A few months ago, I did a review of a HyperMac battery for charging and powering MacBooks, MacBook Airs and MacBook Pros. I found it to be an extremely useful device to give you an extra hour or so of “away from the plug” time. So, I figured that I would drop by the HyperMac booth at the MacWorld Expo to see what new items they had. Well, they had a great booth spot, right at the entrance of the exhibit hall and their display was lit up with colors and crowded with people!

New HyperMac Lines

The colors come from a new line of batteries designed to power iPods, iPhones, iPads and other USB-powered devices. There was a color for just about every taste and style. And the 3 new models truly came alive with these new colors. The new models that were introduced are:

• HyperMac Nano
• HyperMac Micro
• HyperMac Mini

and are available in the following colors (all designed to match the 9 iPod Nano): purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, red, pink, silver and black.

Each of these battery types are small and easy to take on the go and provide a varying level of power and capacity:

• HyperMac Nano – charges iPhone 1.5 times on single change at 1800mAh
• HyperMac Micro – charges iPhone up to 3 times at 3600mAh
• HyperMac Mini – charges iPhone up to 6 times at 7200mAh

Obviously with the increased battery capacity, you have a larger (and heavier) footprint. These batteries (with the exception of the Nano) can be charged using USB or a wall outlet with the included USB cable and AC adapter. (See the Specifications section below.)

HyperMac Nano Up Close

I have spent some extended time with the HyperMac Nano, which is the smallest and most portable battery of the group. It looks a lot like a large, fat Zippo lighter and is very smooth and fits easily in a pocket. I chose the silver color as it has the most versatility from a looks standard (despite the fact that it will be used by my daughters and they have blue and red iPod Nanos).

When I first unpacked the Nano, I was a bit confused, despite having been given a quick overview of the product at MacWorld. It did not come with a charging cable (Nano only) and I couldn’t find a slot to plug in a USB cable to charge it. I almost pulled the thing apart (which would have broken it) looking for the place to juice it up.

Then I found HyperMac’s innovative solution. For starters, they decided to attached a short flexible cord that has the iPod Dock Connector on it. This clearly differentiates them from others in the space who tend to have rigid connectors, causing those designs to be fragile and awkward when used. The iPod dock connector plugs into a small slot on the top of the battery (see the picture for details).

Then I realized that the slot was actually a dock port where you plug in a tradition USB dock connector that is attached to your computer (that comes with an iPod). VERY innovative! The only downside that I see is that you need to have one of those Apple Dock Connector cables available to charge. But you are normally charging your iPod with one, right? It would have been cool to also have a micro-USB slot as an alternative, but I’m not really complaining.

Simply plug the HyperMac Nano battery into your iPod of any flavor and it immediately starts charging. Very simple and extremely portable. Another innovative design choice that HyperMac made was to make the lid to the battery magnetic so that it would attach to the bottom of the battery itself. The magnet is not very strong though so don’t think it will stay attached on-the-go, it is really designed to keep the lid in place when sitting on a table or flat surface during charging.

Each of the various HyperMac batteries use high-end lithium ion cells (US Military strength, I’m told) and are rechargeable up to 1000 times. Each battery has a 1 year warranty as well.

Specs and Pricing

Below are the specifications and pricing for each HyperMac battery line (from the HyperMac website):

HyperMac Nano

• Price – $69.95
• Capacity – 1800 mAh
• Battery Type: Lithium Ion
• Standby Time: Up to 450 hours
• 2G Talk Time: Up to 18 hours
• 3G Talk Time: Up to 7.5 hours
• Wi-Fi Internet: Up to 13.5 hours
• 3G Internet: Up to 7.5 hours
• Audio Playback: Up to 45 hours
• Video Playback: Up to 15 hours
• Dimensions: 3.4 x 1.5 x 0.55 inches
• Weight: 2.4 oz
• Input Power: 5V/500mA
• Output Power: 5V/1A

HyperMac Micro

• Price – $89.95
• Capacity – 3600 mAh
• Battery Type: Lithium Ion
• Standby Time: Up to 900 hours
• 2G Talk Time: Up to 36 hours
• 3G Talk Time: Up to 15 hours
• Wi-Fi Internet: Up to 27 hours
• 3G Internet: Up to 15 hours
• Audio Playback: Up to 90 hours
• Video Playback: Up to 30 hours
• Dimensions: 3.7 x 2.7 x 0.6 inches
• Weight: 4.7 oz
• Input Power: 5V/1A
• Output Power: 5V/1A

HyperMac Mini

• Price – $119.95
• Capacity – 7200 mAh
• Battery Type: Lithium Ion
• Standby Time: Up to 1800 hours
• 2G Talk Time: Up to 72 hours
• 3G Talk Time: Up to 30 hours
• Wi-Fi Internet: Up to 54 hours
• 3G Internet: Up to 30 hours
• Audio Playback: Up to 180 hours
• Video Playback: Up to 60 hours
• Dimensions: 5.2 x 3.1 x 0.55 inches
• Weight: 8.4 oz
• Input Power: 5V/1A
• Output Power: 5V/1A

During their launch promotion (and I’m not sure how long that will be), the batteries are discounted by $20 dollars which makes them a fairly reasonable purchase.

Obviously, I’m a gadget junkie and frequently burn through batteries like there is no tomorrow. But with all of the new types of power solutions popping up, I’m finding it difficult to actually run out of power when I’m on the go. HyperMac’s new battery line makes the “keeping your device powered” process better, but it now does it in a very colorful and stylish way!

Disclosure Text : I have a material connection because I received a gift or sample of a product for consideration in preparing to write this content. I was/am not expected to return this item or gift after my review period. More information can be found in my About page as well as here.

HTD says: HyperMac has proven that they are a reliable source of power on the go and with their colorful new product line, truly personalizes those battery choices.