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This solar backup claims that it will recharge an iPhone up to 40%. Well, it won't. At least not when using the solar function. I've left it in the sun two full days, after which it recharged my iPhone 5 from 36% to 42%. And I'm talking about cloudless sunny days in South Texas. One test I even took pains to move it frequently during the day so that it was directly facing the sun all day. After charging the unit by plugging it into a wall outlet it works fine - 40% on the money. I suppose it's usable under those circumstances, but what's the point if what you want is a solar charger.
If you drain the iSolar battery (like you might if you're trying to get as much power into your phone as possible), it will not recharge on solar power. You have to plug it into a power source to get it charging again. This isn't a defect with my particular unit - they specifically mention this in the enclosed manual.
That pretty much defeats the point of a solar charger.
This product is completely useless. When it actually decides to work, it barely charges my phone. Less than 10%. But that's if it decides to work at all. It doesn't actually charge via the solar panel - you have to plug it in (essentially defeating the purpose of having a solar charger). I thought it would only be a problem for the first few times, since most solar chargers require you to charge them via an outlet for a few times in order to get the battery to function properly. This was not the case with this particular charger. The solar panel took a charge once but after that I had to charge it via the usb again. It would be one thing if this was merely a backup battery pack, but even then it should give more than a 40% charge (in reality only 10%). However this is marketed as solar charger and nowhere in the item's description does it mention the fact it will not actually allow you to use the solar panel if the battery has been completely drained. Talk about seriously missing the mark.
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 22, 2013
My kids love this product. They use it often to charge their iPods. It works great. The trick is to charge it in the sun without anything plugged into it before use. The red light indicates that it is solar charging. You can also charge it with A USB (this is the blue light). Also, love the wood casing. A fun green product that makes a great gift.