Apple released an interesting new accessory today, a battery case for the iPhone 6S. The category is certainly nothing new — we have eighteen such cases, at last count — but it’s unusual that Apple would release a case like this, after years of ceding the ground to third parties like Mophie and Case-Mate. Let’s take a closer look at the new Smart Battery Case, and what makes it such a unique option.
The hunchback of Apple dot com
The first thing you’ll notice about the Smart Battery case is its novel design, which melds a traditional slim-fit silicone case with a large rectangular hump on the back. There are some benefits here — no wasted space or weight filling out the back, and it might be easier to grip — but the online reaction has been almost exclusively negative.
The Verge called the case ‘a design embarrassment’, while the biggest iPhone fans in the world — 9to5Mac — labelled it ‘a cash grab, and not a particularly well-executed one’. Over on Reddit, ‘WHAT THE F**K IS GOING ON’ was /r/Apple’s top response to the case, while /u/wolverineden dubbed the case ‘the hunchback of Apple.com’.
The Verge‘s editor-in-chief, Nilay Patel, had perhaps the most illuminating stance on the case: it was likely designed this way to avoid patents on iPhone battery cases held by third-party superstar Mophie. The company holds dozens of patents on how its cases look and work, and hasn’t been hesitant in using them to defend its work. The Apple case avoids the flat-back, two-part approach that Mophie has used, instead opting for a flexible top and a single-piece design.
Of course, the case isn’t just interesting because of its design — there are some inarguable advantages to the case as well. As it’s an Apple original, it has better integration into the OS than other battery cases; you can see the current charge level of the case listed alongside the phone’s internal battery on the lock screen and in the notification centre.
The case also charges via the same Lightning cable that you use for the iPhone itself; third-party cases tend to charge via Micro USB instead. If you’re going away for an extended period, that means only one cable to bring instead of two. It’s also compatible with (case-compatible) Lightning docks, which is another unique feature for an iPhone battery case.
The Smart Battery Case contains enough charge — 1,877mAh — to recharge about 70% of the iPhone’s internal battery. According to Apple, that’s enough for 18 hours more surfing the internet on LTE, 20 hours more watching videos, or 25 hours more talk time. That makes Apple’s battery case a little smaller than most third-party options, which tend to offer nearer 3,000mAh of additional capacity, but of course the case is lighter than its competitors as well.
The iPhone 6S Smart Battery case is definitely an Apple product, if not by design then by the reaction it’s caused across the industry. And while it might look a little goofy to some, it’s still a slim battery case with some unique features that won’t be equalled by third-party options.
The Smart Battery Case is available soon at Mobile Fun. To place your order or see more information, please visit the product pages linked below:
Smart Battery Case in White > Smart Battery Case in Grey >
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