MNB RG Accessories: First Impressions of Brando Power Pack for Lumia 920

Reader, JGrove303 shares his impressions of the Brando battery jacket for the Nokia Lumia 920, complete with it’s own stand. It’s looking pretty cool, and I must say, it’s now on my list of accessories to get for my 920. Thanks Jason! Here’s the first impressions review:

I have finally received my $37 (+$3 for shipping) Brando Power Pack for my Lumia 920. It is available in matte black & matte white. As promised I’m bring a review of sorts to MNB.

The Bitchen:

The fit is absolutely not what I expected at all: It fits exceptionally well! The feel is great, afforded by the rubberized finish. How long that lasts, time will tell, but to compare it to the Mophie Air (the closest thing available and surely the inspiration for the design) this is of better build and finish. All ports and buttons are available with no collision with modern headphone connections. Audio from the loud speakers is unaffected. As suspected, the extra length added to the top, base and back is a boon for gamers, as it makes the 920 more comfortable to hold and less likely to slip out of your hands.

The one/off button, though chromed (yuk) is very positive and the indicator LEDs bright. When turned on, will give a rough indication of charge left and will , of course, charge the 920.

Things I have yet to try out are how the mics work with the case, how photos come out and how quickly the case will charge the 920. At an out put of 700mA, I imagine charge time will be 2x that of using the Wall charger (1,500mA). The Power Bank does give priority of charging the 920 first before charging itself, a huge plus I believe. Sadly, our wireless charging pads will not charge through the Power Bank, rendering us to a wired experience only.

I theorize the surrounding area around the camera could help with bright daylight photos, keeping unwanted light from entering the lens from outside the FOV, a definite plus.

The bummers: It freakin’HUGE!!! It about doubles the thickness of the 920 and adds  82 grams. The weight i didn’t really feel, but the girth, yes. That isn’t to say it’s uncomfortable to hold, quiet to contrary. However, anyone wearing skinny jean will NOT be cramming this into their pockets. Scrubs and lab coats okay.

The kick stand, though a good idea, is poorly executed here, as it is flimsy as all Hell and will likely break if you were to some much as use harsh language or look at it sternly. GREAT care must be taken with it.

All things considered, if you are doing anything that eats a lot of battery, a photo hound or a mobile gamer, this is for you. If you have midget Carney hands or already bitch about the weight of the 920, look elsewhere.

Ill check back in after a week to follow up.

Hope this was helpful and please, ask your questions!

Cheers Jason for the review!

Category: Accessories, Lumia, Nokia