3000mAh

Nomad, maker of the beautiful Stand for Apple Watch and Pod portable charging station for Apple Watch, today announced Roadtrip, a unique combination of an iPhone car charger with a 3000mAh battery. Made from a mix of anodized aluminum and plastic, Roadtrip takes the shape of an elongated traditional USB car charger, packing both USB and USB-C ports alongside a four-LED battery power indicator on its face. Each of the USB ports promises 1.5-Amp output.

Roadtrip is designed for people who want to be ensured a full iPhone recharge whenever they leave their cars, regardless of whether they’ve had enough time to complete the charge during the drive. The power output and battery capacity are suited to iPhones, iPods, and Apple Watches rather than iPads, which have larger batteries and charge fastest with 2.1- or 2.4-Amp power.

Available for pre-order today through October 14th at a discounted price of $40, Nomad’s Roadtrip will sell for $60 starting on October 15th, and ship October 30th. Nomad offers free shipping on any order through its web site using coupon code SHIPUS at checkout. Additional images are below…

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I’m always up for reconsidering the “best accessory” in a given category when something new arrives, and after every year’s CES, the “best iPhone battery case” tends to change thanks to new arrivals. But even though many new options were shown at CES this month, none impressed us enough to take the crown away from Incipio’s $80 offGRID Express (review).

uNu’s new DX-6 ($80 MSRP, street price $70) is the latest to arrive for testing, and despite the company’s strength with multi-device USB battery packs, its iPhone 6 battery case doesn’t stand out in any way except pricing. The pitch is simple: if you want an inexpensive, Apple-certified 3000mAh battery case, DX-6 is your option. But you’ll give up some frills to get it …

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If I had to choose one word to describe how Incipio’s past iPhone offGRID battery cases felt, it would probably be “svelte,” as they were all impressively thin and gently curved. Starting today, Incipio is shipping its first offGRID case for the iPhone 6, and it notably trades “svelte” for “edgy” design. Offered only in matte black, it’s called offGRID Express ($80), and Incipio claims it’s the first Apple-certified iPhone 6 battery case that’s actually available for consumers to purchase. This time, the back is somewhat angular, due in part to a larger battery pack than prior models, and the sides are equipped with the fancy metallic button protectors rival Mophie has only offered in its most expensive Juice Packs.

Incipio’s message is clear: by offering 3000mAh of power at an $80 price point, offGRID Express is practically daring Mophie – and any other Apple MFi-licensed manufacturer – to step up and take a swing at its value proposition. Yes, comparatively unknown vendors are selling cheaper options, and Tylt offers a 3200mAh, Apple-licensed alternative called Energi for $100, but offGRID Express actually matches it in recharging performance for a lower price. It’s positioned directly at consumers who care about both quality and cost, not just one or the other.
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