PhoneSuit Elite Battery Case Review for iPhone 4/4S

Without doubt, the battery life of a naked iPhone is among the top in comparison to other phones of competitive nature. Still, most respectable case manufacturers host a variety of average cases meant to further extend the life of your iPhone – today we’ll take a look at PhoneSuit’s Elite Battery Case, and it’s truly a marvel.

In one of the slimmest and most attractive packages we’ve seen here at iPhone Alley, PhoneSuit presents to you their line of battery cases that easily surpass others. Dubbed the PhoneSuit Elite, the battery case houses your phone inside while it’s connected to the case’s integrated 30-pin connector. A switch lining the bottom of the case can be toggled on and off to activate the charging feature of the case.
All serious battery cases have to to add a significant amount of bulk to the iPhone. Although the PhoneSuit Elite is the thinnest we’ve seen in comparison to other battery cases, it does add some additional volume to your phone both lengthwise and in thickness. A portion of the case protrudes further past the bottom edge of the phone, which is where I’m assuming the battery itself is housed.
In terms of battery life, the case has the potential to truly double the life of your iPhone. While other cases falsely claim that their batteries are superior, the PhoneSuit Elite delivers to the maximum extent possible. With 2100 mAh (iPhone 4S’ battery is 1420 mAh), the case can provide about 1 and a half full charges of your phone’s battery. As such, according to my tests, the case does fully charge my phone in two hours after my phone completely dies thanks to the included 5-watt/1-amp output.
Many complained that the iPhone 4S had battery issues when it was initially released back in October of last year. Even though the problem was supposedly rectified thanks to a software patch by Apple, some still claim their phones don’t make them though a full day. That said, your phone can easily last you through the ordeals of your daily life with the PhoneSuit Elite installed – charging your phone the instant you toggle the embedded switch on, your phone will begin to be juiced up.
The case’s design itself is near excellent. Constructed of a soft-touch rubberized plastic, the case feels great in your palms. It doesn’t have any areas to reliably grip your phone, but it’s not so smooth that it would easily slip out of your hands to your phone’s demise. Consisting of two parts – a top and bottom – installation of the case is a breeze. You simply slide your phone into the bottom portion of the case and then attach the top making sure to line up all of the edges perfectly.
While installation is easy in retrospect, the top portion of the case doesn’t fit flush with the edges of the bottom. They were a bit separated from one another – from side to side – which didn’t look the greatest. Further, the top portion of the case consistently got stuck on the volume rockers both while installing the case and also while removing the case.
Along with the case itself comes a plastic screen film, a charging wire and a microfiber cloth. Since there is no protection for your screen built into the case, you can easily install the film for a fair amount of safeguarding against scratches.
Though the case wasn’t intelligent enough as to differentiate between when the case needed charging or when your phone needed charging, thankfully it’s easy to switch between the two yourself. The USB cable pre-included along with the case allows for easy charging. In lieu of the charge & sync cable that comes standard with the purchase of an iPhone, you’ll connect the included USB cable to a port lining the bottom of your phone. Using the switch, here too, you can toggle between charging the case’s battery or your phone. The cable can also be used in conjunction with iTunes to sync your phone.
Equipped with a killer battery and an alluring, attractive design, the PhoneSuit Elite Battery Case is undoubtedly the number one contender for an additional power solution for your iPhone. It comes in a slick package that runs thinner than other cases of similar breed, and it’s available for a price that doesn’t vary out of the norm by too much – $79.95. It’s available in both black or white and can be purchased here.