Customer Reviews

Seidio Innocell Battery for Palm Pre (Black)

5 star:		(59)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

The product is what it says it is. It adds significantly to the battery life--Seidio claims 90% more. I haven't even attempted any scientific test, but it has changed me from having my Pre typically at 10-20% of battery life remaining at the end of the workday to having about 50%. Substantial improvement!

For me, almost as important as the battery life is the coating on the outside of the replacement battery cover provided. One of the things I disliked greatly about the Pre is that the sleek and shiny surface of the case makes me live in constant fear I'll drop the thing. The added bulk of this battery means that it needs more room than in the factory case, so when Seidio provided a new roomier battery cover, it coated it with a soft, slightly grippy substance that makes me feel a LOT more comfortable with my Pre! I like this a lot. If you have handled a Treo 755p (and presumably other late-model Treos) the coating is similar to the grippy stuff on those phones. This is a worthwhile upgrade in itself! It has a more matte appearance compared to the shiny surface of the original case, and if you are highly sensitive to appearances, you may dislike the mismatch between the top case around the screen and the bottom case with the coating. Doesn't bother me at all, though.

The downsides are minor for me, but I am one of those who is hung up on function over form. Shifting to this battery and battery cover means your Pre will bulk up quite a bit! It is much thicker, and I've seen others compare the new form factor to a hockey puck. I'd prefer the Pre be smaller and thinner, but it doesn't bother me that much. With the bigger battery installed, my Pre is about the same size as my old Treo 755p--A tiny bit thicker and definitely not as "tall" in the longest dimension. As of now, I know of no battery case that is designed to fit this combination. Presumably Seidio will provide one soon, and you can probably locate one that works by trying out cases designed for larger phones, but I am carrying my Pre in my pants pocket "bareback" for now.

For me, this was an excellent upgrade.

UPDATE: I found a method at precentral to determine the actual battery capacity as identified by the manufacturer. It turns out this battery only has a capacity of 2300mAh and I am feeling very ripped off. I also have another battery from this brand and it is also showing itself to be mislabeled. I will be complaining to Siedio and posting back here if/when they make it right.

It still gives me much better life than my standard battery, but if they continue to mislabel them I am forced to recommend the other brands available on Amazon and not anything from Siedio. This explains why I was barely getting twice the life when I should be getting at least 2.3x Grrrr.

I love my Pre+. No one does contacts and calendar better than Palm. No one ever has, no one is now, and perhaps no one ever will. But, the Pre uses the same battery as the Centro and battery life is terrible. I spent my first day doing nothing but internet and appstore stuff, and I got about 5 hours of life from the stock battery. Palm should be ashamed of that - I get a lot more than 5 hours from my notebook PC!

So, this is about 2.3 times the capacity of the standard battery, so it should get you through until evening before you need a recharge. If you don't use it for more than a phone, you should be able to talk for a week on one charge.

This is a great choice if you just want capacity. It comes with a nicely finished back cover that is actually easier to take off or put on than the stock cover.

Two problems that you should consider:

1) It doesn't work with the Touchstone charger. I didn't think that would be a problem because I didn't even buy one. Then I tried the Touchstone. They are the coolest thing ever. Sure the wireless charging and intelligent behavior changes when it is on the Touchstone are nice. But, I'm impressed because I can stick in on my dashboard or console and I have the equivalent of a car kit. So much better than having it slide around, or having to look down to dial. I've ordered the smaller Seidio 1350MAh battery that fits in the standard cover so I can have 17% more battery and use the Touchstone when I'm on those long drives. I would give this battery 5 stars if they had an option for a Touchstone back plate. I'd be willing to pay $25-$30 for it, too. Hopefully there is no technical reason why they can't make that for this battery. If you don't care about Touchstone support, this wont bother you.

2) It makes your phone much thicker. Not a problem for me, and it actually makes it easier to type on the keyboard. But, it goes from being "Droid thin" to 3/4" thick. That's thicker than the 1st-generation iPod and about 50% thicker than a Blackberry Curve. If you are looking for razor thin, you need a battery that works with the stock cover. If you only care about long life, this this is great.

There are other batteries that are even bigger, but they are more than twice the price. This hits the right mix of capacity and size for those that can live with a thicker phone. If those two items don't bother you, this is a great battery for you, and at a great price.

Oh, several have mentioned problems with being loose fitting. That has apparently solved, because this fits as well as the stock battery. You should ignore those complaints.

