Apple announces $129 Smart Battery Case for iPhone XR, XS, XS Max

The year has only just begun, and Apple’s first product releases are…Smart Battery Cases for the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR.

Apple quietly introduced the new battery cases, which provide up to twice the amount of battery life for some use cases, for $129 in its online store and through its Apple Store app. Retail stores will carry the accessories soon.

The new Smart Battery Cases feature a soft-touch silicone exterior with micro-fiber-lined interior and come in white or black. It’s a bummer that there aren’t matching colors for iPhone XR owners, though.

Here’s the breakdown on how much extra juice these new battery cases get you:

iPhone XR

• Internet use: Up to 22 hours (up from 15 hours)

• Talk time: Up to 39 hours (up from 25 hours)

• Video playback: Up to 27 hours (up from 16 hours)

iPhone XS

• Internet use: Up to 21 hours (up from 12 hours)

• Talk time: Up to 33 hours (up from 20 hours)

• Video playback: Up to 25 hours (up from 14 hours)

iPhone XS Max

• Internet use: Up to 20 hours (up from 13 hours)

• Talk time: Up to 37 hours (up from 25 hours)

• Video playback: Up to 25 hours (up from 15 hours)

The best part about the new Smart Battery Cases is that they’re compatible with wireless charging. Most battery cases don’t support them, but these do.

As with the previous battery case for the iPhone 6 and 6S, Apple doesn’t specify how much milliamp hours (mAh) the case comes with. We’ll probably have to wait until a repair community like iFixit tears it open to see. 

Also like the old battery case, the new ones keep the XR, XS, and XS Max constantly charged up with a battery indictor within the notification center.

Aesthetically, though, the case definitely looks less hideous than the old one with the battery “hump” extending all the way to the bottom edge of the case. Design snobs will appreciate it for sure.

In our review of the iPhone XR, we found the battery to last the longest compared to the XS and XS Max. In some cases lasting nearly two days with light to moderate usage. The Smart Battery Case is great if you’re on the go and have no time to plug in or you’re a power user who’s glued to their device.