Review: iFrogz GoLite 2600

ifrogz GoLite 2600

It is often said that the best camera you have is the camera you have with you. This pretty much applies to anything, including battery back ups. You can have a 10,000mAh battery that charges your phone and tablet at the same time, but if it is too big to put in your pocket, you will leave it sitting at home. And it does you no good sitting on your desk when you are nowhere near your house and in need of a quick charge.

Enter the iFrogz GoLite 2600. It is the battery backup meant to fit almost anywhere. It will easily fit in your pocket with room to spare. It is a 2600mAh battery back up that doubles as a flashlight. This is not meant to charge every phone in a square mile, it is meant to be compact enough that you are able to stick it in your pocket and actually have it when you need it.

 

Build Quality

The iFrogz GoLite 2600 is constructed very nicely; it is made of a very hard plastic that feels and looks like metal. It is light enough to not weigh down your pocket, coming in at right under 3.5 ounces. Combine the weight and construction material, and it feels very nice in your hand. The overall fit and finish of this product is perfect, something missing from all of those external batteries on eBay. It is almost the same size as a very large chap-stick or a normal sized lipstick, making it easy to fit in your front pocket. I travel light, my wallet, keys, and phone are the only things I always have on me. Adding the GoLite 2600 did not bother me at all, I did not even notice it in my pocket after a few days, it felt “normal.”

An Extra Bonus

One of the best aspects of the iFrogz GoLite 2600 is the fact that the device doubles as a flashlight. When I first saw this, I thought it was weird, almost gimmicky. But after using it, I was sold. First, it is extremely bright. I know you can use your phone’s flash as a temporary flashlight, but the GoLite 2600’s LED flashlight just puts your phone’s flash to shame. Most importantly, just having an extra flashlight handy during an emergency is priceless. I either misplace my flashlights or let the batteries die, both because I rarely use them. But with the GoLite 2600, I not only know where it is, but it is also always charged and ready for an emergency. Again, the best flashlight you own is the one you have with you.

 

Compromise

As with everything in life, there is going to be some trade-offs. With the iFrogz GoLite 2600, you gain portability, but give up a few conveniences of larger battery backups. One of my favorite feature of the ZAGGsparq 3100 was the fact that it did not require a separate plug and USB cord to charge, it had built in prongs. To keep the size down, the GoLite requires and external cord and charger instead of having built in prongs. The good news is that you can use your normal cell phone micro USB charger to charge the GoLite. Another is simply battery size. This is pretty obvious, but if you have a small portable GoLite 2600, it will not charge your phone four times and have enough left over to top off your tablet. The only feature that I wish it had was some sort of charge indicator. There is no way to see how much charge is left on the GoLite until it runs out.

 

Charging Times

I tested out the GoLite 2600 on several devices: an iPad Air, Moto X, Sony Xperia Z1S, and a 2013 Nexus 7. The GoLite 2600 is rated at 1A output, so it would not charge the iPad Air and was very slow on the Nexus 7. On the Moto X and Xperia Z1S the GoLite had no problems charging those devices in a similar time frame as a their normal wall charger. Nothing out of the ordinary here, if your device requires a 1A charger, the GoLite 2600 will work flawlessly.

Specs

  • battery: 2600 mAh Samsung 18650
  • weight: 3.49 ounces
  • dimensions: 22.23mm x 22.23mm x 104.78mm
  • colors: black, blue, violet, red
  • output: 5V 1A
  • price: $29.99

 

Conclusion

I am the perfect customer for the iFrogz GoLite 2600. Being a guy, I do not carry a purse and prefer not to carry a laptop bag or back pack unless absolutely necessary. I do not like having pockets crammed full of junk either. I only want to have what I need, nothing more. So if you are looking for a highly portable battery back up that you can easily fit in your pocket and is built like a tank, then the iFrogz GoLite 2600 will suit your needs perfectly. It will not charge your tablet, but it will be a perfect emergency back up that doubles as a flashlight. It is also a great price coming in at $29.99 and comes in four colors. As I stated in my ZAGGsparq 3100 review, you can find cheaper alternatives on eBay or Amazon, but you are gambling with your expensive cell phone when plugging it into a $5 battery that looks like my 4 year old nephew made it. With ZAGG and iFrogz having a retail presence, you can go to store and play with the GoLite or ZAGGsparq and make an educated purchase versus rolling the dice and seeing what you get in four weeks from eBay.

About Gavin Hall

Gavin is an awesome husband and a fan of anything that makes beep beep noises.

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