Review: iWalk SmartAngle

The iWalk aims to be a stand and additional battery for your iGadget. It’s a small wedge-shaped gadget, not too heavy (142 grams), that has a slide-out stand at its base and a pop-top under which is a dock connector.

The stand is effective for the iPad, and doesn’t get in the way of anything. It’s a little easier to prop an iPad upright in it than it is to use the Smart Cover, in fact. Score one for the iWalk.

The dock, on the other hand, gave me pause. I was worried that the iPad 2 would be too heavy to slot into the dock without toppling the iWalk over. My instincts proved correct – it took me a couple of attempts to find a position that wouldn’t overbalance. Rather than leave my iPad like that, and risk it falling over, I ended up tipping it onto its side, with the iWalk attached like a giant tick. While it looked less-than-elegant, the connection was fine, and my iPad merrily recharged from 46% up to 100% from the iWalk’s inbuilt battery. As with charging from a regular power source, if you’re using the iPad, it charges considerably slower: I played Civilization Revolution for an hour with only a 2% increase in battery. You can, however, charge both at once if desired.

The iWalk has enough power to recharge about 60% of the iPad 2 battery, but with an iPhone you could get a full charge and more.

The iWalk shows how much charge it has using three small blue lights on its front. Three lights means that you have full juice; it shows two lights, then one, and finally none, as it empties. The lights only display when an iGadget is connected, or when it’s charging. As it tops up, it displays one, then two, then three flashing blue lights. It charges very rapidly, taking around an hour from empty to full.

The form factor isn’t perfect, and it looks and feels a little cheap, but it definitely works.