Hands-On With Apple's New Smart Battery Cases

[xboxmahoney]

Not gonna lie, last time I used this case was with my 6S and I absolutely loved it. Can't wait to receive mine. Definitely worth the money for your device. The ONLY reason I never went the mophie route, was because you had to have an additional cable to charge.
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So is there currently a definitive answer as to whether or not this works with the X? I know it doesn't fully fit the camera housing fully, but I saw it does/doesnt work due to software?

According to Apple's website, it will only be compatible with the Xs.

 

[ptklenk]

Apple on Tuesday released new Smart Battery Cases for the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR, offering a convenient but expensive way for iPhone users to get additional battery life.

The Smart Battery Cases will be in stores starting tomorrow, but we got our hands on the iPhone XS Max and XR versions early to check out the features and to see if they're worth the $129 price tag.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.​

Apple is offering the Smart Battery Cases in black or white, and while there are separate versions for the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR, each case costs $129 and appears to have the same capacity.

The cases look similar to the prior Smart Battery Cases Apple offered for the iPhone 7, consisting of a silicone shell with a bump at the back that contains the battery. The cases are easy to grip, but bulky, and the iPhone XS Max version adds a decent bit of weight.

There's a 10.1 Whr battery inside of the cases, which is higher capacity than previous Smart Battery Cases. You can expect to get about 50 to 75 percent additional battery from each case, depending on what you're doing.

Specifically, on the iPhone XS Max with the Smart Battery Case, you'll get up to 37 hours of talk time, up to 20 hours of internet use, and up to 25 hours of video playback.

The iPhone XS with XS Smart Battery Case offers up to 33 hours of talk time, up to 21 hours of internet use, and up to 25 hours of video playback, while the iPhone XR with iPhone XR Smart Battery Case offers up to 39 hours of talk time, up to 22 hours of internet use, and up to 27 hours of video playback.

The cases support Qi wireless charging, so you can charge them using a Qi-based charger (though it won't fit on some upright models) or a Lightning cable. You can even fast charge if you have a USB-C to Lightning cable and a compatible USB-C power adapter, such as the 30W MacBook charger. You don't have to use Apple's solutions -- any 18W+ USB-C PD power adapter will work.

You need to attach the Lightning connector in the case to the Lightning port in the iPhone, but because the case has its own Lightning port, you can use it as a passthrough for Lightning accessories like headphones.

With the Smart Battery Case attached, you can check how much battery life is left in the case using a widget in the Today section of the Notification Center or via the Lock screen. Your iPhone will always use the battery provided by the case before expending its own battery, but when charging, your iPhone will charge first.

All in all, the Smart Battery Case is one of the simplest ways to get extra battery life for the iPhone because it doesn't require an extra external accessory or a cable and there are multiple ways to charge it, but that convenience definitely comes at a cost.

Do you think Apple's Smart Battery Cases are worth shelling out $129? Let us know in the comments.

Article Link: Hands-On With Apple's New Smart Battery Cases

[doublepost=1547830694][/doublepost]That price is absurd irrespective of what it can do or cannot do. I bought a charging case with a Lightning connector for less than a quarter of the Apple price from Amazon. While we are on the subject, the Mophie charging case also carries a ludicrous price tag and connects with Micro USB. I would be interested in the actual price of manufacture.

 

[Jimmy James]

How does it compare with products with similar specs?

That’s part of the problem. The third party market pricing is also being driven up artificially because of Apple’s pricing.

To exaggerate the point, if Apple was charging $799 and the third party market is charging $789 then they’re in the correct comparative pricing range. But the whole category is out of whack. We’re there now.

 

[anson42]

You people are using your phone too much. There is charging available everywhere these days. In car, in office, home, bus, plane, airport you name it. Why spend $129 on this overpriced and fugly product. Why do some people love everything Apple vomits. Either they work for Apple or they are paid to write so. Grow the F up people. If it's ugly , it's OK to say it's ugly. We have democracy for a reason.

