I did a lot of travelling this summer, and my worry while travelling or playing tourist is running out of juice on my Z10. Many could say to just grab an external charging pack or the LS1 charging kit. Yes, I could do that, but why not explore some other options like the Seidio and Mugen battery cases, or the Mugen extended capacity battery. Below you will find 3 accessories that I could not have made it through my travels without. And I hope that they can help your power stay on while on the go.
The Seidio PRIME is a 2600mah external battery pack for your device. It as an all around good case that fits the device really nice. For having an extra battery under the hood it doesn’t add too much bulk. I found the feeling of it in my pocket and in hand was like I had a full armour cover on the device, when it really was just the battery shell. If you are used to having one of the full device cases on your z10, this one can replace it. Losing some protection on the face, but enabling over a full charge on the go. The nub on the side can be a bit of an annoyance, but it ensures the stability of the connection.
The PRIME case provides a little over one full charge for the standard LS1 battery. If I powered it on at around 10-15% left on my battery, it was able to provide a full charge with moderate use over about a 2 hour time. Now please realize as much as this is an external battery, it mainly just recharges your installed battery. At any point you can turn off the charge by simply pressing button on the back, to save what’s left for a situation where you might really need it.
Over all it has a very nice grip and feel to it, it’s slim design is manageable and not too bulky. The device fits in the shell very snug, and there are no worries of it falling out. My only criticism has to be the nub on the side that enabled the connection. Due to where the charging port is on the Z10, this was really the only option to ensure a solid connection at all time and provide longevity. It can be annoying, but you get used to it. Also be prepared to lose NFC capabilities with this shell on, I am not a huge NFC user, so it did not come in to play when reviewing the case.
Next up is a tag team from Mugen. They were able to make an extended capacity battery for the Z10, while fitting in to the OEM slot on the device. It enables the device to now have a capacity of 1900mah, now that is really only 5.5% more battery power… but when you need, it is there. One of the things I noticed right off the bat was that the battery did not get hot like my LS1 did. If I was charging with playing a game, or on a bluetooth call for a long time, I found my LS1 would get really warm. Temperature meters on device said that my LS1 had would reach 38C which isn’t good. Over all it is a really good alternative to the stock battery, and even that little bit of extra juice help. One thing I will mention, it seems that they might have cloned the LS1 chip for how the phone reads the battery. So when you hit the last few percentile on the battery, the phone doesn’t read it correct. You stay on the red battery icon for a very long time, as the device sucks every last drop of power from the battery. Regardless, it is a solid addition that every power user should have. Just be careful when ordering. There are different models for the LTE and non LTE Z10’s.
Last but definately not least is Mugen’s battery pack for the Z10. It holds a slightly bigger capacity than the Seidio one. Offering 3000mah, compared to the 2600. Right away you can tell there is a bigger battery in the shell. The case if a little more bulkier. You know you have literally 1.5 extra batteries strapped on and ready to serve. I found when I had this case on the back, I had the tendancy to put the phone in my travel bag rather than pocket.
You will notice the back of the shell is smooth, but that doesn’t make it have less grip. The humped back helps keep the phone in your hand, kind of like how a standard handset feels on a land line. And another thing they did was they went without an always connected charging port. Their USB connector slides out from a hidden compartment within the shell case. Able to be plugged in when needed and hidden then not. It really shows they put some good money into engineering a solid extended battery case.
Over all I enjoyed having this on me, it actually enabled me to get over a full charge on the device, with some power to spare for when needed. It had a decent charging rate, about 2 hours. Same as the Seidio PRIME. Having the hide away USB connector is a big plus as well, but is semi countered with the depth of the shell having a 3000mah battery inside. The small wire connecting the USB connector to the shell looks frail, but is quite strong. I gave it a few solid tugs, to simulate what it might be like if say it got caught on my keys when removing it forcefully from a pocket. It held up fairly well and didn’t tear or disconnect. The one downfall of this case would be the price. A lot of users aren’t willing to spend almost $90.00 on external battery shell, but at least they throw in free shipping! Another bonus of this case is that it is NFC enabled, so there is no worries about the bulk getting in the way of the OEM antenna.
As you can see, I traveled with a little more than needed back up power. But as I said, my worst nightmare is running out of juice. You never want to miss that photo op, or the chance to look up that restaurant that might be out of the way. All 3 of the options above are great, and all fit different applications. If you are looking to just extend your daily use, grab the Mugen Battery. Looking for a little bit on the go? Snag the Seidio Prime. Or if you’re looking for the extra boost and NFC…. definitely go for the Mugen 3000mah extended case!
