Smartphones and iPads are quickly becoming a mainstay in today’s medical practice. A recent Physician Practice survey found that 75 percent of readers use mobile medicine in their practice on a weekly basis.
But your smartphone can only be a clinical tool if it’s turned on, and we all know the frustration of seeing our iPhone charge drop to 2%. While a fully charged iPhone will easily make it through a workday using a mobile health app like Mobius Clinic, it’s good to have a backup plan.
Battery case vs. power bank
Mobile backup power for the iPhone comes in two forms: battery cases and power banks. If you’re a busy physician or healthcare professional on the move, here’s what you should know about these two solutions for keeping your iPhone charged at work.
Battery Cases
You’ve probably seen people using iPhone battery cases without realizing what you’re looking at. These cases have gotten very slim and you’ll barely notice the extra bulk.
Battery cases keep a small backup battery wrapped around your iPhone to basically double the power you can take with you on the move. There are lots of models out there, but most have a case that plugs directly into your iPhone’s Lightning port. The case and your iPhone charge at the same time via a single (usually micro USB) charger.
The great thing about battery cases is that you get a slim charging solution that’s always attached to your phone. You don’t have to carry around an external battery with a separate charging cord. One fewer thing to complicate your life.
Here are Amazon’s best selling battery cases.
Power banks
External batteries not built in to your smartphone case are called power banks. They can be smaller than a smartphone, although slightly larger options provide much more charging power.
The biggest benefit of power banks over battery cases is that they can outlast your smartphone upgrade. If you replace your iPhone with a new size or model, you’ll need a new battery case as well.
Total charging power is also an important consideration. Power banks provide much more charge for your dollar. The top selling power bank on Amazon (the Anker PowerCore 13000) can charge an iPhone nearly 5 times, compared to 1 or 2 charges with a battery case.
Here are Amazon’s best selling power banks.
What’s the best iPhone mobile charging solution for doctors?
Most busy professionals working in hospitals and clinics will choose a battery case.
While just a couple years ago it may not have been worth the extra cost of replacing a case with each phone upgrade, batteries have gotten smaller and cheaper. Today the top-selling iPhone charging case costs just $26.99.
Neither a battery case nor a charging bank will break the bank, and busy doctors on the move will appreciate only keeping track of one device.