The trouble with the iPod battery

There is one negative aspect to the wonderful iPod, it’s the battery. They have a lower capacity of that claimed by the manufacturer. Compared to some other MP3 players out there, the iPod’s battery is pretty lame. If you’re a die-hard iPod fan, even the iPod battery issue is unlikely to make you drop the I-Pod in favor of another MP3 player.

The battery of an iPod is supposed to last for 20 hours while playing a video. However, most reviews show that it generally gets less than 15 hours of audio play. Under real world conditions, it probably gets even less than that. On top of that, the I-Pod battery has not been user replaceable to date. If you want to extend your I-Pods battery life, you might want to try one of these options. Your first choice is to get some sort of external I-Pod battery pack.

Alternative Power Sources

Sonnet Company produces the Volta which may be the answer. An external rechargeable battery pack specifically for the video iPod. It’s pretty thin, so it won’t make your iPod horribly bulky or ungainly. It does project slightly at the bottom where the LED indicators that show the status of the battery pack are located, and it will add a little additional length and width.

This may just solve your problem as the Volta, which has a rechargeable lithium-polymer battery, can provide audio play of up to 80 hours and provide video play of up to 16 hours! The Volta external battery packs retail for $69.95.

Of all the different kinds of batteries available for the iPod, this product, the Sonnet Volt, is definitely one of the better choices. A while back, some people actually replaced the batteries themselves (instructions were even available online), but chances are that most people don’t want to take this option. Apple does offer battery replacement now. Enjoy your iPod without worrying too much over your battery.