The last external battery I reviewed was Satechi’s 10,000 mAH portable power depot. It held a lot of juice but was quite fragile and, at $60, somewhat pricey. Bracketron’s new Stone Battery is much more practical for the average, non-power user.
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In Detail
First off, the Stone is durable. It feels solid in your hand, smooth and round and sturdy. I’ve kept it in my pocket with a smartphone for several days now, and there are no signs of worrying wear and tear.
The stone is small enough that I can slot it into my phone and stick both in a normal pocket without discomfort or undue stress on the cord. Several short drops to a hardwood floor haven’t diminished its functionality in any perceivable way.
Small size comes with diminished capacity, though. The Stone holds 1,000 mAH – just 1/10th of what Satechi’s offering can accommodate. So you won’t have enough juice to keep your wireless hotspot running for hours on end. But you will have enough to bring your dead gadget back to life with enough charge to navigate you home or make a few more crucial calls. I like to use my Stone as an emergency reserve. If my Galaxy S3 dies, I always have enough back-up power on hand bump it back up to around 30%.
The Bottom Line
My final verdict? At $34.95 USD, the Stone is a reasonable deal. It doesn’t provide the longevity of some other alternatives, but its durability makes it more suited for a rough-and-tumble life on the road. If you ever find yourself running out of power just a couple hours too soon, I heartily recommend this as a ‘buy’.