Apple debuts Smart Battery Case for iPhone 6s, extends life up to 25 hours

AppleInsider

In a surprise release on Tuesday, Apple debuted the Smart Battery Case for iPhone 6s and 6, the first integrated battery pack to come out of Cupertino since the original iPhone launched in 2007.

According to the item's description, the Smart Battery Case is designed specifically for iPhone 6s and iPhone 6 devices, offering users a high level of protection and up to 25 hours of extended usage.

Like Apple's current lineup of custom-fit iPhone cases, the battery-packed version is made from soft touch silicone and comes lined with microfiber material. A special elastomer hinge design allows for easy insertion and removal, suggesting the case itself is somewhat pliable.

A small "chin" section houses the Lightning connector and what appears to be acoustic channels for iPhone's speaker and microphone. Importantly, a female Lightning port is built in to the case bottom, meaning iPhone owners connect their favorite Lightning accessories or charge iPhone and the Smart Battery Case simultaneously. Apple points out compatibility with the official Lightning dock.

Unlike popular third-party designs that effectively double iPhone's sleek profile, like Mophie's Juice Pack, Apple chose to stuff the external battery into a small hump. Cutouts along the edges and case back provide access to iPhone's iSight camera, mute switch and headphone jack, while system volume controls and sleep/wake button remain snugly covered.

Apple fails to specify exact battery capacity information, but claims talk times can increase up to 25 hours, Internet browsing over LTE up to 18 hours, and audio and video playback up to 20 hours.

When attached and charging iPhone, users can quickly check the pack's power status through a special lock screen graphic and in Notification Center's Batteries section.

German language site iPhone-ticker.de also reported on Apple's Smart Battery Case launch.

The Smart Battery Case comes in at $99 and is being offered in white and charcoal gray colors. Orders are being accepted now through Apple's website with overnight delivery times pegged at Dec. 10 to Dec. 14, or Dec. 11 to Dec. 15 for the free option.

Soli

Did they move April Fools Day to December 8th? This just seems weird to me. And no 6+/6S+ size: Are the sales low enough that it’s not worth the effort or does the already longer battery life not warrant the same interest?

Pro: Has a female Lightning connector, and I presumably will allow charging both batteries whilst attached.

Con: Trolls will claim that if iPhone batteries didn't suck or if Apple did build the battery into the case they wouldn't have need to create this product and charge you for what otherwise should be free blah blah bs.

mr o

... UGH?!

Why not taking a clue from the pencil recharge concept?:

Have the lightning dock as a portable battery as well. Just plug the phone in the lightning dock and have the phone fully charged in 15 minutes or so. At your hotel you could recharge both your phone and lightning dock while the lightning dock is plugged in.

fearless

I remember I once had a Nokia 121 that had a High Cap Battery with a tumour on the back... And I think the OKI900 had a similar lump... Design fail. Does this one work exceptionally well,like ugly well? Other people make quite attractive battery/music add-ons but who designed this prosthesis?

Synomenon

Apple basically admitting that 6S battery life sucks. My 6S w/ Samsung processor has worse battery life than my old 6.

anome

An odd decision. And one that might affect Apple's image, not to mention stock price.

mr. h

Oh my. That may just be the ugliest thing Apple has ever created. WTF?

m0dest

By my estimation, this battery is a little over 3000 mAh in capacity.

Apple claims battery extends 3G talk time by up to 25 hours.  

• Original: 14 hours (1715 mAh internal battery).
• (25/14) * 1715 = 3062.5 mAh

Apple claims battery extends internet browsing over LTE by up to 18 hours.

• Original: 10 hours (1715 mAh internal battery)
• 18/10 * 1715 = 3087 mAh

rogifan_old

anome said:

An odd decision. And one that might affect Apple's image, not to mention stock price.

What? How is this going to affect Apple's stock price? It's a silent release of an accessory in December. Nobody's going to care except people that post on sites like this.

crowley

Well at least Apple aren't getting predictable, what a weird move.

But no colors?  Fuck that noise, what is this, 2008?

draugminaion

Synomenon said:

Apple basically admitting that 6S battery life sucks. My 6S w/ Samsung processor has worse battery life than my old 6.

Well, there is the environmental angle. Many people, like me, don't need a bigger battery. Smaller batteries have smaller environmental impact. Putting a bigger battery on all phones would be wasteful and environmentally bad, selling bigger batteries only to the people that need them is better.

