[Galaxy S 5 Accessories] JWhipple:
I was contacted by MPJ Battery to see if I was interested in doing a real-world , unbiased review of their 8200 mAh battery for the Galaxy S5. I figured why not? Couldn't hurt, plus I love trying new things!

Here's what came in the package:

[IMG="Battery and Cover"]https://db.tt/kGFxXVta[/IMG]

The back cover is actually a VERY dark brown, but looks black in all but the brightest lighting. It looked suprisingly good instead of the blue back cover that came with my phone , and contrasted nicely with the blue front bezel. FAIR WARNING - The battery cover isn't waterproof , doesn't have NFC functionality (I could be wrong - I personally DO NOT use NFC), and pretty much doubles the thickness of your phone, while at the same time has a nice rubbery feel and feels good in your hand. I carry my phone in my pocket every day and this didn't make it too big to carry in pocket.

The battery is marked 8200 mAh just as it should.

Why would you want a battery like this? Well, me myself, I recently attended the FETC (Future Educational Technology Conference) in Orlando. My cell signal was miserable, and I was away from a charger for 8-10 hours at a time. This battery would have come in handy for such an occasion!

Another example - one of my work locations is like working inside of a lead box when you go inside - unless you stand with the phone in your left hand, facing 12 degrees from west, while applying your weight only to your middle toe and pinky toe on your right foot, while holding your head at a 32 degree list to port, you're not going to get a signal! With my regular OEM battery I'm lucky to have enough to last 6 hours inside this building. Again - having this battery would be awesome at that work site!

I gave the battery a full charge the first night then unplugged it and let the games begin. Yes, I know you're supposed to cycle the battery a few times to get the optimal results, but honestly, who does that??? Sure, you might wait to do benchmarking after those first few full cycles, but this is REAL WORLD testing, not a controlled environment. Most people will buy it and start using it on day one - hence me doing the same thing !

I used the phone exactly as I usually would - Gmail, work emails, work phone calls, Spotify music via Bluetooth while in car, WiFi while at home and in the office (where available), and of course, calls to/from my wife :)

Down to the nitty gritty....

So here's the stats:

First run -

[IMG="First Run"]https://db.tt/o4VzCL3N[/IMG]

Second run -

[IMG="Second Run"]https://db.tt/zVwYzgau[/IMG]

Thoughts:

No complaints so far, unless you're going to charge this battery from a non-USB3 port on your PC - then be prepared to wait a long while! Charges easily overnight though using your OEM charger.

Do I believe this is a full 8200 mAh ? Not sure - the only sure-fire way to know for sure without some testing equipment being used in a controlled environment that I just don't have, but it's AWESOME to get more than 2 full days off the charger without having to worry about carrying a charger or plugging in at night.! My usual day starts with unplugging at 5:30AM, and ends with my crashing at around 9:30PM Even with good signal and using my phone the same way with the OEM battery , I usually end the day with about 20 to 30% left.

TO BE FAIR TO MPJ Battery - I don't think I've yet to see the full potential of the battery ! I believe the life will only get better after a few more cycles - only time will tell with that though. I'll post an update after I use it a bit more.

Should you buy it? I personally would. I'm not going to use it every day, but I do have definite times and places that I'll sacrifice a little bulk for having the juice that I need! I live in Florida - hurricane alley ! During hurricane season it's always a good thing to have one or two of these charged up and ready to go should your area get hit!

All in all, I'm say it's worth the money they are asking for it. Here's a link to their website should you be interested in buying!

http://www.mpjbattery.com/battery-for-samsung/for-galaxy-s5-i9600.html

Please - feel free to ask anything you'd like to know, I'll be happy to respond!