Modern smartphones are a wonder of technology at times. They have Cameras, GPS, Artificial Intelligence but the one thing that lets them down is that battery technology hasn’t improved at the same rate. This results in poor battery life, especially when using the aforementioned features. The Incipio OffGRID battery case tries to solve that problem so let’s find out if it does.
Looks wise the OFFGrid is really nice. The one I have is a glossy piano black that matches well with my black iPhone. There are several other colour options available. The back is curved in a way that reminds me of the 3GS. Also on the back is the Incipio logo, embossed in the lower corner and a camera cutout in the appropriate place.
To put your iPhone into the case you slide it in from the top. There is a groove either side to guide your phone in. Once the phone reaches the bottom you push it onto the 30 pin dock connector, put the top piece on and you are ready to go. The iPhone sits flush with the front of the case and all the buttons are still accessible through perfectly sized coutouts.
At the bottom of the case you will notice just under a centimetre of added length. This is where the goodies are. At the bottom you will see a microphone grille and a micro-usb charge/sync port (a micro USB cable is provided in the box). On the face of this section are 2 very small slits, the left one is also for the microphone whereas the right one is for the speaker. Hearing sound from the iPhone was never a problem for me with this case on.
Just under that left slit you’ll notice a power button. Press this once and upto four blue LEDS will indicate how much charge is left in the battery case (similar to a MacBook battery). Press and hold for 2 seconds and you’ve switch the case on and start charging your phone. Its very simple to use.
When charging the case you can either charge it seperately with the cable provided, or you can leave your iPhone plugged in and charge both. The iPhone charges first and then the OffGRID will charge as soon as the iPhone reaches 100%. It takes around 4 hours to charge both cases or 2 hours to charge the OffGRID on its own.
The battery in the OffGRID is 1450mah which is enough for one full recharge, effectively doubling the life of the handset. Charging the iPhone through the case is slightly slower than if doing so via a main power outlet but being able to use the phone whilst the case is charging means this isn’t really a concern.
Holding the OffGRID is very comfortable. Yes, there is some added bulk and weight with this case but its a lot smaller in comparison to other battery cases I have tested. When you take into consideration that this case is doubling your battery life and stops you hunting for a charger then its a fair trade off I believe. I felt comfortable using this as my main case for over a week and encountered no issues. I did think at first that the top piece felt slightly loose when putting it on but it never came off at any point unless I took it off.
If battery life is a concern or you are reguarly away from your charger for long periods, then I recommend this. As mentioned its by far the sleekest looking and smallest of the battery cases I have seen and I was easily achieving 2 days usage and I consider myself to be a heavy user.
The Incipio OffGRID is available in Black, White, Gunmetal, Purple and Red and is around £50 from retailers such as Amazon. If you have any questions then feel free to ask in our new forums or in the comments below.
Is it something new? Was this smartphone announced at MWC?