ODOYO Power+Shell EX iPhone 5 Battery Case is Almost Perfect

A few weeks ago, I published a head-to-head review of four iPhone 5 battery cases (by Mophie, Belkin, MyCharge & XPAL Power). Each of these case+battery solutions had their own advantages (and disadvantages). Unfortunately, I didn’t get my hands on the ODOYO Power+Shell EX iPhone 5 battery case in time for that review, otherwise, it would have been the leader of that pack.

The picture above should convey one feature that is entirely unique to this group – a kickstand. That’s right, with this iPhone 5 case/battery solution, there is no need for you to prop your iPhone up manually in order to watch videos or surf the web – the kickstand is built in.

Before I go into the details of things I like (and dislike) about this battery case, it’s important to outline the specs. You might want to head over to my other review to see how the ODOYO stacks up against the competition.

Compared to the other 4 cases, the ODOYO wins almost across the board. It has the highest capacity battery of the group, coming in at 2200 mAh, beating out the MyCharge and the Belkin. Despite the higher capacity battery, the weight remains almost the lowest of the group at 2.71 oz, only the Mophie is slightly less. And the dimensions look, feel and actually are practically the smallest of the group.

In terms of the protection that the ODOYO offers, it seems robust enough. I do wish that the lip above the screen were a bit higher. I do think that an iPhone would survive the skid across concrete test, however, there probably would be some scratching.

Like the Mophie and the XPAL, the ODOYO has two holes for the speakers to send out sound and the sound projects forward, instead of to the side like on the Belkin.

And, there is one HUGE difference between all of the other four cases, with this micro-USB connection, you CAN actually sync with iTunes without having to do it over the air via WiFi. This means that you can leave your iPhone 5 in the case permanently. Given that the case is slim and light and very high capacity, this is a big win in my book. Also, when you sync, you also charge the iPhone as well as the battery case!

To turn on the charging, there is a button on the side that you press and hold to turn it on. If you quickly press it, you can get the status of the battery charge via the bright logo on the back. If it is green, you have between 66-100% charge, blue means between 33-66% and red means you have only 0-33% battery left.

This is actually my only complaint about this particular case. When you charge the battery case via USB, the logo stays lit…and at night, it is extremely bright, enough to really light up the room. I would recommend that in the next version, the light turn on briefly to show that it is charging, and then turn off or pulse occasionally. But that is my only complaint.

In my other head-to-head review, I placed the Mophie at the top of the list, giving it a 4-HTD star rating. The ODOYO bests that by a 1/2 star.

HTD mini rating:

So, if you are shopping for a case for the iPhone 5 (not sure how compatible it is yet with the iPhone 5C or 5S), I would try to get the ODOYO Power+Shell EX iPhone 5 battery case. It retails for $99 and hasn’t hit Amazon yet, but probably will. Here is a search for ODOYO battery cases.

Disclosure Text : I have a material connection because I received a gift or sample of a product for consideration in preparing to write this content. I was/am not expected to return this item or gift after my review period. All opinions within this article are my own. More information can be found in my About page as well as here. 

HTD says: Look no further than ODOYO for you battery case solution!