Apple launches $129 battery cases for iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR

Apple has been rumored to be working on battery cases for its latest iPhone XR and XS models for a while, and today, seemingly out of nowhere, the company has made those cases available for purchase on the Apple Store website, as spotted by Joanna Stern on Twitter. 

The new battery cases are available for all three of Apple’s 2018 iPhone models for $129, regardless of whether you’re choosing one for an iPhone XS, XS Max, or XR. The cases will also be offered in both black and white silicon designs, and still feature Apple’s distinctive battery hump that it introduced with its earlier battery cases too, albeit with a more tapered design. Unfortunately for older iPhone owners, the product pages specify that the new cases will only work with the those iPhones — meaning that iPhone X owners won’t be able to use the XS case on their phones, despite the nearly identical dimensions.

According to Apple, the new cases are also compatible with Qi-certified chargers, so you’ll still be able to wirelessly charge your phone even with the case on — there’s a separate wireless charging coil built into the case — and that like its recent iPhones, you’ll be able to charge even faster with a USB-C PD compatible charger (along with a USB-C to Lightning cable, of course.) 

The company has yet to reveal just how big the extra battery packs are in terms of extra power, but Apple is promising dramatically better battery life, with up to 21 hours of internet use on the XS, 20 hours on the XS Max, and 22 hours on the XR (up from 12 hours, 13 hours, and 15 hours of internet use respectively without the battery case.)

Like Apple’s original battery case, the new models will get the first-party advantage of integrating directly with iOS, allowing for users to check charge on both the case and their phone’s internal battery in places like Notification Center, similar to how connected AirPods and Apple Watch charges can be monitored.

The Article was Published on : TheVerge