Customer Reviews

Belkin Backup Battery Pack for iPod 3G

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

To the person who had two of these burn up on him...I had a similar experience. My iPod kept locking up with the battery pack plugged in, and the pack got HOT. I replaced the batteries, and suddenly everything was fine. I was curious so I put the original batteries (the ones that came in the package with the battery pack) in a battery tester and got some really strange results...the tester gauge started bouncing all over the scale! It seems that the included batteries are funky in the sense that they don't supply a steady source of power. My new batteries, in the same tester, move the gauge and it STAYS PUT, rock solid. I can see how an iPod with an unsteady power source would have problems. It seems fine now.

I really like this device for my travels. I often run out of juice on the ipod (only 8 hours won't work for a 12+ hour travel day) itself and since I'm just sitting in the cramped plane seat anyway, the extra weight isn't an issue. I don't recommend it if you want to run with it or use it for walking around since it doesn't really attach all that well to the ipod...espcially if you use a case with the ipod. Even if you use your ipod naked (how could you!?!), it doesn't really attach all that well either. But remember, Belkin designed it so really, it's not apple's fault they have idiots in the belkin design dept.
Overall, the utility is great for long travel times and design sucks
Adds considerable weight to ipod - if you run with it, your shorts may be dragging on the ground as a result of the battery pack
The batteries seem to last longer if stored in the off position when not in use

Why are most of these reviews not even about the damn battery pack?!? If you want to attack the ipod itself, go post it on the ipod product review page

i'm an owner of a 3G/40gb ipod and the first thing i noticed immediately was that the battery leaves much to be desired. i would do a full charge at night and take my ipod out the next day...by the end of the day, after a few hours of use, it would be almost completely drained. it got really annoying. overall, the belkin battery backup is a nice product, but has it's pros/cons.

PROS
1) extended life powered by 4AA batteries. i can't quantify specifically how many hours i've gotten since i've had to recharge. but put it this way...i've been using my ipod for one week at the same frequency (which is just about every day) and have YET to recharge my batteries. i'm estimating around 15+ hours so far...btw, i bought rechargeable 2300mAh NiMH batteries, with a higher capacity, so that probably helps.
2) 4 point-power led indicator...nice to know when the battery is getting drained, even if i haven't had to recharge it yet anyways.
3) does not drain the ipod battery while plugged it...which i would probably have to send to apple for replacement before long with the success i was getting (which costs $100).
4) relatively cheaper than some other battery backups available on the market, particularly BTI's ipod battery kit, which costs $100 and is actually larger than the ipod itself. i got this product for $30.

CONS
1) BULKY. Obviously if you jog with your ipod (which you probably shouldn't do anyways), you'll probably get annoyed with the added mass. even my friends see it and comment on it. definitely not recommended for those who want to maintain ipod's portability. for me personally, i don't mind it as much.
2) can't use a case protector with the battery plugged in. the battery actually suctions to the back of the ipod. so you can't place a protective cover on the ipod. the only concern for me is the screen. ghetto solution: clear packaging tape!
3) cost. $30 + $20 for the rechargeable battery kit. but i need to use the batteries for other stuff too, so...
4) cannot use jointly with some ipod accessories such as altec lansing's inMotion portable speaker system...basically, anything that requires docking the ipod since the battery backup plugs into the same docking port on the bottom.

for those 3G owners that don't mind the added bulk and want extended playability (MUCH extended in some cases), i would definitely recommend this product. i can't speak for 4G owners, although i've heard mixed reviews regarding battery life from friends.

Overall, i'm happy with this product. sure, it would have been nice if they could have made it more sleek in design...but i really don't think they could have done a much better job considering you're adding FOUR AA batteries to your ipod. but hey, i'll take it over the increasing annoyance of having to recharge my ipod after every day of usage.

I don't usually write reviews, but there have been some negative reviews of this product and I felt the need to share!

I bought this unit because I'm backpacking across Europe and I wanted to go completely unplugged. But I still wanted to take my ipod! I saw this product and thought it would be a killer solution! And I was RIGHT!! This unit is AWESOME!! I use regular Energizer or Duracell batteries (throw away the ones that come with the unit! Don't even put them in - they are always useless) and it has given me a SOLID 12-14 hours of playtime, if not a few hours more!!! The unit NEVER got Hot or emitted any kind of "burning" smell. I suspect that the people who had these problems did something wrong or got a bad unit - it happens even with the best of products!

The unit does add some expected weight to the ipod. I mean you are adding a battery pack with 4 AA batteries, but it is more than a fair trade!! You can go anywhere and not have to worry about finding an outlet and/or adapters!! In my opinion, the small amount of extra weight is more than worth it and once you realize the benefits, you won't notice it! With the battery pack attached, your internal battery is not even touched!! So, you are also extending the life of your internal battery which means you don't have to have apple replace as quickly!!

All in all, I think this product is AWESOME and as long as you follow the instrucions, you will love it too! It is PERFECT for anyone who is going on long trips, flights, camping, backpacking - anything that will take you away from an electrical outlet for an extended period of time!

