We have reviewed some Mugen Power batteries in the past, and they all have performed very well – the only thing we din’t like about those were the bulkiness they add to the phone, today again we are reviewing another battery from them, and for another popular Android smart phone – the HTC EVO 3D, yes, EVO 3D was a very popular HTC phone, one of the first to have a 3D camera and a 3D display. With all those features also came the need for extra power, unless you want to constantly keep your device hooked to a power point !
So let’s see how the Extended battery fairs for the HTC EVO 3D, and if it really give the extra miles high end phones like the EVO 3D need in terms of battery backup.[tab name=”About”]
| SKU | HLI-APX515CXL |
| Cell Type | Li-ION |
| Voltage | 3.7v |
| Capacity (mAh) | 3600 |
| Battery Door | Included |
| Original Battery Model | BG86100 (1730 mAh) |
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[tab name = “Unboxing”]
Well, this time – Mugen’s delivery was before time – took around 2 and a half days to get to me , it was well packed in the usual compact packing with padded protection. And for a change they had a white branding on the battery rather than the usual black – looks pleasant.
Inside the packet we had the plastic backdoor, the 3600 mAh battery and the warning card with all the instructions – simple indeed.
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[tab name = “Look and Feel”]
Mugen offers a standard black plastic door with this battery – this cuts on the battery can feel pretty huge – especially the one for the camera lenses, and the camera shutter button – the cover looks fragile when not deployed, however when in use it is strong, sturdy and feels nice, though I prefer the HTC cover over the Mugen one. It will be nice if they improve the quality one notch.
The battery is huge, and almost double the width of the sleek and slender phone, weight wise doesn’t affect much, but obviously heavier than the stock one. compared to the other Mugen batteries we have reviewed, this one somehow felt a little more compact and light – though the phone does gain the thickness and bulkiness – but the battery doesn’t runi the looks as EVO 3D isn’t a thin phone as such, like the Galaxy S II or the likes.
The door’s fit is very firm and feel’s decent in hand – the phone feels bigger for obvious reasons, and it’s presence in the pocket can be clearly felt. Overall, a decent design and worth the added thickness for the extra juice one gets.
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[tab name= “Performance”]
The battery is rated at 3600 mAH which is nearly double the capacity of the stock battery which is rated at 1730 mAh. Going by the capacity we should expect double the battery life, but is it actually double ? Well, we would certainly give credit to the manufacturer – because it does give us more than double the battery life.
Alright, first of all let me tell you that I have been using the phone since quiet some time and the stock battery does not last more than a day with heavy data usage which includes constant data transfer, multiple push email accounts, 24X7 connectivity to IMs, Twitter and Facebook, media playback and basic gaming and calls.
Now comes the time to test the battery, well it does take some good amount of time to charge the battery from 0 to 100% took me nearly three hours to do that, but the usage was just very well worth the long charging time ! The battery lasted me around two and a half days, with constant connectivity and media use. I even filmed videos and took 3D pictures, which does take an extra toll on the battery. On the whole, once again Mugen Power proved that it does last as long as it promises, sometimes even longer.[/tab]
[tab name= “Install or Not”]
The Mugen battery we are talking about certainly does make a difference to the way your phone looks, and it’s a compromise for battery life – though if you are a user like me – who is on the go throughout the day, you should get one of these. Overall, this battery being priced at almost $100 is certainly more expensive than others in the market – but, then it’s performance has proved it’s worth time and again, however we do hope that Mugen Power innovates and comes up with thinner batteries, as the thickness is a big negative. On the whole, we are pleased with the performance !
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[easyreview title=”Install or Not Scorecard” cat1title=”Design” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”3.5″ cat2title=”Usability” cat2detail=”” cat2rating=”4.5″ cat3title=”Performance” cat3detail=”” cat3rating=”4.5″ summary=””]
