iPhone 6s Smart Battery case: Apple launches new charging pack to extend battery life with little bulge

Many have complained that the case’s small bulge looks strange — but many more have complained that their iPhone won’t get them through the whole day

(Apple)

Apple has released a new battery case for the iPhone 6 and 6s — which features a little bulge in the back so that phone can last for longer without a charge.

The new case is the company’s attempt to break into a huge market full of third-party cases, made by companies like Mophie. The cases wrap around the iPhone and add often huge amounts of battery — with some extending life by as many as a couple of full charges.

The new Smart Battery case will increase the phone’s battery life to 25 hours of talk time and 18 hours of web browsing, Apple says. It costs £79 in the UK and is out now.

Apple hopes that it can take on those other companies by integrating “smart” features into the case, which can be more tightly integrated with the phone since Apple makes both.

Users can see how much charge is left in the battery case from looking at the Notifications centre, for instance. A screen in that view shows how much charge is left in the phone and the case, when it is connected, as well as other things that are attached through Bluetooth like the Apple Watch or compatible headphones.

(Apple)

The case can charge using Apple’s lightning connector, which is the same plug that is used to charge the phone. That means that the two can charge at once, without using any special plug.

When charging, the phone and case will also work together to decide which should be getting more power. The phone will switch between the two while charging up intelligently, and if enough power is coming through the wire then the phone and case will charge at the same time.

But some have said that the case doesn’t look as smart as it is on the inside. The extra battery is packed into a small bulge that sits on the back of the phone

Technology journalist and developer Marco Arment, for instance, said that the look showed that “Apple really hates battery cases”. Though he praised the slim and light design, he and many others suggested that the clunky case shows that Apple should instead just put more battery into the phone so that it can lost for longer.

Apart from the bulge, the Smart Battery Case looks similar to the silicone cases that Apple already sells with the iPhone, and comes in white or a dark grey.

The case has a bigger body which means that it will be able to protect the iPhone. The phone can slide in and out of the case — and the design means that it can get cleaned as it does so.

Some cases can limit the cellular performance of the phone because they restrict the connection, but Apple has added an extra antenna into the case so that it can get a better connection.

Apple doesn’t seem to be making a version of the case for the Plus-sized iPhones. But that may be because those phones already get a longer life between charges, by packing in a bigger battery.