I hope this helps and happy listening! Enjoy your tunes!

PS - This will keep your ipod running even after your internal battery is completely dead. So, you can keep listening to your ipod until you are able to get it to apple to replace the battery!!

I'm a new proud owner of a 5g black iPod with video. A wonderful product with only one major flaw: not nearly enough juice for any lengthly video watching.

The Belkin Battery Pack nicely remedies this problem, providing some much needed longevity to the iPod's video function. I can now watch several movies and TV shows before I have to worry about the battery running out. Also nice is how neatly it integrates with the iPod itself, attaching itself to the back to become one seemless unit.

The reason I did not give this product a 5 is due to some minor flaws in its design. Firstly, it does not actually charge the iPod's own internal battery, but rather runs the iPod independantly. This isn't really a bad thing except for the fact that the energy is drained from the battery pack even when the iPod itself is turned off! If you forget to switch the battery pack off as well you'll wake up the next morning to drained batteries.

Also, the unit adds a bit of bulk to the iPod. It's nothing you can't eventually get used to, just be ready to learn how to hold your iPod differently when operating it with the battery pack attached. But overall I must say that the folks at Belkin have made the design of the battery pack about as efficient as they possibly could, all things considered.

For best performance use 2500 mAh NiMH rechargeable AA batteries. A decent set plus a charger will set you back roughly $20, but they will last longer than throwaway alkaline batteries, plus they can be recharged hundreds of times, saving you a ton of money in the long run. It's also more convenient to simply recharge the batteries in the battery pack rather than constantly run to the store for a fresh set.

This unit does not work with the 40GB iPod at all. After a while of using it with totally brand new fresh batteries, it just freezes up the iPod and causes a scratching sound. I have checked some online forums and others with 40 GB iPods and the Belkin Battery Pak have this same problem.

I have contacted Belkin with no response. I regret purchasing this unit totally. If you have a 40 GB iPod, take my advice and avoid this item unless they come out with some sort of fix.

I see lots of comments that this item does not work with a 40Gb IPOD. Well, it works with mine and must add works very well. I use it when my IPOD battery runs out and gives me more time that would otherwise have. Never experienced any scratchy music or overheating as some have mentioned. Yeh its bulky but then charge your ipod before your run so you won't have to log this with you.
Take it for what its supposed to do - It add that extra life to your IPOD that would not otherwise be there - Whats the alternative - No MUSIC - Take your pick.

I have a 40 gig iPod, getting close to 2 years old. The battery life on my iPod was never stunning, especially since I tend to 'hop around' between songs a lot. But as my iPod aged, the battery life plummeted miserably - Didn't really care while using it in the car or at home, but on airplane trips, it was a major pain.

I bought this battery pack a few months ago, and it works very well. My battery life is now long enough that I use the backlight on my iPod far more than I used to, which in general makes the whole experience a lot nicer. It is also very convenient that I can simply buy new batteries to throw in it when I need a recharge, rather than have to 'tether' myself to a power outlet for a few hours. If you have a iPod with increasingly miserable battery life, this is a reasonable investment to preserve its value.

Several reasons it did not rate 5 stars:
- It is big. One reason the iPod is so nice is because it is so small. This thing is slightly larger than the 3G iPods themselves, detracting from the whole gestalt.

- The suction cups don't stick to the iPod very well. It attaches to the iPod via two suction cups on the back. When they disconnect, only the power cord is connected, and the whole contraption becomes 'gangly'.

- When the batteries start to die, the behavior becoes 'wierd' on the iPod. It starts to skip, believe it or not, and I have had the touchpad freeze, requiring me to reset the iPod once I insert new batteries.

I followed the advise and did not use the batteries that came with the unit. I recently took this with my new Video iPod on an international trip - 19 hrs each way - and it worked to perfection. No overheating etc.

The only confusion was the battery capacity indicators on the unit. Sometime they would show 3 green dots, and next minute it is down to 1 dot. I would turn the unit off and when I turn it back again - it would be back upto 3 dots. I had a pack of batteries ready anyways so no big deal.

I did not play the iPod continuously, but my estimate is if you just watch video (which I did) you are looking at about 7-9 hrs of video watching.

Also, not sure what the iPod battery indicator shows when the iPod is plugged into this battery pack. I think it shows the charge remaining on the iPod battery. It always showed full green the time the battery pack was hooked up to the iPod.

But this thing is an absolute lifesaver for a long trip and is worth a try for $20+ even if you do not believe me! I got this a few weeks before my trip and had it well tested before I got on the flights. Maybe I just got a good one.

This thing is amazing. I bought one for an overseas trip with my 30GB iPod 5G(Video) and it worked flawlessly. One set of batteries gave me enough juice to power my iPod as if it were fully charged, even when watching videos!

I followed the advice of many other reviewers and opted not to use the included batteries, I would probably recommend everyone else do the same. If that's the only complaint I can muster for this product then that's saying a lot!