Apple launches Smart Battery Cases for iPhone XS, XS Max & XR

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2019
Apple on Tuesday launched three new Smart Battery Cases to match its latest iPhone lineup, significantly extending the longevity of its handsets.

iPhone XS Max and XR Smart Battery Cases


The iPhone XS case adds up to 21 hours of internet use, 25 hours of video, or 33 hours of talk time. The XS Max model supplies 20 hours of internet, 25 hours of video, and 37 hours of talk, while the XR case offers the best performance, raising those numbers to 22, 27, and 39 hours, respectively.

The cases are compatible with Qi wireless chargers, which can charge an iPhone simultaneously. Alternately they can be fueled by Lightning-to-USB cables, with USB-C enabling fast charging.

All three cases cost $129 and come only in black or white, even though the iPhone XR ships in six different colors.

Apple skipped first-party battery cases for 2017 iPhones, despite having produced earlier ones for the iPhone 6, 6s, and 7.

The only design changes for the new products appear to be a relocated battery hump and a vertical camera cutout.

Hints that Apple was returning to the field first emerged in early December, thanks to an icon in watchOS 5.1.2 and a leaked image. By late December a merchandising guide all but confirmed intentions.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 40
    mike1mike1 Posts: 3,286member
    Any particular reason the XS case isn't compatible with the X?
  • Reply 2 of 40
    MadtigerMadtiger Posts: 240member
    mike1 said:
    Any particular reason the XS case isn't compatible with the X?
    Probably because camera bump is slightly different.  And with tight tolerances of the camera hole on the case, X will not fit.
    edited January 2019 gilly33
  • Reply 3 of 40
    GG1GG1 Posts: 483member
    Make the phones 2mm thicker (with larger battery, of course), and these products are not needed.

    Better yet, go back to the iPhone 5 design (or latest iPad Pro).

    toysandmemuthuk_vanalingamelijahg
  • Reply 4 of 40
    rogifan_newrogifan_new Posts: 4,297member
    GG1 said:
    Make the phones 2mm thicker (with larger battery, of course), and these products are not needed.

    Better yet, go back to the iPhone 5 design (or latest iPad Pro).

    These products aren’t needed for most people anyway. 
    JFC_PAmuthuk_vanalingamchasm
  • Reply 5 of 40
    thttht Posts: 5,447member
    Madtiger said:
    mike1 said:
    Any particular reason the XS case isn't compatible with the X?
    Probably because camera bump is slightly different.  And with tight tolerances of the camera hole on the case, X will not fit.
    The camera bump on the X is smaller than the one on XS, so it should fit unless the camera bump locations are different, but I don’t think so. It’ll fit. Whether it will work is different question.

    This new battery case uses the Lightning port right? (Ie, it doesn’t feed power to the phone through the induction charger?)
  • Reply 6 of 40
    NY1822NY1822 Posts: 621member
    Where does it say that this doesn't fit the X? Normal X cases fit the XS, so unless they stated this battery case is different it should fit.
  • Reply 7 of 40
    MadtigerMadtiger Posts: 240member
    NY1822 said:
    Where does it say that this doesn't fit the X? Normal X cases fit the XS, so unless they stated this battery case is different it should fit.
    Does Apple leather / silicone case for XS fit X?  No.  (I tried.). My guess is that the same applies here.
    edited January 2019 StrangeDays
  • Reply 8 of 40
    MadtigerMadtiger Posts: 240member
    I may get this even though my battery life is fine.  But this case fixes ONE problem that i don’t like about Apple leather/silicone case...the open bottom.  This battery case is fully protective all around.

    Hey, and if this case is like the last one with passive antennas within case, cell reception will be enhanced!  
    edited January 2019
  • Reply 9 of 40
    NY1822NY1822 Posts: 621member
    Madtiger said:
    NY1822 said:
    Where does it say that this doesn't fit the X? Normal X cases fit the XS, so unless they stated this battery case is different it should fit.
    Does Apple leather / silicone case for XS fit X?  No.  (I tried.). My guess is that the same applies here.
    I stand corrected...Apple only lists the XS as compatible on the website
  • Reply 10 of 40
    hummerchinehummerchine Posts: 27member
    My concern is it looks like it covers up the speaker
  • Reply 11 of 40
    MadtigerMadtiger Posts: 240member
    hummerchine said:
    My concern is it looks like it covers up the speaker
    Come on...it’s Apple here....
  • Reply 12 of 40
    lennlenn Posts: 36member
    Yet another overpriced accessory from Apple. I hate to even think how big Apple's margin is for these things.....
  • Reply 13 of 40
    JFC_PAJFC_PA Posts: 932member
    More convenient than a separate backup battey and cabke for sure for on the street repowering. 
    bluefire1
  • Reply 14 of 40
    MadtigerMadtiger Posts: 240member
    lenn said:
    Yet another overpriced accessory from Apple. I hate to even think how big Apple's margin is for these things.....
    You do realize that it is OPTIONAL, right?  Just saying.  
    StrangeDayschiaracerhomie3bluefire1muthuk_vanalingamgilly33
  • Reply 15 of 40
    JFC_PAJFC_PA Posts: 932member
    lenn said:
    Yet another overpriced accessory from Apple. I hate to even think how big Apple's margin is for these things.....
    Not really: check out Mophie wireless recharging cases which are in a similar price range even on Amazon. 

    I’d suspect it’s the wireless tech that’s the source of the big bump in price. 
    StrangeDayschia
  • Reply 16 of 40
    racerhomie3racerhomie3 Posts: 1,264member
    lenn said:
    Yet another overpriced accessory from Apple. I hate to even think how big Apple's margin is for these things.....
    Why do you care how much the margins are ? If you don’t like the price ,don’t buy it. Fair & simple. 
    StrangeDayschiaJFC_PAshark5150muthuk_vanalingamgilly33elijahg
  • Reply 17 of 40
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    Blows that it's not compatible with the X.  How hard would it have been?
  • Reply 18 of 40
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,879member
    GG1 said:
    Make the phones 2mm thicker (with larger battery, of course), and these products are not needed.

    Better yet, go back to the iPhone 5 design (or latest iPad Pro).

    Nah. I get great all-day battery life on my X, I don’t want a thicker phone. Even if they did people would still complain for more. Get the battery case if you can’t make it thru the day for some reason.
    racerhomie3JFC_PAMplsPelijahg
  • Reply 19 of 40
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,879member
    lenn said:
    Yet another overpriced accessory from Apple. I hate to even think how big Apple's margin is for these things.....
    Mophie is only $10 difference. So are they overpriced too? Is everybody overpriced because it’s more than we’d like?
    doctwelveelijahg
  • Reply 20 of 40
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    tht said:
    Madtiger said:
    mike1 said:
    Any particular reason the XS case isn't compatible with the X?
    Probably because camera bump is slightly different.  And with tight tolerances of the camera hole on the case, X will not fit.
    The camera bump on the X is smaller than the one on XS, so it should fit unless the camera bump locations are different, but I don’t think so. It’ll fit. Whether it will work is different question.

    This new battery case uses the Lightning port right? (Ie, it doesn’t feed power to the phone through the induction charger?)
    It appears to use the Lightning port to charge the phone.  It case will not charge via Qi if connected to USB charger, and will instead use the Lightning port. It definitely excludes the iPhone 8 and X.

    https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205443

    Finally there's a way to charge and listen via Lightning headphones. It would be great if the case were magnetic so as to attach a Qi charger to the back, but I guess duct tape or Velcro works too ...
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