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Apple Smart Battery Case

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Review: iPhone 11 Pro Smart Battery Case camera shortcut brings its purpose into focus

Earlier this week Apple quietly released its latest version of the Smart Battery Case for its newest iPhones. The Smart Battery Case for iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max helps to extend your iPhone’s battery life just like previous versions.

But unlike previous versions of the Smart Battery Case, this year’s edition comes with a brand new physical camera shortcut feature that helps to further differentiate itself from third-party iPhone 11 battery case offerings. Watch our hands-on iPhone 11 Pro Smart Battery Case video review for the details.
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Smart Battery Case models for iPhone 11/Pro/Max found in iOS 13 code

iPhone 11 Smart Battery Case

Last December, 9to5Mac exclusively revealed Apple’s plans to release the Smart Battery Case for iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max, based on images and product identifiers found in iOS code. A little over a month after the references were found, Apple officially released the new battery cases, allowing users to increase the battery life of their new devices, with the tradeoff being a significantly bulkier device. Now, we’ve found evidence of Smart Battery Case models for the iPhone 11 lineup.


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Hands-on: Using an iPhone Smart Battery Case for the first time

I get good battery life with my iPhone X as is, and my home office lifestyle means I’m never that far from a plug, so I’m admittedly not the target market for a battery case. Nevertheless, the announcement of Apple’s Smart Battery Case for iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR piqued my interest.

I wanted to dip my toes in to see what using a Smart Battery Case is like. Read after the jump for some of my takeaways, and also be sure to check out our review from earlier in the week for a more thorough walkthrough of what’s new.


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Apple Smart Battery Case Review: iPhone XS/Max & XR design, wireless charging, still bulky [Video]

Apple Smart Battery Case Review

Does your iPhone have trouble making it through a full working day without dying? If so, then Apple’s just-released Smart Battery Case for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR may be the answer to your problem.

But with a better, yet still polarizing design, and a $129 price tag, the Smart Battery Case isn’t exactly an impulse buy. Do its smarts and new features like Qi wireless charging make it compelling enough to consider? Watch our new iPhone Smart Battery Case review video for the details.


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iPhone XS Smart Battery Case pictured in ‘fall 2018’ documentation for Apple resellers

We exclusively revealed the existence of the iPhone XS Smart Battery Case earlier this month, with assets present in iOS builds. The website Appleosophy has spotted another occurrence in Apple’s fall merchandising guidelines for resellers. 9to5Mac has confirmed the findings as legitimate.

The photos are part of a document that tells resellers how to present Apple silicone and leather cases for the fall 2018 season. Undeniable images of a XS Smart Battery Case are present in the cells for ‘black leather XS Max’ and ‘black leather XS’.


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Exclusive: First look at unreleased Apple Smart Battery Case for iPhone XS, three models and 2018 release possible

Yesterday, we wrote about a new icon found on watchOS 5.1.2 showing a new model of Apple’s Smart Battery Case designed for new iPhone models such as the iPhone XS, XR and XS Max, which have no home button and the back camera in a vertical arrangement.

Today, we have obtained images that show a more clear picture of the new Smart Battery Case and also new information found in iOS that gives us an indication of Apple’s planned release schedule. There are images for three different models of the battery case: A2070, A2071 and A2171.


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Apple may finally be planning a Smart Battery Case for iPhone XS

Apple’s Smart Battery Case, with its controversial design, was released back in 2015 with support for the iPhone 6 and 6S and it now currently supports the iPhone 6, 6S and 7. With the release of iPhone X and iPhone 8, users wondered whether a new battery case would be released for this new iPhone design, but so far nothing has been announced nor released by Apple.


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Patent issues suggested as explaining bulging design of Apple’s Smart Battery Case

mophie

A lot of us have been wondering how it was that Apple’s design team went off the rails when designing the new iPhone Smart Battery Case. Nilay Patel at The Verge, has now put forward one possible explanation: Apple had to find a way to avoid infringing the patents of the market leader in battery cases, Mophie …


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Opinion: There’s a broader problem with Apple’s battery case – a schizophrenic attitude to design

cases

Like many this morning, my first reaction to Apple’s Smart Battery Case was … what the heck? Albeit not expressed in those exact words. Seth tweeted that it seemed to be evidence that Jony Ive has left the building.

My colleague Jeremy has addressed the battery case specifically, but I think there’s a broader issue here. Apple claims to sweat the details when it comes to the design of its devices, and – a few grumbles aside – I think that’s a legitimate claim on the aesthetic front. It does go to obsessive lengths when it comes to making its devices as visually pleasing as possible. One part of that obsession is making iPhones as thin as it can.

But, to my mind, the company has an almost schizophrenic attitude here. It goes to all that trouble to make the phones as slim and sleek as humanly possible, yet it knows full well that the first thing the vast majority of owners do when they take delivery is to slip the phone into a case. Those cases substantially increase the thickness, and hide the design.

Which brings us to problem two … 
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