Apple Releases Wireless Charging Smart Battery Cases for iPhone XS, XS Max and XR
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Apple on Tuesday officially released new first-party Smart Battery Cases for its iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR devices.
The new Smart Battery Cases are available in black and white for the aforementioned devices. All of the cases are priced at $129, regardless of which model iPhone they’re compatible with.
They also appear relatively unchanged, design-wise, from Apple’s previous Smart Battery Case options. They’re simple silicon cases with a signature “bump” where the built-in battery is stored. They’ll also provide the same intelligent battery indicator on the Lock screen and Notification Center as previous editions.
Unlike past Smart Battery Cases, the new options for the 2018 iPhone lineup can charge the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR wirelessly via Qi-based charging.
If you prefer wires, the cases can also charge with a Lightning cable or fast charge with USB-PD. Apple also says they’re compatible with Lightning accessories, like EarPods with Lightning connectors or a Lightning Digital AV Adapter.
Are They Any Good?
Just how much extra power the battery cases can add to your depends on the iPhone that you’re using.
- iPhone XS: provides up to 33 hours of talk time, up to 21 hours of internet use, and up to 25 hours of video playback.
- iPhone XS Max: provides up to 37 hours of talk time, up to 20 hours of internet use, and up to 25 hours of video playback.
- iPhone XR: provides up to 39 hours of talk time, up to 22 hours of internet use, and up to 27 hours of video playback.
Rumors of a new Smart Battery Case lineup have been swirling the Apple blogosphere for some time now. This marks the first time that Apple has released a first-party battery case with Qi wireless charging.
Apple hasn’t released a Smart Battery Case since the iPhone 7 —
The Smart Battery Cases are currently available for purchase from Apple’s website. You can find the links for them below.
