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Review: Scosche’s reviveLITE for iPhone/iPod

July 20, 2009 by Dr. Macenstein
Filed under: Product Reviews, iPhone, iPod, iPod Touch, iPod nano

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For years now I have been wanting to charge my iPods and iPhone in dark rooms, but I’ve just been too scared. Well, thanks to Scosche’s reviveLITE, I have been able to take back the night, and can now charge my iPhone with impunity!

OK, that’s a little much. I was going to start this review out by making fun of how companies are adding iPod docks to just about anything these days –including night lights – but the reviveLight actually makes a little bit more sense than some other dock-strosities I’ve seen lately.

Quite simply the reviveLITE is a wall charger for your iPod or iPhone, combined with a light-sensor-activated nightlight, meaning it will turn itself on automatically at night. There’s also a button on the front that allows you to turn the night light feature off, so it can work solely as a wall charger if you’d like. I’m such a fan of sleeping in the dark that I usually have to cover my alarm clock’s digital display to keep me from being annoyed, so I found the night light to be plenty bright enough, although I suppose if you are expecting it to light up a large room you may find it lacking.

Available in either black or white, the reviveLITE has a fold-out arm to hold your iPod or iPhone while charging. This folding design (combined with the folding AC plugs in the rear) allow the reviveLITE to function quite well as a travel-sized charger for on the road charging, especially for those who are afraid of the dark.

I suppose you can use the reviveLITE in any number of locations, but to me the one that makes the most sense would be in a kitchen, as that is a room that has elevated wall outlets (I don’t think I want to bend down every day to charge my iPhone in a hallway outlet) and while a bathroom also has elevated plugs, I’m not a fan of intentionally exposing my iPhone to excessive moisture. I like that the reviveLITE keeps my iPhone off the kitchen counter, away from spills and such, but the kitchen is not really a place I need the night-light feature. I suppose this might be a good fit for a child’s room who owns an iPod (both my kids do) and odds are kids don’t mind plugging an iPod in to a low outlet on a regular basis, but to me I see it more of a kitchen or travel charger.

Issues

The reviveLITE is a pretty simple device, and works as advertised. I only have two issues with it. The first is, my iPhone and iPod touches did not fit in the reviveLITE when in ANY of the dozens of cases I own for them. It’s not a huge deal to take your iPhone out of the case, at least with most cases, but it CAN be annoying, so if the dock had just an extra 1/4 to 1/2 inch of space around it, it would have helped. iPod nano owners should have no problem, however.

Above: The reviveLITE’s sinking feeling.

But the second issue, which despite being less of a functional problem and more of an aesthetic one is, I found the weight of an iPhone 3G appeared to be almost too mush for the reviveLITE to handle, and the device would lean to the left in a not so cool-looking manner. The problem is that the folding AC plug in the back is a two-prong plug, so while a three-prong would understandably have made it harder to fold in, it would have help the unit much sturdier in the outlet, and kept it looking cooler. I should say that with proper, careful placement you CAN get the reviveLITE to usually stay upright for a period of time, but with long charges invariably when I can back the unit had tilted a bit. Given that I have the reviveLITE plugged into my kitchen outlet near rows of straight-lined tiles, the sagging is perhaps more noticeable than if used on a flat wall. If there were a way to add a 3rd prong to the device to help anchor it better, it would alleviate this issue.

Above: Smaller, lighter-weight iPods shouldn’t have the leaning problem I experienced on my iPhones and iPod touches.

Conclusion

The reviveLITE works well as both a folding travel charger and a night light. I found it was best suited for kitchen use, as it helps keep your iPhone off the counter away from spills and such, and it is one of the more commonly used rooms with elevated, accessible outlets. The only real gripes are the reviveLITE tends to sag to one side under the weight of an iPhone, and odds are you will need to remove your iPhone form it’s case to fit it in the rather snug dock.

Price: $39.99
Pros: Works as advertised, holds iPhone up, away from danger, night light is decent (and can be turned off) folds compact for travel
Cons: Not all that convenient outside of a kitchen where raised outlets are plentiful, two-prong AC plug is not sturdy enough to keep reviveLITE from sagging when loaded. Probably about $10 too expensive. Look on Amazon for cheaper price.

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Comments

5 Comments on Review: Scosche’s reviveLITE for iPhone/iPod

Chris Leither on Mon, 20th Jul 2009 9:09 am

Wow Doc, you own a German coffee-machine… I’m impressed ^^

You don’t seem to like that fake American i.e. watered down coffee, huh ?

Jonro on Mon, 20th Jul 2009 10:28 am

Good review. I think you covered the design flaws fairly. If this company had used a 3-prong plug in the recharger, they would not have had an issue with weight.

XYber Druid on Mon, 20th Jul 2009 12:05 pm