Thursday, September 19, 2013

Boostcase Hybrid: Case and Battery Pack in one



There's always been a sexist notion floating around in society that being knowledgeable with technology is limited to the male species only. There's a whole show dedicated to the stereotype named Beauty and the Geek, portraying women as beautiful goddesses but brainless on the inside, while the men are intelligent creatures with hideous exteriors. It's offensive, I know; but the cliché still prevails. There are a lot of women today in society that care about being in the know with technology as men -- we're starting to see a rise in girls who can tell you the ins and outs of the latest tablets better than most guys today. Because really, who says that you can't look good and be smart at the same time?


Boostcase is something that caters exactly to that market of women who sport a techno-savvy lifestyle. What I have for review today is called the Boostcase Hybrid Baterry for iPhone 5, which is a combination of two separate elements: a snap-on case to protect your iPhone, and an external battery to give your phone the extra boost when you need it. 


The case itself does exactly what you'd expect from a snap-on case - that is, it protects your phone from scratches and minor dents, while allowing you full access to every port and button that you'll need to reach. It also comes with a little extra lip over the edge, which I appreciate, since other cases leave the edges exposed when laying your phone face down.


I like the over-all feel of the case as well, with the surface being matted over with a rubberized texture all around. The deep purple color is plain, but it adds just the right feminine touch to the case. On the back, the first thing you'll notice is that it has a lot of holes. These holes serve more than just a design, but are actually ports to allow other Boostcase accessories to attach to the case, such as hand grips and phone stands. All of these are sold separately though, because the Boostcase Hybrid only comes with the battery pack.


The next thing I find very convenient with this case -- the battery pack is completely optional! Unlike other brands that integrate their battery packs into the cases, Boostcase allows me to remove the battery pack from the case when I don't need it. It's very annoying that Apple designs these phones to be slimmer with every release but you're forced to add about twice the thickness or have an external paperweight anchored by cable just to have additional battery life.


With Boostcase Hybrid Battery for iPhone 5, a quick slide and snap of the battery pack readies my phone for charging, then it can just as easily be removed for normal use. It comes with a power indicator that lights up green when full, to yellow, then eventually to red when it's empty.


One very sad flaw with the Boostcase Hybrid though is its small battery capacity. At 1500mAh, it's certainly far from being best-in-class. It does, however, live up to its claim of giving you "up to 80% more battery life" -- the battery stopped at about the 87% mark before the case was completely drained. This is a compromise though, because a higher capacity battery means more weight and more bulk, so it really depends on your personal use. For an average use who needs an additional 4 hours or so of phone life, this is very convenient for its price point and size.

As an over-all case, I would highly recommend the Boostcase Hybrid. For the price point, you're getting two accessories for the price of one, not to mention that it opens up to the possibilities of the other Boostcase accessories available in the market. Now, if they had this case in black, well then -- ladies, you're just going to have to learn how to share.

Suggested Retail Price: Php1,200

Available at the following stores:
  • 8Telcom
  • A. Shop
  • Banana Telecom
  • Beyond the Box
  • Cellcom
  • Digital Hub
  • Digital Walker
  • E-Central
  • EDS
  • Futureworld
  • Gadgets In Style
  • Globotel
  • iCenter
  • iGig
  • iStudio
  • Mobile 1
  • Powerhub
  • Switch
  • Technoholics
  • TechSavvy
  • The Inbox Store
  • Viewers Telecom

Editor's Note: This article was written by Arbi Bautista, a special writer and contributor of Glich's Life. Arbi is an IT Consultant in one of the biggest global IT companies. He is a music and photography enthusiast, and a great public speaker too. Revisions to this article were done by yours truly prior to posting. You can follow Arbi on Twitter (@sowhatifimmaria). - Glenn / Glich

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