Overview

Introduction 
One of the biggest complaints about the iPhone 3G is it’s troubling battery life. Although with each software update to the iPhone we’re ensured the battery life gets a boost, it’s still hard to get more than a day or so use out of the handset if you do anything more than use it as a paperweight.

Because of this, accessory manufacturers have released a host of backup battery solutions, designed to be portable enough to carry around with you and have enough capacity to give your iPhone that boost it needs when you see the dreaded “10% battery life remaining” warning message.

New/outstanding features 
The RichardSolo 1800 (RS001) is the third backup battery from RichardSolo, and is the top of the range. The original backup battery from RichardSolo was just a backup battery, with the second release (RichardSolo 1200) including an LED flash light. The RS001 is the combination of these two devices and with upgraded battery capacity to 1800mAh. It also includes a red laser pointer.

While there are many of these backup batteries circulating the market, very few have full “Made for iPod” and “Works with iPhone” certification from Apple. This certification lets consumers know that Apple have tested the product extensively and have ensured that the product complies with standards and is not harmful to your iPhone or iPod. In the case of the RS001, Apple have ensured that the backup battery only charges the iPhone/iPod battery until it is full, protecting from overcharging.

Physical aspects & build quality 
The RS001 is designed easily fit in with any iPhone case using a plastic locking mechanism, which holds the iPhone and RS001 securely in place and prevents the connector pins from any damage. As the RS001 is compatible with iPods too, this plastic mechanism can be removed for use with iPods.

Overall the RS001 measures 50.3 x 10.3 x 110.2 mm and weighs 67.6 grams. Physically it looks like a mini-iPhone – the same shape and colouring but without the large screen and not quite the same size. The slim profile of the RS001 makes it easy to carry around in your bag, glove box, or any other easily accessible compartment. Its weight will be barely noticeable to most.

On the front of the RS001 is the product branding and two large circular buttons – one for the LED light and one for the laser pointer. In between these two buttons are three LED lights, which indicate battery charging/discharging levels.

The back of the RS001 has a single flick switch, which manually disables use of the LED light and laser pointer. This is particularly useful in preventing unwanted discharge of your backup battery when the RS001 is rolling around in your bag or pocket.

At the top of the device is the usual iPhone/iPod interface port. On either side of the RS001 just below this is the latch button, which are used to lock and unlock the interface connector into the iPhone or iPod being charged. You must push in the latch button before removing the RS001 from

My only comment about the RS001’s physical features is that it isn’t quite as solid as I would like it to be. There are areas of the device that feel as though they have little underneath them so the plastic feels somewhat soft. That said, this is hardly a major problem and doesn’t plague the device in any way.

Usage  
The RS001 is particularly easy to use, and using it could even be summed up in one step:

1. Plug into your iPhone/iPod.

It really is that easy.

Once you have charged the RS001 using the included wall charger or USB cable, it is ready to go. The middle LED on the front indicates that the battery is charging, and it will remain solid when completely charged. The manufacturer notes that the RS001 will take around 5 hours to charge from empty to 100%.

When the RS001 is plugged into an iPhone/iPod the top LED will remain solid blue, and as such you will need to use the battery indicator on your iPhone or iPod to determine when the device is charged. When the battery indicator does reach full, the RS001 will continue to charge for up to 90 minutes in order to get the maximum charge out of the battery. This does not harm the iPhone or iPod in any way.

If the RS001 battery falls below 10% charge, the bottom red LED will begin to flash. If the battery charge becomes critically low it will blink 3 times and then turn itself off to save from a complete discharge.

Don’t forget to use the included plastic locking mechanism when using an iPhone with the RS001 as it will protect the delicate connector pins.

The real question however is – how much will the RS001 charge my iPhone/iPod? The question is somewhat difficult to answer but I will try and make it easy:

The RS001 has a capacity of 1800mAh, and the iPhone has a 1400mAh capacity. Therefore you can fully charge the iPhone and have extra capacity left for another time.

This is the longer answer, as answered by the manufacturer: