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Ask HN: Does anyone use a battery case?

2 points by amac ↗ HN
Hi all, I'm conducting some product research into battery cases and their appeal. On the surface, it looks a no brainer i.e for minimal weight addition, you get 1.5 to 2 x better battery life versus a regular case or no case at all.

So why don't we see more battery cases in the wild? Is the profile/thickness/weight or simply lack of visual appeal that stops people buying one? Is it pricing?

Would appreciated your thoughts battery cases and your experience if you've owned one.

8 comments

[ 2.7 ms ] story [ 33.2 ms ] thread
jcr
I'm unsure if this anecdote will be helpful to you, but it's the best I can offer. During Christmastime, my large, extended family has a big get together with a fun gift game. All the presents get piled in the center of the room. Some of the presents are silly joke gifts, but others are quite nice. Everybody gets a number. When you get your turn, you can either pick a wrapped present from the pile, or steal a present from someone who's already opened one. Each present can only trade hands three times. All sorts of deals and conspiracies follow, but it's a lot of fun.

This year, one of the kids, a boy about 13, got a pair of battery cases for two different iPhone models. Though he had an iPhone, he REALLY wanted to get rid of the battery case so he could pick another gift. I played the part of the "too kind grown up" and "stole" the gift he was vehemently flogging. I don't own an iPhone but I figured I might be able to use them for parts for some electronics project (you can never have enough spare batteries and widgets ;). The battery cases were actually good, band name (Duracell I think) accessories, but absolutely nobody wanted them.

As much as people complain about phone battery life, if you can't get anyone in a group of adults and especially kids to want a free battery case, there may be some issue with the product.

Though battery cases make sense to you, and me, I've never been a heavy mobile user, so I've never had the need for one.

amac
Thanks for the story. I'm playing around with the idea of developing a case, with either a built-in battery or solar, that will help charge your phone.

The problem with solar is the lack of energy density obviously and like you say, mention the word 'battery' in a accessory and folks get turned off.

Both also have the problem we've mention i.e it adds weight and makes your device look bad. The reason I'm thinking about developing this is less about recharging devices and more about doing away with chargers altogether.

Would people pay for something that's better than wireless charging and does away with chargers altogether? Assuming battery and solar technology gets to this point in the future, quite possibly. Then again, the folks at Apple and Samsung are probably already on it.

jcr
I think real issue here is a perception problem. How often have you heard someone complain that their system is too slow and how they need to buy a new system? --I hear this a lot, but the reality is quite different. Their current system is more than fast enough, particularly if they bothered to learn how to use and maintain it better, so the underlying truth is, they just want a new system and they'll make any excuse to justify the purchase. They'll cite "Vanity Metrics" like processor speed, disk space, connection speed, amount of ram, and yes, even battery life as excuses to justify buying something they don't necessarily need. Complaints about the supposed hassles of charging and chargers may also turn out to be hot air... Now that I think of it, if you can figure out a way to charge devices with just hot air, you'll make millions. ;-)
amac
I get you re. hot air and chargers. At work, folks happen to 'lose' their USB chargers all of the time and tend to complain.

I like what http://powermat.com are doing but again there's the feeling you know, will consumers adopt it?

kogir
They make the phone heavier, thicker, and uglier. In my case it's for zero benefit, since at the end of the day I usually have 30-40% charge left.
amac
Yeah, that's what most people I talk to think also. 30-40% remaining battery is probably about average, I'm definitely in that range also.
auganov
External batteries probably work better for most. You just put it in your bag and don't have to bear all the shortcomings of the battery case. Might be a tad heavier and you have to do the extra step of plugging it in while in your bag but that's nothing compared to the alternative.
tomahony
I bought my first external battery this week (Anker Astro Mini 0 http://www.ianker.com/product/79AN3K-BA). It's already saved me twice this week and for €20 I'm amazed I hadn't bought one earlier. I just throw it in my bag before I go anywhere. At worst, you put both the phone and charger in your pocket while charging and continue to use your phone. All this said, I don't think I'd buy a battery case. I have a great case (Ringke Fusion) on my Nexus 4 and I was very picky when choosing it, making sure not to compromise the aesthetic, thickness or weight.