Extended batteries, seems like I have been leading reviews by just writing the product that I am reviewing, but are extended batteries needed? Ask yourself that question. Do you find yourself turning off features of the phone to save juice? What about charging your phone midway through the day because you work in a signal deprived office like I do.
The answer then becomes a resounding YES! Your phone should not die six hours after being taken off of the charger in the morning. Obviously my case is a specific one because my Droid Bionic spends hours draining the battery looking for 3G let alone 4G. That takes a toll on my battery life and I had enough.
The only true solution to this issue is an extended battery. A lot has been made of App and Task Killers on cell phones, an equal amount of time and web space has been used to debunk their effectiveness. I air on the side that those app killers actually kill more battery life running in the background than do any good. After all, the main idea of them is to free up memory, which is not an issue in 2012 cell phone tech.
Motorola sent us the BW8X 3.7v Lithium Ion Battery and matching battery door, because the old one won't fit anymore. That makes it sound like this addition will be ugly, bulgy and heavy. No, no and no. I use the phone with an included case from Verizon (black belt holster with cross-hatching and a kickstand) and I do not notice a difference in weight.
Its crazy, the phone is already on the heavy side but the battery did not seem to add anything to it. I know the battery is heavier than the included smaller one, but not so much that it is noticeable. A big victory because that is always one worry that the device will double in weight.
Another is the bulge on the battery door needed to make room for the additional size of the battery itself. Again, not a huge issue. As a matter of fact, the case that I was already using had that space built into it, so no need to change cases and I never see the wider-ness of the phone.
Now, did it work. short answer is YES. I would get nine or so hours of normal use, navigation, games, texts and emails. Even less than that if I was in the office and the phone was searching for signal. But now, I can go a full day and trust it to make it from start to finish. No mid day charges or turning off the wi-fi or putting the Bionic to sleep.
MSRP: $49.99
PROS:
+ Not much added weight
+ But lots of added talk time
+ Extended batteries have dropped in price lately, only $50 is good
CONS:
- May make some of your cases or skins useless with the added space from the battery door
The answer then becomes a resounding YES! Your phone should not die six hours after being taken off of the charger in the morning. Obviously my case is a specific one because my Droid Bionic spends hours draining the battery looking for 3G let alone 4G. That takes a toll on my battery life and I had enough.
The only true solution to this issue is an extended battery. A lot has been made of App and Task Killers on cell phones, an equal amount of time and web space has been used to debunk their effectiveness. I air on the side that those app killers actually kill more battery life running in the background than do any good. After all, the main idea of them is to free up memory, which is not an issue in 2012 cell phone tech.
Motorola sent us the BW8X 3.7v Lithium Ion Battery and matching battery door, because the old one won't fit anymore. That makes it sound like this addition will be ugly, bulgy and heavy. No, no and no. I use the phone with an included case from Verizon (black belt holster with cross-hatching and a kickstand) and I do not notice a difference in weight.
Its crazy, the phone is already on the heavy side but the battery did not seem to add anything to it. I know the battery is heavier than the included smaller one, but not so much that it is noticeable. A big victory because that is always one worry that the device will double in weight.
Another is the bulge on the battery door needed to make room for the additional size of the battery itself. Again, not a huge issue. As a matter of fact, the case that I was already using had that space built into it, so no need to change cases and I never see the wider-ness of the phone.
Now, did it work. short answer is YES. I would get nine or so hours of normal use, navigation, games, texts and emails. Even less than that if I was in the office and the phone was searching for signal. But now, I can go a full day and trust it to make it from start to finish. No mid day charges or turning off the wi-fi or putting the Bionic to sleep.
MSRP: $49.99
PROS:
+ Not much added weight
+ But lots of added talk time
+ Extended batteries have dropped in price lately, only $50 is good
CONS:
- May make some of your cases or skins useless with the added space from the battery door
GRADE: A