covered, this "tech" can be done for WAAAY under 24.00EUR. And I guarantee you Mugen etc aren't spending more than a couple of bucks per battery!
Generic extended battery covers are cheap, available and all made to fit a doubled up battery - Only exceptions are tripled-up batteries (much rarer than they used to be) and once I found a cool N4 setup with a standard size cell hiding under one twice it's surface area/capacity (same thickness) making for a unique-looking triple capacity battery with the thickness of two. Maybe they went to the effort of a charge balancer for that one, but even if they didn't, who cares! Legends.
Couldn't say which off top of my head but one of the contacts will be NFC of course, (so bear in mind if anyone goes there)
what other best battery options are available with the normal size of battery so i can replace the original battery which is dead now.
It looks like you can also buy from mugen directly from their site.
https://mugenbattery.com/shop/samsu...ed-6640mah-battery-for-samsung-galaxy-note-4/
Has anyone here used this battery before? This looks really interesting, especially the ability to use NFC with an extended battery.
I would guess a custom kernel will be needed to support recognizing the extra capacity when using a custom ROM.
I ordered this case with a 50% discount from Amazon.com, so I'm only half biased here. If I would have received this case free, this would be written differently, as a disclaimer.
I've had this case for a little more than a week, and I must say that it's pretty handy. To get there most use, I suppose the meaning of the instructions might indicate discharging the phone to about 2-3% usable power before pushing the little button on the reverse of the case. Complete power cycles on advanced lithium cells isn't necessary, but could improve life of the device battery, not the extended battery. Using the battery and putting the phone in the case can be done by an early teenager. Very simple design indeed, but effective. One thing lacking in the instructions, is that it's written like when these were installed on devices with removable batteries and went straight into the terminals as a replacement. The days of running my battery on a note 4 until at two percent for about 8 hours are over. I think as an auxiliary battery, it's better to start charging around 15%, because the LG V30 starts doing its battery saving thing then. As far as cost and value, the benefits outweigh the cost moderately because if you're willing to part with what you'd spend on Bluetooth speakers, decent earbuds, or a case, for example, maybe you'd like to be able to do long trips, or drive Uber or Lyft for extended periods without plugging into a 12v charger for a couple days.
I was able to squeeze three days of continuous use, navigating on the bus system in Phoenix, bumping my Apple music, browse news, take lots of video, use Twitter and Instagram for hours, edit articles on Wikipedia, and another wiki without worrying about losing my changes.
I'm in Arizona, where heat can sap a 3000 mAh battery's power very quickly, and this heavy, however robust product exceeds my expectations over and over. I'm considering a 10000 mAh battery for my Note8 next. One cool feature is the center of gravity of all things considered. If dropped, the heavy side falls first, and though the case provides no protection, the concept of the peanut butter on bread dropped from a ladder landing peanut butter side down still holds true here. Most falls from height should be on the battery because of this phenomenon called gravity.
Only downside is the weight. It's almost a pound more. But if you're me, you're caring a gallon of water with you which is about seven pounds.
I rate this accessory a 4.75 out of 5 just because of the cumbersome design.
I'd improve the spread of the load across the entire device with two or three cells connected around the camera and fingerprint sensor in addition to the big cell at the bottom, and even out the case, so that it's not all at the bottom.