Wow. I don't think it's ugly at all, so I'll say that out loud. If I find it ugly, I may or may not be compelled to say so like so many of you. To your point, it's still a free country

Anyways, the point of any battery case is to not have to stop and charge when you're on the go. Not your use case? Definitely don't buy one! Standalone battery packs are also a good option but they are a separate box requiring a cable tether. Might not be the most convenient solution depending on use case. There's a market for all this stuff even if you don't see it.

 

[manu chao]

That’s part of the problem. The third party market pricing is also being driven up artificially because of Apple’s pricing.

To exaggerate the point, if Apple was charging $799 and the third party market is charging $789 then they’re in the correct comparative pricing range. But the whole category is out of whack. We’re there now.

I guess the price of Samsung products is also Apple's fault. Or Mophie's prices for battery cases for Samsung phones.

 

[anson42]

Mophie's upcoming case touts this feature for its new case:

Priority+ Charge
Regardless if you’re charging the juice pack access with a wire or wirelessly, Priority+ Charging will send power to the iPhone first before recharging the juice pack.​

I'm not so sure that's a good thing. And besides, since it is a loosely coupled product to the iPhone and iOS, it can't really operate any other way. In an earlier thread it was stated that with the new Apple case, the iPhone will first pull power from the case before using its own power, like when it is plugged into a charger under active use when fully charged. To me, that seems a better approach to prolonging the life of the battery. Granted, if the iPhone will pull power from a wireless source like the Mophie first before expending its internal battery then this is not a huge difference. Just thought I'd point that out. Does anyone have insight on this behavior?

Someone asked about a comparison with the Mophie charger and to me this is the most critical difference worth highlighting. The other more obvious but potentially less important differences are:

• Mophie requires USB-C to charge when not charging wirelessly. That could be a deal breaker for many until the iPhone is itself USB-C.
• The loose integration with iOS mean you don't see the external battery level on the phone with Mophie's case but you do with Apple's case. This could be a proprietary iOS feature not open to any battery case, it's unclear.
• Both can be charged wirelessly and charges the phone wirelessly
• Both allow full lightning port access, though with the Apple case you are using the port on the case itself, not the actual port on the phone
• Based purely on visual information, the Apple case would appear to protect against water/liquids much better since the bottom of the phone has greater protection and the lightning port is plugged up by the case itself to extend the port to the case.
• Can't compare battery capacity and weight because Apple doesn't publish those specs

 

[Greymacuser]

I really don't need a paper thin phone. Just make the battery as thick as this one in the case so we can actually have some battery life in the first place. Instead of charging us twice for the same product.

 

[anson42]

[doublepost=1547830694][/doublepost]That price is absurd irrespective of what it can do or cannot do.

I disagree. Like any product, distinguishing features/functionality that provide added value can – I didn't say should, but put on your inner capitalist hat – be priced above more primitive products. The resulting price is ultimately what the market will bear. Not to belabor this but the risk is consumers won't understand why there is a price difference and thus dismiss the product as being overpriced relative to lesser products. That's where the marketing machine comes in.

Anyways, I don't find this product overpriced at all. Would I prefer it to be cheaper, sure! Like with everything! But alas this is not for me, because I don't currently have the use case that would find value in this battery case or any battery case. However, I appreciate that products like this one exist, because when I do anticipate having the use case, I'm buying one.

 

[Jimmy James]

I guess the price of Samsung products is also Apple's fault. Or Mophie's prices for battery cases for Samsung phones.

There’s probably a correlation.

 

[ColdShadow]

I'd rather duct tape a power bank to my phone than paying so much and use this ridiculous thing.

 

[fiveainone]

I'd pay $129 for this... if it had a headphone jack.

1. Remove feature
2. Sell features as separate accessories
3. ?????
4. PROFIT!1

 

[rittchard]

I have wireless chargers everywhere now: at my desk, in my car and by my bed, so hypothetically I should really never need to worry about running out of charge. But... I do a lot of mobile gaming, and many of the more graphics intensive games can use the battery up quick. With this case, I pretty much have no more worries about that any more, and I can game much more freely. I have tried other battery cases in the past, but the convenience of having wireless charging, plus not needing to think about turning it on/off, make it a seamless, worry-free experience. As a gamer, I like to go back to comparing with the Switch. I can game on the Switch for a couple of hours, but I always start to get concerned about the battery running out. It just bugs me when it's at the halfway point or less, and it actually can ruin the experience because I feel like i need to keep it charged. As mobile gaming gets deeper and more complex, the tendency to spend longer periods of time is increasing for me, so anything that makes extended battery life simpler is a big plus.

