It was a month ago when I received the Lenmar Meridian from Thinkscape Philippines. Let me take you through my experience and tell you how it served its purpose. Did it satisfy my needs? Did it really provide significant additional power to my iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s? Check out my review below.
Installation
Lenmar Meridian is easy to install on my iPhone 5. As a matter of fact, it only took me last than 10 seconds to install my iPhone 5 into the case. As mentioned in my unboxing article, its design and installation mechanism is similar to Mophie Juice Pack for iPhone 4. But it’s much easier to remove the iPhone 5 on Lenmar compared to my Mophie Juice Pack Air for iPhone 5.
Installation is pretty straightforward: Simply slide down the iPhone 5/5s from the top until the lightning port latches on to the connector that is built in to the case. Check out the video below for better appreciation.
Build
The red variant I got gives off an Iron Man-y vibe. It looks good and sexy on both formal and informal occasions, turning your already-cool iPhone to something more badass.
Its semi-matte finish and tapered side bezels give the phone a premium and classy feel. The front holes even helped out a lot in boosting the sound of my iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s.
The case does not use Apple’s proprietary lightning port, but a MicroUSB port instead. I found this very useful as the case enabled me to charge my iPhone even at the absence of my lightning cable. In case you want to know – the MicroUSB port may only be used for charging the phone and case, and not for data transfer. Oh, and before I forget – you will still be able to use any MicroUSB cable to charge your phone even if it’s running iOS7.
There is one thing I don’t like about the case though: L-shaped 3.5mm headphones will not fit because the jack is pretty much recessed into the case. This is easily solved, however, by using the provided adapter. It’s just a hassle to bring this along… all the time… especially if you’re an audiophile.
How does it fare compared to Mophie?
Lenmar Meridian is packed with a 2,300mAh battery – enough to power up your phone for 1.2 times more. Meridian packs 600mAh more capacity compared to Mophie Juice Pack Air. It’s indeed a high-capacity battery enclosed within a sleek looking case. That’s hitting 2 birds with one stone! You’re getting case, which can power up your device for additional 150%, plus it protects your phone from dings and scratches.
If you compare this to other battery-cases, Lenmar offers larger capacity plus a highly useful charge indication light. Yes, Mophie has the same feature, but Lenmar’s indication light is far more creative and efficient. The color of the LED light changes based on the remaining power on the case. (Green = fully charged/full; blue = charging/90% to 25%; red less than 25% charge)
Recharging the case to its full capacity takes 2 hours, which I think is acceptable in my books. Besides, what’s 2 hours for additional 10 hours to your iPhone on moderate usage.
Verdict
I can comfortably say that you should consider getting this device at Pormada. It’s a bit pricey (PhP3,780) but it’s significantly less expensive compared to Mophie Juice Pack Air (PhP4,675). My overall experience with Lenmar Meridian did not just exceed my expectations, but also give me the satisfaction I did not get from Mophie. Sorry, Mophie. This one deserves 4.5 stars!
Giancarlo Viterbo is a Filipino Technology Journalist, blogger and Editor of gadgetpilipinas.net, He is also a Geek, Dad and a Husband. He knows a lot about washing the dishes, doing some errands and following instructions from his boss on his day job. Follow him on twitter: @gianviterbo and @gadgetpilipinas.