I would have rated this combination higher, except that it turns the Pre into a real clunky instrument. I think it is even thicker than my old Palm Treo 700P. It is great to have the extra capacity, but I think a little trade off between capacity and bulk would have been better. I had to order a new case becuase it would not come close to fitting my original Palm Pre horizontal case. One thing I do like a lot is the easier grip the textured back provides. Knowing what I know now, I would still buy it, but I am a little disappointed by the bulk.

Adds a bit of bulk but I never have to worry about limiting my use because the battery life. That's a good feeling. She is not as sexy as before, she put on some weight, but she puts out. Still fits in my pocket, just not as conformable.

I ordered one of these for my Pre to try it out. Price on here is great.

It is very easy to insert into the phone, and the back cover goes on more easily than the OEM one. God bless China. The feeling is more grippy and rubberized than the factory back cover, and it is impossible to accidentally touch the camera lens with it on (where it was unavoidable before). The camera flash does cause a gray fuzzy image due to light reflecting off the bottom of the deep camera hole in this replacement cover. There are rumors that Sedio is redesigning the back and will replace these for free in the future.

As for the overall feel of the phone with this battery, it feels more substantial and less awkward to open, close, and type on with the slight added thickness. The cover seems more durable than the original.

Battery life is dramatically improved. After two weeks of break-in, I am able to get about 72 hours with wifi on and location services on. This battery is an absolute must if you want to avoid having to worry about topping off the charge half way through your day. After using mine and liking it so much, I just ordered a second for the wife's Pre.

The battery life is fantastic! I tested it with WiFi on (after doing the initial 8hr charge) and left mail, gchat, Tweed and the browser open periodically and 14hrs later I still have 81% left. If you have a Pre you know the stock battery wouldn't have lasted more than 6hrs with all of that running. Highly recommended if you are on the go and can't charge your phone every 4hrs.

The new back plate is actually better because it's textured and makes it more comfortable for my large hands while typing. (the slick original case made me almost drop it a few times).

The only real downside is that it does make your Pre look chunky. It's about as thick as older HTC Touch slide-up phones at the center. (Plus you have to get a new case since the stock won't fit) but the battery life is worth the trade off.

The new back cover has a nice rubberized finish. Phone still fits nicely in pocket.

Battery life seems like almost 4x what it is with stock battery.

Feeling good about this purchase

The Seidio extended battery is a great addition to the palm pre. You no longer have carry around your battery charger with you. I get 19 hours of use out of it until I have to charge it. And thats using the palm pre all day. Great product for people who want to use their phones without having to worry about a dead battery.

This thing should have came with the pre, the first day with this thing after 24 hours my battery still was 74%! I'm not a hard core phone gamer or video user but i do use the internet frequently. This thing does make texting more comfortable and natural feeling, i guess it balances out the weight when keypad is accessed. The bulk it adds is not very noticeable and my phone doesn't get hot anymore prob due to the airspace added inside battery compartment. My speaker phone seems louder too and there is no obvious negative impact on my camera performance either. the backing is a grippy rubbery surface that doesn't actually match but a small price to pay if that kinda thing bothers you. I could go on an on bout the positives of this product ...so why the 4 stars u may ask? NO TOUCHSTONE SUPPORT BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! This product would have been an absolute grandslam if it catered to one of the coolest features in the cell phone market ( one of the reasons i got the pre i might add.)Mark my words all high end devices will have this feature eventually so get with it seido. That being said i love it and even though this product isnt perfect, love is blind. (also the verizon clip holster fits this battery perfect SWEET!!) -Ed

This battery is excellent! When I used the battery that came with the phone, I would have to charge the battery 2-3 times a day with heavy usage. Now, I don't even have to charge it once a day with heavy usage if I don't want to. Heavy usage consists of talking on the phone for a couple hours, texting A LOT, using the internet, email, playing games, and also I live in a area with poor Sprint service, therefore, I am constantly roaming or I have no service and that uses up a considerable amount of battery; yet, I can still go a day without charging it. With light usage (a phone call here and there, a couple texts, playing a game or on the internet for a few minutes), this battery can easily last 2 days without a problem. I recommend this to anyone. The only downfall is that it does make your Palm Pre a good size bigger, but it is definitely worth it!!! You get used to the way your newly shaped Pre feels in your hand, so it's not a big deal. If you want extended battery life, this is, without a doubt, the battery to get!