Using the 3G network to download podcasts/stream, a flash/video light, a great external speaker you want to use instead of headphones are energy hogs. Add to that pushed email and multi-tasking several applications plus using GPS with apps all suck power out of your BlackBerry Storm.
I looked at a number of ways to conserve power with the standard battery, but all of them detract from the reasons I wanted to use this phone in the first place. If I am at a news event wildly picture and video tweeting, the last thing I need is a dead battery.
My random internet choice for an extended life battery was the Seidio 2600mAh battery. It's available from many suppliers.
The company says that the battery provides 90% more battery life than the standard BlackBerry cell. The catch is that it comes with a replacement phone back to accommodate the larger size.
The battery replacement is as easy as performing a warm boot to the phone.
I found Seidio's new plastic cover a bit more finicky to latch than the OEM BlackBerry metal cover, but oddly enough it seems to go easier after it's been on and off a few times. I found that just closing the cover and slipping it into the BlackBerry leather holster seems to be the best method for latching it.
The cover only adds about 3-4mm to the thickness of the phone and doesn't impede the magnetic auto-lock/sleep feature with the leather holster. It's a tight fit, but it fits into the OEM case.
I actually like what the extended case does for the handling and desktop use of the phone. The plastic has a rubbery feel that makes the phone easier to handle and it sits more firmly on a flat surface as compared to the OEM case's touch points. As an added benefit, the case brings the external speaker away from a flat surface and maybe adds a little bass to the normally crisp sounding speaker.
I still tether up the phone for a charge while driving, but the added buffer gives me a piece of mind that I can tweet away into the wilderness at any time.
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