It uses soft rubber so adding a nicer shape would have meant using a thicker area of rubber around the battery or some hard filler. If they'd used the stacked battery design from the Macbook, they could perhaps have made a smoother gradient down to the edges while leaving the back flat. There are loads of 3rd party alternatives and some use Lightning. Apple's polka dot cases weren't very attractive either, although sometimes these things look worse in photos because of the shadowing. Their leather and silicone cases are nicer:
The need for these depends on how much you use the phone, not the capacity of the internal battery. If your phone is in your pocket and on standby most of the day then the ~10-12 hours of battery for light usage will do just fine:
For people constantly using it or gaming then an extra battery would be needed to make it through the day. Heavy gaming kills the battery of the 6 in about 2.5 hours but the same applies to the 6 Plus, which only lasts just over an hour longer. If they ever get fast charging figured out (e.g 50% in <5 minutes) so that it doesn't degrade the battery too quickly then these cases won't be needed at all.
This case does have smarts that other battery packs don't. h/t macrumors.
The Apple case has some ‘smarts’ to justify its name. For starters, it includes iOS system integration to show the battery pack status in Notification Center and the lock screen. The case itself also includes a discreet light that indicates charging status (amber, green, or off).
Moreover, Apple says that other cases often impair cellular performance as the battery gets in the way of the radios. For the Smart Battery Case, Apple has incorporated a passive antenna which reroutes radio frequencies and minimizes interference. For sound, the case includes a specifically designed acoustic opening to channel audio from the iPhone speaker.
The company also claims its charging mechanism is better than competing cases. Most cases first charge the phone and then charge the battery pack. Apple’s case can crossover to charge the integrated battery mid-way through the phone charge cycle."
Despite this case not being attractive, a silicon case is very easy to remove and cuts down on the weight of typical battery cases. I can imagine customers liking this over a hard battery case when they want to pop it on quickly during travel and not necessarily as their day-to-day case. I know I'm able to plug my phone in at my desk, my car, my home etc. The only time I carry a battery backup is during travel and that adds more bulk than this in my bag. One of the big reasons I have never invested in a battery case is the bulk, the hardness, carrying more cables, but especially the weight. Granted, I probably wouldn't get this either....it's $99 ($99 Mophies have worse reviews than less expensive cases).
Is this real? It's not April yet.
The too-thin phone gets yet another massive f-ugly case, usually they're because it's too thin to hold comfortably or it's too thin to be sufficiently robust, but this one is because its too thin to house a proper battery. Apparently next iphone will be thinner hahahahahahahaha hahahaahaha haahhah haaaaaaaa hahahahaha hahahahaha stop it or I'll piss myself.
Oh please, certainly no worse than any of the 3rd-party battery cases being sold now. My guess is that you will eventually see more colors and possibly leather versions as well. I personally don't need a larger battery, but if I needed more capacity, I would certainly consider this. I do like the fact that it charges with a Lightning cable rather than the stupid micro USB connectors that others seem to use and force you to carry two cables.
Seems like a smart move for Apple to extend their own line of accessories for what is the most popular product in the planet. Why allow other companies to take all that business. First Beats audio accessories, now this. And I bet they sell these by the thousands along with iPhone sales to airlines, retail, and other businesses adopting mobile technology, where having confidence in all day battery life while using the iPhone to interface with customers (like flight attendants using iPhones to serve passengers) is critical.
Oh please, certainly no worse than any of the 3rd-party battery cases being sold now.
Looks like someone's hiding a cigarette pack or a pacemaker in there. Sorry, Mophies look better. That sort of look is what I've seen Apple fans on this very forum mock of phones that had extended battery packs.
Simply Odd ....maybe Apple was thinking, "a gift idea for the holidays" ?!?! .....I'll never buy one. .....And the two family members, that complain about battery life for the past 7 iterations of the iPhone, have solved this issue by:
1) never doing anything about it battery-case wise, except living with it, using extra chargers in car and at work ....and the other person, 2) purchasing an external battery-pack, for charging when no outlet, is available
...just odd
Oh please, certainly no worse than any of the 3rd-party battery cases being sold now. My guess is that you will eventually see more colors and possibly leather versions as well. I personally don't need a larger battery, but if I needed more capacity, I would certainly consider this. I do like the fact that it charges with a Lightning cable rather than the stupid micro USB connectors that others seem to use and force you to carry two cables.
I think most, if not all, battery cases pass through charge to the iPhone as well, so you only need to carry one cable. Plus, it's a battery case, which should be a reassurance that you don't need to carry [i]any[/i] cables.
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.
The negative comments about the design and the looks are weird.
This is is simply an add-on for when needed. If someone wants to walk around with it strapped to their phone 24/7 then that's their aesthetic choice, isn't it? And if they don't, what's the issue? Given the added features, it seems like a really nice accessory.
If it's not for you, move along. Or at least tell us how you would have designed it.
Comments
http://www.apple.com/shop/iphone/iphone-accessories/cases-protection
There's a thin battery case here with a 2600mAh battery ($129):
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/thincharge-world-s-thinnest-battery-phone-case#/
Not many people have bought those. Anker has some too ($40), also using Lightning:
http://www.ianker.com/Battery-Cases/category-c77-s1
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QG4YYWY
http://www.forbes.com/sites/wirecutter/2015/06/04/this-is-the-best-iphone-battery-case-you-can-buy/
The need for these depends on how much you use the phone, not the capacity of the internal battery. If your phone is in your pocket and on standby most of the day then the ~10-12 hours of battery for light usage will do just fine:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/8554/the-iphone-6-review/7
For people constantly using it or gaming then an extra battery would be needed to make it through the day. Heavy gaming kills the battery of the 6 in about 2.5 hours but the same applies to the 6 Plus, which only lasts just over an hour longer. If they ever get fast charging figured out (e.g 50% in <5 minutes) so that it doesn't degrade the battery too quickly then these cases won't be needed at all.
I'd never, ever, ever buy one since the iPhone already lasts the whole day or longer under anything close to normal usage.
http://www.engadget.com/2015/12/08/apple-smart-battery-case-iphone-review/
Stupid idea.
This is is simply an add-on for when needed. If someone wants to walk around with it strapped to their phone 24/7 then that's their aesthetic choice, isn't it? And if they don't, what's the issue? Given the added features, it seems like a really nice accessory.
If it's not for you, move along. Or at least tell us how you would have designed it.