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APPLE’s New $99 ‘Smart Battery Case’ Majorly Extends Life of iPhone 6/6s

For the fiscal fourth quarter of 2015, tech behemoth Apple sold an astounding 48 million iPhones around the world. And with a projected sales target of 77.79 million iPhones for the upcoming quarter, the supremacy of its mobile communications device is likely to go unabated. There is one little problem that many power users of the iPhone 6 and 6s have complained about however, and that is battery life. Well it turns out that Apple has been listening to its customers, and in response, is offering a “Smart Battery Case” to quell the electronic drain pain. And just in time for Christmas, go figure.

The $99 “Smart Battery Case” is, not by a long shot, the first case available on the market to extend the battery life of the iPhone 6 and 6s. In fact, there are numerous other choices, like the Mophie “juice pack,” and the Incipio “offGRID.” But, as is the way of Apple, they have come late to the game, but are packing in (so much pun intended) extra dollops of their sweet sweet aesthetic and tactile design (check out the photo gallery below).

In terms of extra battery life, reviewers of the “Smart Battery Case” say that, on average, it will give you about an extra 80% of charge. According to Apple, this means you’ll get increased talk time of up to 25 hours, or internet use of up to 18 hours on LTE. And, while most of the non-Apple cases are manually turned on to initiate back-up power, Apple’s case feeds juice into the phone continuously, as it sees fit. The power readout for the “Smart Battery Case” also appears directly on the phone’s screen, rather than as a display of LED lights on the case itself, which is common amongst competitors’ offerings.

And while both Apple’s “Smart Battery Case” and its competitors’ cases aim to extend the battery life of the iPhone, there are a handful of notable differences to take into account should you find yourself in the tough position of choosing the option best suited for you. The “Smart Battery Case” for example, is made of a rubbery silicon that bends, twists, and feels soft to the touch, whereas many of the competing products are hard plastic (which sometimes come in multiple pieces). The “Smart Battery Case” is also charged using your good ol’ Lightning cable, versus a micro USB cord that’s required for cases like Mophie’s “juice pack.”

Ultimately, it seems like Apple’s “Smart Battery Case” is probably not head-and-shoulders above the competition, but does offer some uniquely Apple-ish features that should make it appealing to die-hard fans of Silicon Valley’s golden child.

What do you think about Apple’s “Smart Battery Case”? Are you hoping to find one stuffed into your stocking, or can Santa keep this gift for himself? Let us know in the comments section below!

Images: Apple

 

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