Apc Universal Battery, 10WH
by APC
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List Price: Our Price: $64.99 You Save: $24.01 (27%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: CE See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Apc Universal Battery, 10WH
Customer Review: Excellent power "safety net" for road warriors
Summary: 4 Stars
I've had this product for a few weeks now and I have had a number of occasions to use it since I travel by air frequently. My need was to recharge my iPhone primarily, but also several other USB powered devices from time to time. APC should be commended for a lightweight, elegant battery solution that looks great and works just as well.
Here's how the APC UPB10 stacked up:
PROS:
- Very nice look and feel, looks very executive
- Solid overall construction and nice metal buttons
- Fashionable, 2.5 inch graduated charging LED
- Charges from a USB source itself, including a laptop, so no extra charger to be carried
- Has both mini USB and full size USB connector
- Surprisingly lightweight given the charge capacity (10W I believe)
- Can fast charge an iPhone as good as a wall connection
CONS:
- Charges only when main metal "on" button is pushed, not just by jacking in the plug, a very minor complaint
- Only charges 20 minutes at a time, then needs another goose of the button, though this makes sure you don't waste power but requires occasional attention
- Very slow recharging, can take hours, though this probably will make the battery live a lot longer
Bottom line, I would buy this product again in a heartbeat.
Customer Review: works great
Summary: 5 Stars
The APC UPB10 power pack worked great throughout my trip around Europe. Between the iPhone battery and this external battery, I could pretty much watch movies all through 12-hour flights and 8-hour train rides. Also as a generic USB power supply, it can charge bluetooth headsets and other devices.
Other reviews have mentioned the need to press the button every 15 minutes to keep the power going, and that did cause me to hesitate a bit before ordering this product. However, I've found this to be the case only when the device I'm powering is already fully charged and no longer drawing much external power. In other words, it will fully charge a phone from empty unattended even if it takes 3 hours, but it will not continually power a fully-charged iPod because the power draw is too low, even when playing music or videos. Yes, maybe they could have had a switch, or maybe the threshold could be lower, but I felt it to be a non-issue once I understood what it was doing. I just use it as a charger and not a continuous power source.
This is a fantastic product, I highly recommend it.
Customer Review: Not bad!
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this because of the short battery life of my iPhone 3g. It works well! I also have a charger in my car built into to my after market stereo, but there is a need for a product like this, especially when traveling. I even use it when in front of the TV (I often go through the iTunes store, checking out new apps while watching TV. By evening, my power is drained, so I plug into the charger and continue).
Pros:
*Provides a convenient, mobile way to charge your iPhone when needed
*Small enough to fit in your pocket (it's a little bit lighter than the phone, and overall, about the same size)
*Provides more than a single charge
*Can be used with any type of phone through it's USB port
Cons:
*Does not hold it's charge for any real length of time (I have not yet tested how long it does hold it's charge, but I have learned that if it sits for a long period of time, there is no charge left). Demoted my ranking 1 star for this.
Customer Review: outstanding powerpack
Summary: 5 Stars
Over the past couple of years I've tried several different external power supplies for my iPods. While some of these, the Nyko in particular, were pretty good, they did not work with my iPhone. When I saw the APC UPB10 on Amazon, I ordered it ASAP. After completely charging the Mobile Power Pack I used it on a flight from Detroit to Paris. I can't say for certain how many extra hours the APC extended my iPhone viewing time. If I had to guess I'd say that it easily doubled the 3.5+ hours that I normally get using my iPhone to watch video.
The power pack is easy to use with devices that can charge that have USB charging capability. Charging the UPB10 with the provided cord/plug is equally simple. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the UPB10 was much smaller and lighter than I expected.
I highly recommend this as an extra power supply. To date this is the best such device that I have used for my iPods and iPhone.
Customer Review: Battery long discontinued, what you buy now is stale
Summary: 1 Stars
Just bought 2 of these, and neither worked at all out of the box. When I called APC to do a warranty claim, they said that these batteries were "long discontinued" and they did not have any in stock to fulfill the warranty. As a matter of fact, they said APC exited the portable battery business all together and don't even have comparable products to offer me. They suggested I return through Amazon (which I am).
Incidentally I had 2 of these batteries previously, which died recently almost simultaneously after many, many years of working great for our family. These batteries were great, that's why I tried to get the same ones to replace them.
My conclusion is that any of these APC batteries you find now are all going bad on the shelf (the date on the non-functioning batteries I received said 2006) and won't last long after you purchase them. Probably better to spend your money elsewhere.