Review of the iFuzen HP-1 for iPhone 4, a battery pack with a twist

Another contender to the Mophie ‘battery pack’ crown steps up as the iFuzen HP-1 for the iPhone 4 offers much of the same features but with an extra twist. The iFuzen is not only a battery case but also a headphone splitter, and amplifier with different sound modes. With its sleek look and a new revise on current amenities in the market, is the case worth the buy over competitors?

After doing the unboxing of the product, I found its presentation on par with most of the top brands in the market. Inside a mini-usb to USB sync and charge cable, instructions, and the case itself. A blacked out finish on the case tickled my fancy as I slid the iPhone in place and stamped down the top clip. Fits well, tightly in place I thought. I went ahead and synced the mini-USB to my computer and to my pleasant surprise the charge only took 3-4 hrs. before I noticed the snazzy back LED showed a full charge.

Now charged I headed out for my experiment of a ‘weekend with the iFuzen.’ Admittedly, it took time for me to adjust to the cases now 1/2 inch extension over the footer of the phone. I turned on the numeric battery option (jailbreak sbsettings) to better monitor the charging. Whenever I saw the iPhone come close to 100% I switched the charging off to conserve the battery. By Monday morning the battery pack had 50% battery life left according to the LED status, and my iPhone still charged over 70%. The iPhone 4 battery life is quite well on it’s own so this may not be a priority accessory if you are not a hardcore user as I wasn’t that weekend. If tethering the internet, streaming, or even playing tunes on the go, the iFuzen could be your best friend.

The extra feature of the headphone splitter, and amplifier is a nice add-on that I tested out, but have not had to use in a real-world scenario yet. The amplify feature did come in handy when I annoyed the co-workers with my tunes by using the case in conjunction with the iMainGo X speaker. Something you could keep in mind when considering the abilities of buying the iFuzen battery pack. Here is the official features from iFuzen.

Proprietary Auzentech Headphone Amplifier
Dual Headphone Output port to share your listening with your friends
ZX-Driver provides Ultra-Low Distortion and Max 180mW output power
J-FET OP-AMP to provide Vacuum Tube like sound output
Proprietary Auzentech Balanced Power Supply
Sound Mode, Selector button & Status Indicator
Touch panel volume control
Unique & compact design to match your iPhone 4 look
Impressive 1650mAH Li-Polymer battery with Smart protection circuit
4-Steps LED battery life meter and battery life check button
Charge via USB port (from desktop PC or Laptop) with supplied USB cable
Supports USB pass through, iTunes Sync
Last up to 500 full charges

Affordability

Design

Usefullness

Overall

Summary:

3.9

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Tags: iFuzen

About the Author

Joe Rocha Background in Graphic Arts/Visual Communication. A proud iPhone user from the beginning. iPhoneSpies founder, designer, & editor. My work: AdroitGraphics.com

One Response to Review of the iFuzen HP-1 for iPhone 4, a battery pack with a twist

James says:

March 24, 2011 at 4:09 pm

I am from Japan. I was able to get one of these because I liked the idea of this product and I am one of audio maniac. What a wonderful sound it presented me! It was awsome in that this tiny little amp. could bring me amazing sound quality. I was really impressed. I really recommend you guys would buy this product. Battery and case functionality is nothing if I compare them with the sound that come from it. But I really wonder why Joe does not say anything about the sound and amp. quality???!!!!

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