Bulky and unwieldy; two adjectives that are typically used to describe iPhone 4S battery cases. While the additional battery life reasonably justify the use of a huge and ugly case, majority of users would rather suffer from premature battery life than ruin the sexy form factor of their iPhones. Fortunately, a good compromise on this problem is now available in the form of the BoostCase Hybrid.

Inside the package: BoostCase Snap-on case, Battery charger sleeve and a micro USB cable

The BoostCase Hybrid is a combination of two products; a slim, form fitting protective hard case and a battery charger attachment. Its concept is simple. An extended battery that can be removed when the iPhone has been charged without having to leave the iPhone completely unprotected. Sounds great on paper but does it work on actual use? In a word: YES.

The BoostCase snap-on protective case fits perfectly on the iPhone, so perfect that it can be a bit difficult to remove. Fortunately, the snap-on protective case is attractive enough that I didn’t mind having it on my iPhone 24/7. The snap-on case is very stiff and rigid, it offers good protection as I’ve witnessed first hand when I dropped my iPhone on concrete which was thankfully shielded by the BoostCase snap-on case. I also love how the case feels on my hand. The matte surface provides ample friction making it easy to grip. The bottom of the BoostCase snap-on is tapered evenly and flushes perfectly with the rest of dock connector port making it useable with some iPhone dock speakers.

The extended battery sleeve

The BoostCase battery charger comes in only one size; a 1,900 mAh powered behemoth. Attaching it to the snap-on case is simple, just lock on the hole at the back of the case and then slide it fully into the dock connector port of the iPhone. Once attached, it does make the iPhone look like an obese smartphone, but the nice part of the BoostCase is I can simply remove the battery charger and leave the protective case on when I’m done charging the phone.

Charging time of the BoostCase Hybrid has been consistent all throughout the testing period. The extended battery adds around 90% of extra power to my iPhone 4S. It takes around an hour and a half to transfer all of the power from the extended battery to the iPhone and it takes roughly around 3 hours to charge the BoostCase Hybrid from empty to full. The extended battery is charged via micro USB.

Bottomline:

The BoostCase Hybrid is an elegant protective case/back-up power solution. The battery attachment extends the life of the iPhone and doesn’t get in the way of portability as it can be easily removed when it’s not in use. The snap-on case, aside from being used as the adapter for the extended battery charger, does a good job of protecting the iPhone from wear and tear without adding significant bulk.

Pros:

• Removable battery, take it off if you don’t need it
• Lots of colors to choose from (10 different snap-on case colors and two color options for the extended battery)
• Snap-on case is very durable
• Significant battery power (1,900 mAh)
• The BoostCase snap-on is one of the best cases priced under Php 1,000

Cons:

• Snap-on case a bit hard to remove

Price:

BoostCase Hybrid set (1 Snap-on case and 1 battery charger) = Php 3,550
BoostCase Snap-on case = Php 950

Availability:

PowerMac (Trinoma, Greenbelt 3, Mall of Asia)
Beyond the Box (One Rockwell and Restorts World)
Digital Hub (Forbes Town and VMall)
Digital Walker (Eastwood)

Howard

Gadgets and video games are what Howard loves and he was fortunate enough to have dabbled in both worlds professionally. A former Editor-in-Chief of a local gaming magazine, Howard is currently busy jumping from one industry to another, analyzing and writing about all of the electronic toys he loves. His favorite noodles: Pork Leg Bihon.

More Posts - Website