The mystery for me is how it came about that someone at Apple thought this thing was a good idea, that something about this is better than, for example, a Mophie.
And why the hump?

rogifan_old

crowley said:

Well at least Apple aren't getting predictable, what a weird move.

But no colors?  Fuck that noise, what is this, 2008?

Makes sense. This is not going to be something a lot of people buy. Creating a bunch of SKUs for a low-volume product doesn't make a lot of sense. I'm sure that's why the iPad Pro keyboard doesn't come in a bunch of colors either.

mjtomlin

It's pretty obvious why there's a need for the "bump" - to keep the the edges as thin as possible so that it can continue to be used with current docks. Furthermore, I bet you don't even notice the bump when you're holding it in your hand during normal use. If it had a flat back, the entire thing would be thicker, including the edges and would be much more noticeable.

rogifan_old

draugminaion said:

The mystery for me is how it came about that someone at Apple thought this thing was a good idea, that something about this is better than, for example, a Mophie.
And why the hump?

I do think it's odd that Apple felt the need to release something like this. Maybe that's why it was a silent released in December when nobody is paying attention. My guess is the hump exists so the accessory will work with iPhone docks?

runbuh

Is that an iPhone 6 with the Smart Battery Case in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?

bilbo63

"If there's one thing that I want on the back of my gorgeous iPhone 6, it's a gigantic square wart". – Said no one ever.  This does seem like an April fools joke.

The design makes no sense. If the iPhone is sitting on it's back on the desk and I press the home button, the entire phone will rock on the massive hump.

With all of the Apple critiques out there claiming that Apple has lost it's way...This design makes me wonder. This is fugly and so un-Apple.

starbird73

Since I am pretty sure most of my gifts have been purchased at this point, I am adding this to my early February wish list. I don't mind the hump, actually. And for the price (Through my work's apple store site it is $89)? One of the first that looks like it would be an acceptable every day case.

I had a Lexmar battery case for my iPhone 5. But I would only use that when on vacation, or where I knew I would be away from power for a long period of time. That was a bit of a pain. This one seems like it will be a good every day case.

draugminaion

rogifan_old said:

draugminaion said:

The mystery for me is how it came about that someone at Apple thought this thing was a good idea, that something about this is better than, for example, a Mophie.
And why the hump?

I do think it's odd that Apple felt the need to release something like this. Maybe that's why it was a silent released in December when nobody is paying attention. My guess is the hump exists so the accessory will work with iPhone docks?

Which docks? The latest official apple dock would handle a fatter case just fine it seems. That the top is thinner is because the case is flexible and bending back the top is how the case is put on and off. But why the bottom and the sides?

Maybe they made it ugly to help Mophie sell the slightly more expensive Juicepack Air?

mr o

Can someone confirm?:

Is that a 3.5 inch iPhone in the back?

  

rogifan_old

bilbo63 said:

"If there's one thing that I want on the back of my gorgeous iPhone 6, it's a gigantic square wart". – Said no one ever.  This does seem like an April fools joke.

The design makes no sense. If the iPhone is sitting on it's back on the desk and I press the home button, the entire phone will rock on the massive hump.

With all of the Apple critiques out there claiming that Apple has lost it's way...This design makes me wonder. This is fugly and so un-Apple.

As an experiment I just laid my iPhone 6 on top of an old iPod touch on a table and the phone didn't rock at all. Not liking the design aesthetically is one thing but perhaps people should actually use one before criticizing functionality?

rogifan_old

draugminaion said:

rogifan_old said:

draugminaion said:

The mystery for me is how it came about that someone at Apple thought this thing was a good idea, that something about this is better than, for example, a Mophie.
And why the hump?

I do think it's odd that Apple felt the need to release something like this. Maybe that's why it was a silent released in December when nobody is paying attention. My guess is the hump exists so the accessory will work with iPhone docks?

Which docks? The latest official apple dock would handle a fatter case just fine it seems. That the top is thinner is because the case is flexible and bending back the top is how the case is put on and off. But why the bottom and the sides?

Maybe they made it ugly to help Mophie sell the slightly more expensive Juicepack Air?

I don't know I'm just guessing. I obviously don't have either to test it out. There obviously is a reason Apple designed it the way they did and I doubt it was aesthetics.