I visited the HTC branch in SM North Annex a couple of days ago. I saw and held in my hands their new HTC Sensation, which is their flagship Android device. I was told that only 10 pieces are available that time and can be bought at around 31000 PhP. I have intention yet of replacing my HTC Desire HD since I don’t have the budget and I’m still contented with it (Sensation’s HTC Sense UI and the dual core is tempting though). But I saw something I need in their store, a gadget that answer the problem to my power hungry HTC DHD, a portable charger.
Android phones are known to deplete battery fast. Especially if you keep on using applications, games and taking pictures with it. My HTC DHD usually lasts 10 hours with moderate to heavy use. A solution will be a bigger capacity battery replacement or a portable charger. Battery replacements that are out in the market today are usually made by other manufacturers, thus are not advisable to use and may affect the performance of your gadgets. Same thing with portable chargers, you can’t be sure if it’s okay to use them. But what I saw and bought the other day is made from a name I can trust, Energizer.
The Energizer XP1000 is a portable charger for most handheld gadgets like phones, MP3s etc. It promised additional 6 hours of talk time for mobile phones, 30 hours of extra music playback for MP3s and 34 hours extra talk time for Bluetooth headsets. It is rechargeable via USB that takes 3 to 4 hours to be full, has power capacity of 1000 mAh and with a rated output of DC 5V.
My first impression when I saw the package was the charger is thick and heavy, but it was the pouch and USB cable/pins that make the packaging look big. Inside you’ll find 1 power pack, 1 travel bag/pouch, user’s manual, 5V charging cable and cell phone tips for Apple, Blackberry, HTC, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, etc. The Nokia tip included is for the newer Nokia models only (the thin one).
After 8 hours of initial charge, I tested the Energizer XP1000 on my HTC Desire HD. Charging lasted only around an hour and managed to add around 50% power to my phone’s battery. I was kind of expecting more from that but I think it was enough since my device is connected via WiFi that time and has bigger battery capacity than the 1000mAh Energizer XP1000. I tested it also on my Sun Broadband portable 3G router and it worked fine. Too bad the 3G router don’t have a proper battery level indicator.
I recommend this portable charger to those who are always on the go. The retail price of 995 PhP may be expensive but it’s a better option than those old battery operated portable chargers.
