Battery life. It’s one of the biggest issues that we have with modern smartphones and we go to some pretty extreme lengths to get more out of our batteries. When it comes to Nexus devices, they’ve never been known for the best battery life and thanks to their open nature, there are custom kernels and tweaks out there to get a little more juice out of them. Still though, as smartphone users we’re bound by an unfortunate truth; battery technology of today stinks. Compared to the advances in mobile processing and display technology, the battery has stayed mostly the same. Which brings us to the fact that the Nexus 5 doesn’t have a removable battery, which is a massive turn off for some. So, what can you do about it if you really need to get as much out of your Nexus 5 away from the outlet as possible? Well, you can buy a case like this one from Limefuel.
Straight away, the Limefuel case will make your Nexus feel considerably heavier and bulkier. Again though, there’s little that can help this, the 2,860 mAh battery in the case is the main part of the bulk and the microUSB connector makes the device taller. The design does at least fit the Nexus 5 and from a distance, people will think you have a larger Nexus, simple as that. The design is a clean and simple two-snap piece that goes together well and I didn’t fear for my Nexus once when using it. The case support pass-through charging, so you can charge the Nexus 5 with the case on and I’ve confirmed this works for data, too. When your battery gets low, just press and hold the button on the back to start charging your device. Pressing it once will give you a read out of how much is left in the case, on a scale of one to four. I found that the Limefuel case would charge my phone from 15% to full in about 2 hours or so. What’s nice about the case however, is how long you can go for with it attached. For instance, you get the first battery charge of the Nexus itself, then all the time it’s charging, and then one more charge from the Nexus 5.
These battery cases – no matter the phone – have always come with a shakey reputation. They don’t look all that good, and they often don’t work. However, neither is true of the Limefuel case. Sure, it makes your Nexus feel a little like a skateboard, but it fits in with the design and does add a little protection. Using the phone is no way difficult at all, just different. The Limefuel does in fact work, and work well and besides their customer services seems pretty good as well. The cable it comes with is great, too – I was quite impressed – as it’s easily tied up and tangle-free. For $75 from Amazon it’s a tough sell, but for those that are going to be spending a long time away from their wall warts and definitely don’t want an external battery pack, this is great. It’s extra bulk, but if I were going on a long journey and I needed my phone to last, I would reach for my Limefuel in a heartbeat.
You can take a look at the case in closer detail in the gallery below, and purchase your own from Amazon.
