On some devices the battery isn’t removable so just carrying a spare isn’t an option; it’s not always the best solution anyway as it doesn’t offer any flexibility if you’ve got several power hungry devices. So what else is out there?

A whole new market has sprung up from nowhere to deal with this issue, every few days over the past couple of weeks I’ve seen a new solution to solve my power problems.

One of the most popular solutions available seems to be a small portable lithium battery which you can charge using a USB socket or a normal plug socket. Most come with a few adaptors so you can charge various devices whilst some have only one phone in mind.

Mophie have just released some mobile batteries with a built in iPhone dock connector, some of them even double as a case! The ‘primocube’ by Primo has just been announced and this will charge anything that has a Micro-USB or Mini-USB connection (Android, BlackBerry etc.). JustMobile have a solution which will allow you to charge any phone which can be connected via USB (pretty much every smartphone, GPS or MP3 player).

There are plenty of other mobile batteries out there; personally I plumped for the JustMobile battery which will charge my iPhone 3 times over. When choosing the right battery for you it’s worth taking note of the mAh rating, the higher the better as this means you’ll get more power from your battery.

Free mobile power?

If your life is so hectic that you won’t even have the chance to charge your spare battery you could try a solar powered charger, there are plenty of options out there which will draw power from the sun. They do have the downside of being slow to charge and you need the sun (not always a common sight in the UK!)

There are some other innovative and enviormentally friendly solutions you could try like the ‘HYmini Personal Wind Turbine’, the ‘Wind-up multi charger’ or Nokia’s bicycle dynamo charger!

Whatever solution to your power problems you choose you can be sure your battery will still die on you at the most inconvenient of times!

With devices recently released from big names such as Sony Eriksson, Samsung and HTC the latest addition to the market is the BlackBerry Storm.

Already widely being compared to the iPhone it is RIM’s first real attempt at a touch screen device.

The Storm, like previous devices is compatible with an organisations BlackBerry servers. It offers the usual e-mail integration that ‘Crackberry’ business users have come to depend upon but other features aimed at the consumer attempt to attract a different market. These include a sleek, iPhone-like design, and Blackberry’s ‘ SurePress’ touch screen, a replacement for the QWERTY keyboard.

Clickable

The touch screen is designed to simulate the actual clicking of keys. This is achieved by the screen itself being tactile and flexing as a user makes their choices. In theory it sounds like a great idea – the best of both worlds – but in reality it just doesn’t work. Light touches on the screen highlight an option but don’t select it, when typing you have to press fully the screen or you miss letters. Whilst I was testing the Storm I felt the tactile screen made the device feel poorly constructed, nothing like the bullet proof devices they’ve been selling so well for years.

User Interface

The user interface, one of the original Blackberry’s best features is confusing and inconsistent – achieving nothing but frustrating the poor user.

Do I want one?

An iPhone killer it is not, the Blackberry Storm just falls short of the mark. From a manufacturer that has built its reputation on devices that are more functional/useable than flashy, this is way off.

I’ll stick with my iPhone thanks….