Review: i.Fuzen mobile charge case

By Scott McCartney
Published on 31/05/2012 12:39

With an increasing number of phone charging devices popping up on the market, the iFuzen is the latest model to grab the attention of the buying public.

Boasting a hard protective case, the i.Fuzen has a few tricks up its sleeve as it looks to stake its claim as the best iPhone accessory out there.

While the casing fits slugly around your phone to protect the back from impact, the i.Fuzen also packs a punch with its built-in headphone amplifier, along with two sockets so you can share a tune with a friend.

The main feature however, is the ability to charge your phone on the go.

A mini-USB lead lets you plug it in to fill up, and after powering up, an LED indicator lets you know just how much charge you have stored in the case. At the press of a button your phone starts soaking up the i.Fuzen’s power.

The headphone amp certainly gives a boost to the audio - and the bonus of being able to let a friend plug their earphones in to enjoy the beats is a nice touch.

But the i.Fuzen does have a couple of small downsides. The makers claim that the i.Fuzen can double your phone’s battery life, but after running a couple of tests I found it gave out less power than expected. After using it to charge my phone for around four hours the power supply was exhausted, adding just 50% to the battery. A second test saw it fare slightly better, adding around 70% but still taking its time to do so.

The second glitch is the casing. Anyone who has cracked or shattered an iPhone screen knows that the most vulnerable points are the corners and front edges, yet the i.Fuzen leaves the phone jutting out slightly from the case, almost inviting a fatal knock to the side.

All in all, It’s a nifty device though. If you’re just looking for a case and battery charger then there may be cheaper options available to you. But if you also like the idea of being able to share music and really crank it up then the i.Fuzen is for you.

• The i.Fuzen is available from Advanced MP3 Players at £69