So ultimately this one's a tough call for me, not because of the price but because of the added weight. I'm still debating on whether it's worth it as my day to day case as it is definitely a substantial increase, which kind of goes against what it was meant for, added usage/convenience. The material/feel is great for me, I like how it feels smooth but not slippery. The added bump really doesn't affect the way I hold it, so the only negative is whether the added weight makes me not want to use it for an extended period.

 

[Apple_Robert]

The black charger arrived today. It took about 1.5 hours to charge the case. After placing it on my phone, I noticed it was very soft, easy to hold, (re: no pinky fatigue like open leather Apple case) and made the phone noticeably heavier, which was not unexpected. Since this phone is basically a two-handed use phone most of the time, the heavier weight isn’t really an issue. I like that it has iOS integration.

If something should change with me or the case in 13 days, it is good to know I can return it.

 

[Abazigal]

hi everybody,

i have the xs max smart battery case for a few hours now. mine also came with 0% charge, so this seems to be a common thing. although the complete package is definitely heavy i think it sits more comfortably in the hand.

most important and maybe under appreciated observation: a wired carplay connection works through the battery case. i didn’t expect less than that, but this seems to be an important differentiator for the apple cases, at least to my eyes.

best regards

According to John Gruber, this seems to be for safety / legal reasons.

https://twitter.com/gruber/status/1086353357420314624

Smart Battery Case first impressions: heavy and thick, but it’s a big powerful battery. Texture feels exactly like Apple’s regular silicone cases. For safety/legal reasons it arrives with 0 charge. Had to charge it a bit via Lightning before Qi charging would work. https://twitter.com/gruber/status/1086353357420314624/photo/1

 

[anson42]

I'd rather duct tape a power bank to my phone than paying so much and use this ridiculous thing.

Pictures!

 

[Mlrollin91]

It looks almost identical to Apple one and is $30 cheaper and let’s you charge via usbc if you are at a friends.

You mean $10 dollars cheaper...?

 

[CarlJ]

Sure, but during these 20%, you are tethered via a cable to something. That's more annoying than a bulkier device. And it wouldn't be 100% of the time anyway if you don't want it. It would be more like 35% of the time (ie, the time during which the case is powering the device, once the case battery is discharged, you can remove the case again if you want to).

"That's more annoying than a bulkier device" - we're going to have to agree to disagree on this one (small battery in a belt pouch or pocket, with a cable to the phone, has never caused me a problem). Removing the battery case seems annoying to me (YMMV), and offers much more chance to harm the phone than simply plugging or unplugging a Lightning cable does. And if you want a case on the phone all the time for protection (there are quite a few of us), then you'd be carrying the phone, the battery case, and a regular case, and swapping the cases occasionally. That seems like a lot more trouble than it's worth. And if I anticipate needing substantially more power on any given outing, I can simply grab a larger battery to take with me - the battery case, by comparison, is fixed at a (comparatively low) capacity. You could carry an external battery too, for after the battery case runs out, but that just starts getting silly.

As I said, I think Apple's battery case is well designed, and likely well executed, but it has a hard upper limit on what it can supply, particularly if you want to put it on and leave it on. If you need a little extra capacity, it's no doubt quite nice. If you need a lot of extra capacity, the external battery and cable (used only when needed) wins.
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The point is to keep the top flexible so you can easily put the case on or take it off.

If the case came all the way up to the top, not only would putting it on be more painful, it'd need a huge (and unsightly) cut-out to go around the camera - not just wide enough for the camera lens to fit through, but cut down far to the sides and above and below to keep it out of the field of view of the fairly wide-angle lens(es), as well as avoiding bad bounces from the flash. It would afford a bit more capacity, it would look considerably weirder, and it would be harder to put on/take off.

