Duracell Powermat 24-Hour Charging System

Bottom Line

The Duracell Powermat 24-Hour Power System for iPhone 4/4S, replaces Powermat products that have been around the last few years. The name is slightly inaccurate though. While there are charging cases for only the iPhone 4/4S and the Samsung Galaxy S III phones, it includes a portable charger that can attach to a host of devices via a mini USB cable. The rechargeable portable battery that comes with the package can also be bought on its own (*Est. $50). It stores only 1,850mA. Despite its simplicity of use, sleek design, and its high capabilities, there are plenty of other good, and cheaper, portable USB chargers, as one reviewer notes.

Ease Of Use

Dead simple. PCMag.com reviewer Eugene Kim says, "You can simply toss the battery onto the Powermat and it will usually find its own way." Magnets are the magic allowing this kind of simplicity. The cases fit loosely, and users complain of having to remove their preferred cases first, not always an easy affair. Partly because it's so easy to operate, the portable battery is a hit with users and experts alike. Parked along the battery's sides are two cables. One is a mini USB jack and the other an Apple 30-pin connection. When needed, they connect a compatible device to the battery. Kim says, "Setup is fairly straightforward." The portable battery can charge itself and another device simultaneously, while an automatic shut-off feature stops charging when devices are fully charged.

Design

Small, light and sleekly designed, says one expert. Another says it has a futuristic appearance. Only the portable battery charges independently, the mat itself does not charge. At 2.75-inches square and 0.68-inches thick, and weighing less than 3 ounces, the portable charger is very useful. The charging cases are another matter. One reviewer says they are "very slick" and "fairly flimsy," and while the iPhones are in their charging cases, they lose the ability to connect to Apple devices. Kim describes "a somewhat obnoxiously loud chirp" whenever a device is placed onto or taken off of the mat.

Performance

Highly capable. The "Duracell 24-Hour Power System delivers the same wireless charging capability of the original Powermat," says Kim. However, he misses the USB port built into older Powermat models - this one has none. In his charging tests of the 1850mA portable battery, Kim says, it "added about 4 hours of talk time to an iPhone 4S." Other reviewers achieve similar results and say the battery will give most devices one solid charge. Expert tests confirm that the Powermat will perform as advertised, but it is not appreciably faster or slower than when charging a device directly through its own power source.