Apple Smart Battery Case for the iPhone XS Review

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I’ve been using Apple’s Smart Battery Case for over two weeks now. Unlike other blogs, I always wait at least a week to do a review of anything. Often, I’ll make it to two weeks before I start typing out a review. During that time I take notes or record values. For example, for this battery case review, I recorded a random sampling of battery life throughout the course of a day. I even did just one day when I punctuated every quarter hour by recording the battery life left on my Smart Battery Case. That kind of time tracking really made me consider what I was doing with my day (spoiler: it was not very productive otherwise). I also did a lot of real-world testing, like keeping my iPhone off charger until the battery case died and taking a trip, trusting my iPhone to survive all day and night.

Why do I go through such effort? Because my first impression of products is often not a good one.  Apple’s Smart Battery Case was no different. I posted a quick teaser on the day I first got the case. It’s covered in fingerprints and lint. It looks terrible. That was my opinion of it. “Do I really have to use this thing for a week to review it before I return it?” Now, however, I plan to keep it. In fact, I may continue to use it every day, not just days when I know I’ll need extended battery life. What changed my mind?

This case turns the iPhone into what it should be: an all-day device.

Battery Life 5 / 5

If you’re buying this case, the most important thing to you is likely battery life. You wouldn’t buy something like this if battery life was an afterthought. As a case, it’s bulky and has a slew of other issues. However, as a battery life extender, it’s wonderful.

Apple reports that the iPhone XS Smart Battery Case adds up to 13 hours of talk time, 9 hours of internet use, and 11 hours of video playback. In my own testing, which combines all these categories, I noticed that the additional battery life seems to float between 9 and 12 hours, depending on how hard I’m using my device.

The case works by favoring your iPhone battery. The case will drain before your iPhone. You can see current battery life on your phone in the battery widget in the widgets section of notification center. This is still clunky.. The case is capable of charging wirelessly, in which it’ll prioritize your iPhone first, then charge the case. A 30W charger will fast charge both your battery case and your iPhone. Lesser wattages will favor your iPhone first, using only the spare wattage for the case. This is why you buy this battery case over other battery cases, the smart charging features, pass through data, and lightning port.

This battery case makes the iPhone the seamless part of your life it should be. You can travel without fear, go out late after a long workday, and trust your phone to remain usable until you have to go home. I’ve stayed out until 4am while using this case, and was happy to see my iPhone battery didn’t even begin to degrade.

Protection 5 / 5

This is one of the more protective cases I’ve used. Mostly because I prefer to add as little bulk to my phone as possible. However, if I wanted to improve my battery life, I knew I’d have to make sacrifices. The case is stiff on the bottom, with only the top portion having a more rubbery flexibility to allow you to slide your phone into it. It covers all sides and has one of the larger lips I’ve seen on the front of a case, leaving the screen protected.

The rubber-like silicone is thick enough to protect your phone from damage in most typical falls. The battery will add some extra weight to your device, increasing the energy going through your phone when it impacts with the ground. However, I believe the silicone is thick enough to protect your device in most situations.

Looks 1.5 / 5

There’s a nice Apple logo on this case. That’s the nicest thing I can say about its looks. The silicone is grippy, but attracts dust and fingerprints. Unlike previous versions of this battery case, the edges are smooth. The battery bump takes up the entire bottom of the case, unlike the wart on previous models. However, it’s still a lot of bulk to add to your device. This is a utilitarian case that looks almost as good as such a case could. Still, that’s not saying much.

Weight 1.5 / 5

A battery case is likely going to be the heaviest case you ever use. Even the most protective LifeProof or Otterbox cases won’t add this kind of weight to your device. Lithium Ion batteries are dense. You’ll notice the weight in your hand. However, I have found that, despite the added bulk and weight, the shape of the case makes it fit in your hands very nicely. It’s balanced well, which makes the weight less noticeable. Still, it’s heavy.

Ease of Use 1 / 5

The buttons on this case are surprisingly stiff. Apple normally doesn’t put stiff buttons on their cases, making the actual buttons underneath no more difficult to press than it would be without the case. Still, that wasn’t the case with this case. It can be a little difficult to slide your phone in and out of the case as well. Apple certainly didn’t make this case very easy to use. For the company famous for the “it just works” motto, it’s a bit of a disappointment.

Grip 5 / 5

There’s one benefit to the sticky nature of this case. Sure, it attracts lint and fingerprints, but it also helps you get a much better grip on the case. I’ve rarely fumbled it, despite the fact that I’ve got a silly nervous habit of spinning it in my hand and fumble my phone frequently as a result.

The grip is a double-edged sword. Pulling your phone out of your back pocket won’t be easy. It’s a thicker phone case, which means that, between the grip and the thickness, you may find that your phone stays stuck in your back pocket. I’ve come to holding it more often just because I don’t want to go through the effort of squeezing it in my back pocket and getting it back out.

Durability 5 / 5

Apple’s leather case might not be very durable, and their silicone cases don’t stay together as easily either. However, because of the seamless wrap around design of the silicone on this case, I believe it’ll be Apple’s most durable case. It has to be as well. With the additional battery, there’s an increased chance of battery damage causing a fire. Therefore, Apple must protect that spare battery as well as your phone.

Value 2 / 5

Apple’s Smart Battery Case is a whopping $129. That’s at least $30 more than other battery cases of similar quality. It’s also more expensive than Apple’s old Smart Battery Cases. The added value is pass through, smart charging that emphasizes your phone first, before the battery pack. You also get Apple’s iOS integration, such as full data access through the lightning port and battery charge information in the battery widget. However, these simply aren’t worth such a high price. Apple gave us lousy battery life in the iPhone and then has the audacity to charge us $129 to fix their faults.

Overall 3.5 / 5

On one hand, I love that this case gives me peace of mind unlike any other case. Normal cases make you feel safe with your phone against drops and falls. This case gives me the confidence to stay our late, explore new areas of my city or cities I’m unfamiliar with, and know that I can still call a Lyft at the end of the night. It’s more than protection, it’s freedom.

I believe the iPhone should have had better battery life from the start. However, this case repairs Apple’s greatest iPhone flaw: lousy battery life. It’s far too expensive and has a tacky texture that attracts dust and fingerprints, but it fixes your battery life. If I judged this as a case without the battery, I would rate it very lowly. However, those battery life improvements make this case worth buying.