Apple appears to have three new Smart Battery Cases ready to go

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2020
If clues in Apple's recently released iOS and watchOS updates are anything to go by, we may see new Smart Battery cases for all three of the latest iPhones before the end of 2018.

Apple original Smart Battery case
Apple Smart Battery case


An icon found in watchOS 5.1.2 showed off a new Smart Battery Case that featured a vertical camera cutout such as that found on the latest iPhones. The updated case has a similar design to the original, but lacks the extended "chin." Rather, the new case extends only minimally from the bottom of the iPhone where it connects to the Lightning port.

Now, images have been dug up that possibly show off the case. In the photo, there are obvious changes to the back of the case versus the previous model, which used to have a rectangular hump in center. The battery for the updated case now extends to the bottom, leaving still a bump towards the top.

IPhone Smart Battery cases
Old vs new Smart Battery Case | 9to5Mac


Apple received a bit of criticism on the original design that Tim Cook himself had to refute. It seems the new design is a bit of a compromise, keeping the top bump to allow for taking the phone in and out via the flexible material, but shoring up the bottom.

The steepness of the bump also seems to have been smoothed out, making the slope a bit more gradual.

Apple's Smart Battery case was first released for the iPhone 6s. Based on the new model numbers found in the code -- A2070, A2071 and A2171 -- by 9to5Mac, we could see versions of the case for the entire range of iPhones released in 2018. This would be the first time Apple has released the battery case for any of the larger phones.

These cases could be released any time, as Apple has released products this late in the year in the past. Even earlier this week we saw Apple's official clear case for the iPhone XR finally go on sale.

Other's have come to fill the void with battery cases in Apple's abcense, including one from Momemt which supports their lenses and wireless charging.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 21
    emoelleremoeller Posts: 574member
    I bought Apple's battery case for my old iPhone 7s and loved it.   It more than doubled my iPhone battery life and I didn't find the bump ugly or inconvenient in use.   

    I'll be first in line to buy one for my iPhone Xs
    stanthemanchristopher126cornchipdoozydozen
  • Reply 2 of 21
    seankillseankill Posts: 566member
    You would think Apple could design a more elegant solution. These things look like trash and make the phone too tall. 
  • Reply 3 of 21
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,871member
    seankill said:
    You would think Apple could design a more elegant solution. These things look like trash and make the phone too tall. 
    Rather than posting on every thread about why you don't like Apple stuff, how about just posting a list of the things you do like? Surely easier.
    berndogsphericelijahgchristopher126cornchipSpamSandwichdewmedoozydozenfastasleepbeowulfschmidt
  • Reply 4 of 21
    seankillseankill Posts: 566member
    StrangeDays said:
    seankill said:
    You would think Apple could design a more elegant solution. These things look like trash and make the phone too tall. 
    Rather than posting on every thread about why you don't like Apple stuff, how about just posting a list of the things you do like? Surely easier.
    How about posting a relevant comment and not a, useless, stupid one?
    berndogelijahg
  • Reply 5 of 21
    thttht Posts: 5,437member
    seankill said:
    You would think Apple could design a more elegant solution. These things look like trash and make the phone too tall. 
    If this icon is right, the new battery case won’t have a chin and will be like a protective case, but with a bulge in the back:


    So, it will only make the phone taller like any other case. It’ll be thicker for obvious reasons. The bulge is fine, if not looks better than other battery cases who compromise the other way with big camera wells. 
    cornchipdoozydozen
  • Reply 6 of 21
    entropysentropys Posts: 4,163member
    At least battery cases are a bit more interesting than watch bands or emojis.  

    But where are the up to date imacs?
  • Reply 7 of 21
    thttht Posts: 5,437member
    entropys said:
    At least battery cases are a bit more interesting than watch bands or emojis.  

    But where are the up to date imacs?
    It’s just an accessory. They are as interesting as the effort that is put into it. If Apple has maintained the power usage order of using the battery case first, then using the internal phone battery, it will be among the best battery cases available for it, if not the best.

    Yeah, looks like Coffee Lake iMacs are now headed for Spring. Maybe February at the earliest. Hoping for a new form factor myself. 
    doozydozen
  • Reply 8 of 21
    payecopayeco Posts: 581member
    If they release this for the XS Max I’m going to be seriously torn on what to do. I absolutely love my Apple leather case, not to mention I already paid $50 bucks for it, but I loved having that multi-day battery life when I had the Apple battery case on my 6s years ago.

    At the same time, I also have a tiny Anker PowerCore II 6700 and a one inch lightning cable for times I know I’ll need longer battery life.

    Tough decision.
    christopher126doozydozen
  • Reply 9 of 21
    DuhSesameDuhSesame Posts: 1,278member
    It works but looks awkward = stupid design choice.
    It looks pretty = useless piece of trash
    It has nothing I can trash about = how about doing something more important?

