Apple reveals official 25-hour battery case for the iPhone 6 and 6S

Better ugly and late than never.

Out of the blue, Apple has today launched their first battery case, the Apple iPhone 6s Smart Battery Case for $99. The case comes in Charcoal Gray or White and is compatible with iPhone 6s or iPhone 6. The case is like the Apple Silicone Case, with the addition of a back bump for a battery. Third-party iPhone battery cases have existed for a long time, this is the first version of the product from Apple itself.

The integrated battery will increase iPhone talk time up to 25 hours and Internet use up to 18 hours on LTE (an increase of 8 hours). The battery of the Smart Case is displayed in the iOS UI, thanks to the integration between software and hardware.

The biggest stand out feature of the battery case is a passthrough so you can still plug in other Lightning accessories whilst the case is in use. Other battery cases use microUSB 2.0 to charge and sync the case and iPhone while plugged in. The product is available to pickup in Apple Stores today with delivery as early as Thursday.

My description of the case is a Silicon Case with a hump; not the most flattering description but pretty accurate. Here’s how Apple describes the iPhone case on its website.

"The Smart Battery Case is engineered specifically for iPhone 6s and iPhone 6 to give you even longer battery life and protection. The soft microfiber lining on the inside helps protect your iPhone, while the soft elastomer hinge design makes it easy to put the case on and take it off again. On the outside, the silky, soft-touch finish of the silicone exterior feels great in your hand."

Unlike some of Apple’s Magic accessories, the Smart Battery Case is very competitively priced: $99. For comparison, the most well known brand in this space, the Mophie Juice Pack Air, sells their iPhone 6s battery case for $99.95. While others like the well designed Anker Ultra Slim Battery Case come in well below at $39.99

The Juice Pack Air has a 2750 mAH capacity, the capacity of the Apple Smart Battery Case is not disclosed. Based on the battery life estimates, it seems like they will be comparable, perhaps slightly less than the Mophie. (We asked Apple PR and they will not disclose the battery capacity specifications).