Anyone who has used a modern smartphone for longer than a few hours knows that battery life is a concern. This is especially pronounced on the iPhone because of the non-removable battery. Many companies have made attempts to address battery life. However, sometimes you just need a little extra battery life without all the bulk associated with a case or ugly dongle sticking out the bottom of your phone.

Enter the new Primo micro battery pack from Phonesuit. It’s a small 800mAh lithium ion battery designed to plug into the bottom of the iPhone, iPod, etc and provide some additional juice when needed. It’s small enough to fit in your pocket, and comes with a cap that can be attached to your keyring. It charges via mini USB, and has lights to indicate charge status and battery life remaining. It’s not much larger than a lipstick case, and comes in an attractive case reminiscent of the iPhone’s styling with a chrome ring and black or white case.

Phonesuit claims an additional 3 hours of talk time with the Primo attached. I’m not a huge phone talker, but I had the chance to use it over the weekend to test some recharge cycles. I found that it will consistently recharge my phone an additional 65-75% before the Primo is drained. That makes sense considering the mAh it contains, and it’s a welcome addition to the lineup. Another advantage mentioned is that with the Primo attached, the speaker is no longer covered by your hand while playing games in landscape mode.

I’ve used several different external batteries/charging solutions. My favorite iPhone case/charger is still the MiLi Power Pack. However, I use a case with my phone, and I don’t want the hassle of removing my case every time I need a quick top-off and don’t have a charging cable with me. The Primo is perfect to slide in my pocket and carry with me; I know that it will allow me to continue using my iPhone 3Gs until I can get to a charger.

At the $34.95 price, this is something I’ve found is good peace of mind. There’s nothing worse than being stuck somewhere with a dead phone battery. Slip this in your pocket or purse, and head out the door. If you need to juice up, just plug it in. It is compatible with iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPod, iPod Classic, iPod touch, iPod touch 2G and iPod Nano.

A simple yet elegant solution.

Find it at Phonesuit.com