    No wonder why Apple communities suck these days.
    Madtigerroundaboutnowcornchipdoozydozenrandominternetperson
  • Reply 10 of 21
    roundaboutnowroundaboutnow Posts: 735member
    seankill said:
    StrangeDays said:
    seankill said:
    You would think Apple could design a more elegant solution. These things look like trash and make the phone too tall. 
    Rather than posting on every thread about why you don't like Apple stuff, how about just posting a list of the things you do like? Surely easier.
    How about posting a relevant comment and not a, useless, stupid one?
    It's better to light a candle than curse the darkness.
    dewmedoozydozen
  • Reply 11 of 21
    christopher126christopher126 Posts: 4,366member
    StrangeDays said:
    seankill said:
    You would think Apple could design a more elegant solution. These things look like trash and make the phone too tall. 
    Rather than posting on every thread about why you don't like Apple stuff, how about just posting a list of the things you do like? Surely easier.
    Haha, StrangeDays...I'd like Ai have to two sites. One for negative people and one for positive people!

    We're only talking about the greatest devices ever designed by man for f's sake! :)

    Best.
    cornchipdoozydozen
  • Reply 12 of 21
    christopher126christopher126 Posts: 4,366member

    payeco said:
    If they release this for the XS Max I’m going to be seriously torn on what to do. I absolutely love my Apple leather case, not to mention I already paid $50 bucks for it, but I loved having that multi-day battery life when I had the Apple battery case on my 6s years ago.

    At the same time, I also have a tiny Anker PowerCore II 6700 and a one inch lightning cable for times I know I’ll need longer battery life.

    Tough decision.
    payeco said:
    If they release this for the XS Max I’m going to be seriously torn on what to do. I absolutely love my Apple leather case, not to mention I already paid $50 bucks for it, but I loved having that multi-day battery life when I had the Apple battery case on my 6s years ago.

    At the same time, I also have a tiny Anker PowerCore II 6700 and a one inch lightning cable for times I know I’ll need longer battery life.

    Tough decision.
    I hear you Payeco. Back in the day, I had the white plastic 3GS and I bought the white Mophie battery pack. It added a little bulk to the phone. I only really used it when I traveled by plane.

    It was so comforting to look down and see the 4 little blue lights showing the charge status. It meant I could use the phone on the plane and not fret that I'd have enough charge to make calls when I landed.

    With the white plastic of the battery case and the blue lights, my brother-in-law said I looked like a Star Wars Storm Trooper! :)

    Best.
  • Reply 13 of 21
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    It looks as though they will move the Lightning connector onto the case proper, perhaps in the hump itself. It will likely have a Qi charging coil. But then I wonder if maybe they won’t even eliminate the Lightning port pass-Through? To get customers used to a future without Lightning? 
    doozydozen
  • Reply 14 of 21
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    It may have looked weird, but liked the old design, the bump felt good to hold.  Annoying that it's taken so long, I'd have bought a new smart battery case on the same day I bought my iPhone X.
  • Reply 15 of 21
    macguimacgui Posts: 2,357member
    If either one of those designs were available for the SE, I'd get one in a heartbeat.


  • Reply 16 of 21
    k2kwk2kw Posts: 2,075member
    I would really love to see someone come out with a battery case with both USB-C and lightning Charging ports.   This way I could start switching to the new USB-C cables that charge faster but still use all the lightning cables I have everywhere.    A headphone jack would be nice too.  Very interested in a tear down to see if it has Chi too and still have the external antenaes.  
    d_2
  • Reply 17 of 21
    payecopayeco Posts: 581member
    crowley said:
    It may have looked weird, but liked the old design, the bump felt good to hold.  Annoying that it's taken so long, I'd have bought a new smart battery case on the same day I bought my iPhone X.
    The bump was good to hold. Perfect for resting your pinky under to hold your phone.
  • Reply 18 of 21
    payecopayeco Posts: 581member
    k2kw said:
    I would really love to see someone come out with a battery case with both USB-C and lightning Charging ports.   This way I could start switching to the new USB-C cables that charge faster but still use all the lightning cables I have everywhere.    A headphone jack would be nice too.  Very interested in a tear down to see if it has Chi too and still have the external antenaes.  
    Didn’t even think about whether it not it’ll support wireless charging. If it doesn’t that takes it off the table for me. I’ve invested to much in wireless chargers to have to replace them all again.
  • Reply 19 of 21
    randominternetpersonrandominternetperson Posts: 3,089member
    crowley said:
    It may have looked weird, but liked the old design, the bump felt good to hold.  Annoying that it's taken so long, I'd have bought a new smart battery case on the same day I bought my iPhone X.
    That's my opinion too.  The shape of the original model fits the hand very well.  I liked having a "shelf" that could rest on a finger adding a little extra stability.  
  • Reply 20 of 21
    macguimacgui Posts: 2,357member
    In my case, a decent battery case would obviate the desire for wireless charging. The whole reason for it would be my convenience at setting the phone down on  a charging pad throughout the day to keep it fully or nearly fully charged. So wireless charging is more of a fallback position for me.

    But I'll have to buy a new phone to use one of those Apple cases, and the SE isn't conducive to a satisfactory wireless experience for me.
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