September 24th, 2008
Will a 6600 mAh battery convince you to buy an HTC Shift?
On my recent trip to New York to cover the T-Mobile G1 Android launch I traveled with just a backpack and used my Fujitsu U810 to write on the road. It was adequate, but the keyboard is quite small and limits how fast I can type. I reviewed the Sprint version HTC Shift back in March and one of the major flaws for me was the poor battery life. Paul at MoDaCo just posted a review of a new 3rd party 6600 mAh battery for the Shift that has me thinking about the device again. This whopping battery (compared to the minimal 2700 mAh battery loaded in the device) is priced at US$239.95.
I see that an open box 3G version (compatible with US 3G on AT&T) is available on Dynamism for US$999 and I am tempted to sell my Fujitsu U810 and pick up the Shift. Then again, this battery adds some considerable size to the device with a nice new cover provided by Mugen Power.
It’s not just the battery that would improve the device, but Paul also posted on how to enable GPS and Windows XP is almost up and running on the device as well. I know I should probably stick with something like the MSI Wind for much less cost and am looking at that device too (I may have an eval unit soon) since it has a much more usable keyboard and better specs.
Matthew Miller is an avid mobile device enthusiast who works during the day as a professional naval architect in Seattle. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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