 

[manu chao]

"That's more annoying than a bulkier device" - we're going to have to agree to disagree on this one (small battery in a belt pouch or pocket, with a cable to the phone, has never caused me a problem). Removing the battery case seems annoying to me (YMMV), and offers much more chance to harm the phone than simply plugging or unplugging a Lightning cable does. And if you want a case on the phone all the time for protection (there are quite a few of us), then you'd be carrying the phone, the battery case, and a regular case, and swapping the cases occasionally. That seems like a lot more trouble than it's worth. And if I anticipate needing substantially more power on any given outing, I can simply grab a larger battery to take with me - the battery case, by comparison, is fixed at a (comparatively low) capacity. You could carry an external battery too, for after the battery case runs out, but that just starts getting silly.

I really don't know what argument you are trying to win here. The fact that people buy battery cases in significant numbers (which is underlined by the sizeable number of different offerings from many companies) is more than enough proof that they have clear utility for at least some people in at least some situations.

You seem to be implying that all those battery case users must be mistaken. By dismissing all arguments in favour of battery cases that is the only logical conclusion from your arguments.

 

[ptklenk]

That’s part of the problem. The third party market pricing is also being driven up artificially because of Apple’s pricing.

To exaggerate the point, if Apple was charging $799 and the third party market is charging $789 then they’re in the correct comparative pricing range. But the whole category is out of whack. We’re there now.

That, my friend, is an excellent observation. You cannot even consider Apple's price elevated; it is over the top. However, to market a product successfully, it must be priced at an amount that customer's will readily pay. And, it is important to appeal to a large percentage of the potential market. Can I pay that price? Yes, I can. Will I pay that price is another story. I am not cheap in any sense, but there is a limit. I have purchased Apple products prior to the release of the Mac an maintained a consistent customer relationship evolving through numerous Mac iterations including iPad, iPhone and iMacs. I am showing a willingness to take a hit, but the case is over the top, just as the base iMac Pro is over the wall.

 

[fumi2014]

I have a quick question. I charged Bothe the phone and the case but now as I'm actually using it, the icon in the top right-hand corner just continually shows the charging symbol. It's only when I go into control centre that I can see the actual iPhone power level. Is this normal?

 

[H3LL5P4WN]

Well, I just went 7am to 11pm on the battery case.

Just the battery case. Kudos, Apple.

 

[drewcosten]

I was on a cruise last week, and if anyone has ever done a cruise they likely know just how fast a phone's battery can drain thanks to it needing to constantly look for the Wi-Fi signal if they happened to pay for internet access there, so I bought the battery case for that reason alone. After I returned home a few days ago I put a regular case back on my iPhone, but I realized anew that I find the iPhone much too thin and awkward to hold, making it easy to drop (this isn't anything new; I've put a case on my iPhones since the iPhone 4 since they're just not comfortable to hold, being so thin, but even then they still could be thicker) and have since put the battery case back on, where it will likely remain, and it's now much nicer to hold (the extra battery life doesn't hurt either, of course).

 

[Mac 128]

I was on a cruise last week, and if anyone has ever done a cruise they likely know just how fast a phone's battery can drain thanks to it needing to constantly look for the Wi-Fi signal if they happened to pay for internet access there, so I bought the battery case for that reason alone. After I returned home a few days ago I put a regular case back on my iPhone, but I realized anew that I find the iPhone much too thin and awkward to hold, making it easy to drop (this isn't anything new; I've put a case on my iPhones since the iPhone 4 since they're just not comfortable to hold, being so thin, but even then they still could be thicker) and have since put the battery case back on, where it will likely remain, and it's now much nicer to hold (the extra battery life doesn't hurt either, of course).

For those who don’t mind having a thicker phone, or who actually want one, why not a modified case back? Just replace the case back with an Apple OEM design to integrate into the phone design seemlessly? Unscrew the old back, screw on the new, with a special battery pack port it plugs into?

I imagine case culture makes such an effort less attractive, and makes the phone less versatile for most who aren’t necessarily bothered by the slim designs.