Apple unveils a battery case for iPhone

[Kaido]

http://www.engadget.com/2015/12/08/apple-smart-battery-case-iphone-review/

http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MGQM2LL/A/iphone-6s-smart-battery-case-white

What the heck lol

 

[Kaido]

http://www.theverge.com/2015/12/8/9867996/apple-smart-battery-case-iphone-6-6s-hands-on

Pros:
Adds 1,877 mAh of power (not enough for one full charge, but extends the power at least)
Case battery life displays onscreen
Comfortable
Lighting pass-through for easy charging
Works with Apple Lightning Dock
Case is built with extra antennas to boost cellular perform

Cons:
Expensive ($99)
Much smaller battery capacity than competitors
Most headphones will not fit without an adapter
Bump design looks weird

 

[Rakehellion]

Gross.

 

[Mushkins]

http://www.theverge.com/2015/12/8/9867996/apple-smart-battery-case-iphone-6-6s-hands-on

Pros:
Adds 1,877 mAh of power (not enough for one full charge, but extends the power at least)
Case battery life displays onscreen
Comfortable
Lighting pass-through for easy charging
Works with Apple Lightning Dock
Case is built with extra antennas to boost cellular perform

Cons:
Expensive ($99)
Much smaller battery capacity than competitors
Most headphones will not fit without an adapter
Bump design looks weird

So its a first party accessory that has more pros, and the exact same cons as the entry-level Mophie, and hits right about the same price point?

Not really sure why the verge article is so negative about it, seems like a solid alternative to me.

 

[Rakehellion]

Why would they have that ugly bulge? Is there a really good technical reason for that?

Also, why not just buy something like this for $10?

 

[TheStu]

Why would they have that ugly bulge? Is there a really good technical reason for that?

Also, why not just buy something like this for $10?

There is a convenience factor to having a battery case rather than a battery pack. But, there are MUCH cheaper options for a battery case, with more mAh than this Apple one.

The bump is ugly, but I like the rest of it (the soft touch silicon is nice, most 3rd party battery cases I've seen are hard plastic). but for $99, and it won't even give a full charge? Forget it.

 

[Kaido]

Reviewers are saying the bump fits in your hand & is comfortable. I've had a few battery cases and they're usually so bulky that they are like holding a rounded brick. So despite being ugly, that might actually be a good design.

Bonus points for Lightning pass-through, case charge-remaining display, and the additional antennas. Minus one point for having a small battery (not even enough for a full charge), but at least you have an emergency unit for power. I have a lipstick battery, but I always forget to charge it, bring it with me, or bring the Lightning cable (or lose the Micro-USB charging cable). Having a built-in battery from the OEM would definitely be nice...

 

[TheStu]

Reviewers are saying the bump fits in your hand & is comfortable. I've had a few battery cases and they're usually so bulky that they are like holding a rounded brick. So despite being ugly, that might actually be a good design.

Bonus points for Lightning pass-through, case charge-remaining display, and the additional antennas. Minus one point for having a small battery (not even enough for a full charge), but at least you have an emergency unit for power. I have a lipstick battery, but I always forget to charge it, bring it with me, or bring the Lightning cable (or lose the Micro-USB charging cable). Having a built-in battery from the OEM would definitely be nice...

Should see more accessories with Lightning pass-through, as (I read) female lightning ports are now allowed under the MFi license. Which is nice, I just wish that Apple had made the design more easily licensed, as it is much nicer than MicroUSB, but I suppose USB-C negates that.

 

[KeithP]

Well for those looking for evidence that Apple has "lost its way" they just got it. It looks awful.

That being said, apparently the design allows it to fit more cases/docks. Personally, I would still take a mophie over Apple's offering without hesitation.

-KeithP

 

[Kaido]

Well for those looking for evidence that Apple has "lost its way" they just got it. It looks awful.

I think this sums it up nicely:

https://twitter.com/ow/status/674201746709856257

 

[Midwayman]

Yah, there is a whole lot of WTF design at Apple lately. That case is horrible.

 

[Artdeco]

The Verge is suggesting Morphie has a ton of patents and this is an Apple work around of those patents.

 

[ControlD]

The Verge is suggesting Morphie has a ton of patents and this is an Apple work around of those patents.

That doesn't seem ironic at all.

 

[Beer4Me]

If Mophie *does* own said design patents, then Apple should have left well alone. This thing is ugly, overpriced, and way too late to the party. It serves no purpose other than to be a money grab for diehard Appl'ists. As an Apple shareholder, I do not approve as this does not follow Apple's #1 philosophy: "Make it 'look' good."

 

[StinkyPinky]

 

[Ns1]

well, if it does truly extend performance by 6-8 hours that's way more than my mophie does.

 

[Artdeco]

Tim Cook is saying it's for occasional use, so it's cool that it looks like hell.

Cook, though, said that “if you’re charging your phone every day, you probably don’t need this at all. But if you’re out hiking and you go on overnight trips… it’s kind of nice to have.”

http://mashable.com/2015/12/09/tim-cook-iphone-smart-battery-case-hump/#Re6PQAtF.sq9

 

[zoiks]

I think this sums it up nicely:

https://twitter.com/ow/status/674201746709856257

My colleague was given a new magic mouse, he was like WTF when he saw the connection at the bottom. It just looks pretty stupidly designed. It would've been better if Apple provided a dock for the mouse to charge it instead.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Why should this offering be surprising in terms of lower capacity and higher cost? When has Apple offered anything cheaply?

 

[Subyman]

Ugly