RandomMaccess Review: Newer Technology replacement battery for iPods
November 8, 2005 | by Chuck La Tournous
While I freely admit to watching Apple’s recent iPod-related announcements with a certain degree of envy, the fact remains that I don’t have much use for the new features that have been added on to what remains -- for me, at least -- an audio player. I suppose it would be nice to be able to display photos on my iPod, but it’s certainly not a compelling enough feature to get me to plunk down another three or four hundred bucks. Video? I bought a 54" HDTV not too long ago; going from that to a 2 1/2" screen has no appeal to me whatsoever, no matter how mobile it may be.
The only new feature that might have induced me to give up my Second Generation 10GB iPod is the extended battery life on the newer models. My trusty, yet long-in-the-tooth iPod didn’t have the battery problems that plagued many early adopters, but in its almost four-year lifetime, it lost a lot of zing. I could only count on it to provide about two to three hours of uninterrupted use. When podcasts came along, I found myself using my iPod more and more -- for longer periods of time. That two or three hours of battery time was barely getting me through a day of commuting. A new iPod suddenly didn’t seem like such a silly idea.
Thankfully, Newer Technology provided a much more affordable alternative.
Newer's line of replacement batteries run from $19.99 to $34.99, depending on capacity and iPod model. The battery ships with complete instructions, well-illustrated and sufficiently clear to put at ease all but the most fumble-fingered techie. Also included is a small plastic tool for opening the iPod’s case -- essentially a tiny prybar. The tool is well-designed, but the plastic is soft enough to be easily damaged -- in fact, during my first attempts to open my iPod, I mangled it nearly to the point of uselessness. In spite of the directions -- which were perfectly accurate -- cracking open an iPod is still no mean feat; for me, there finally came an almost epiphanous moment where my fingers seemed to understand what it took to coax the case apart, even though it didn’t feel like I was doing anything different than during less successful attempts. My only advice is to be patient and gentle, which, come to think of it, works in a lot of situations.
Once the case was opened, the rest of the battery swap was extremely straightforward: pull off the piece of tape that holds the old battery in place; pull out the wireclip; then reverse your steps with the new battery. The ease of the whole process makes Apple’s original battery replacement policy (trade your old iPod for a new one for a hundred bucks) seem all the more ridiculous.
Once reassembled, there’s no sign your iPod’s been through major surgery. Everything simply works as before, and all my song files were in place. Remember, though, that even if something should go wrong, your songs will simply be re-downloaded the next time you sync your player.
There’s almost nothing left to say. The increase in battery life was nothing short of astounding. My ancient iPod now gets up to 14 hours of continuous playtime. In fact, the hardest part of preparing this review was determining how long the battery lasted -– during my first few tests, the battery lasted longer than I did -- finally running out long after I had fallen asleep.
The most surprising thing about the gain in battery life was realizing just how much the old battery had changed my listening habits. I had all but stopped listening to my iPod in my car, most likely because having to charge it so often was a hassle. I no longer give a second thought to how much charge is left -- keeping my podcasts and music purchases up-to-date on my iPod means I’m syncing (and charging) it long before the battery gets low.
Newer’s replacement battery is a beautiful example of my favorite kind of technology. The kind that works so well, you completely forget it’s there.
Newer Technology’s line of replacement batteries is available from the company’s website.
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