[NewsPoster]

Apple has quietly launched its first ever case for the iPhone 6s that contains a battery, a product that has been sold by third party accessory manufacturers for quite a few years. The Apple iPhone 6s Smart Battery Case is claimed to protect the iPhone with a similar design to other Apple-produced iPhone cases, except a protruding battery on the back gives the held iPhone more power, extending its talk time by up to 25 hours and LTE usage by up to 18 hours.

Using an "elastomer hinge design" to hold the iPhone 6s or iPhone 6 in place, the case is lined by a microfiber material and uses a silicone coating on the outside. Pocket-Lint notes that it is able to be charged by a standard Lightning cable, something not typically offered by other similar cases, and is compatible with other Lightning-based accessories.

As for the "smart" element of the name, the battery case feeds back information to the iPhone about its current level of charge, instead of using a separate on-case indicator. Users will be able to see the "intelligent battery status" of the case from the iPhone lock screen and in the Notification Center.

Shipping now with earliest deliveries expected on December 10, Apple is selling the iPhone 6s Smart Battery Case in a choice of white or charcoal gray colors for $99.

[coffeetime]

I like the idea of using Lightning cable to charge but that protruding-hum-back is butt ugly. Can't believe Apple designed this.

[Inkling]

Nice try, but what Apple has long needed are EL (for Extended Life) versions of its mobile products and laptops. Just add a larger battery in a slightly thicker case. Apple should also create Sport models with better protection against weather and dropping. As is, any styling Apple does is lost when users are forced to create their own EL or Sport models with cases that mean iPhones look just like every other smartphone on the market.

[Le Flaneur]

This goes against everything that Apple has done in the past 10 years! An extra battery?! Steve Jobs must be turning over in his grave!

[macdude22]

A battery cable with actual Lightning pass through is a dream come true but by the rising star this is ugly. I Get maybe because the bottom is thin it will accept a more standard suite of accessories but companies like Mophie and Anker have shown how to make a sleek looking battery case for years, not the hunchback of Notre phone.

[Mike Wuerthele]

Sleek looking battery case? Are you kidding me? They're all giant, and ugly. There is no way a battery case won't look ugly.

I'm with Inkling on this. They don't have to keep getting thinner. Lets go a hair thicker, put in a massive battery, and as a bonus, get more bend resistance.

Oh, and -- we've got a review in progress. This isn't the sort of thing you spend 24 hours with and make an opinion that's worth a damn.

[Charles Martin]

I concur that a photograph isn't really enough to judge this on (like a lot of Apple products actually -- I was convinced the Retina MacBook was hideous-looking until I actually saw one in person, and worried the Apple Watch was too large until I tried one on).

While some will see the battery case as an admission that Apple's built-in battery isn't up to the job, that hasn't been my experience with my 5s or new 6s (or the Watch for that matter) -- they all more than last a day or two for my use, but when I'm on the road I do find that easy access to outlets are sometimes limited, so a battery pack is useful. I find it amusing that the same people who might carry around an entirely separate battery brick will claim this integrated one is "ugly."

[jdonahoe]

I was wondering if they would make a 6 plus version or would that be even too big. I am one of those that carries a slim mycharge razorplus (3000 mAh) battery only for peace of mind. If I were down to vapors, it would charge to about 40-50% before it was depleted. My 6 plus can easily go 3 days without any assists, so it's really not needed.

[DiabloConQueso]

I dunno, I kinda like it.

It addresses a number of concerns that people have (whose solutions up to now basically boil down to "a whole new phone"):

- It provides a grippier surface for the phone for those that complain about the thinness and/or rounded edges making the phone hard/uncomfortable to hold and/or prone to being dropped.

- It provides a MUCH longer battery life for those that complain about having to charge their phones frequently.

- It provides a bit of thickness to the design for those that have aesthetic or usability issues with the thinness of the phone.

As stated in the article, it has a couple of other benefits over 3rd-party battery cases such as integration with the on-screen battery level indicator and pass-thru lightning port charging.

Plus, it's an add-on, and while some might say "It's just a way to make more money by selling something separate that they could easily build into the phone itself," I like the optional nature of it. When I want thin and light, I can get thin and light, such as when I'm just carrying my phone while I'm out shopping or something. When I want longevity, I can have longevity, such as when I go overnight camping or on an all-day excursion.

I don't have too many gripes about the appearance. It's not something I'm going to put on my mantle for all to see, but it's not something that I think necessarily looks bad or ugly. It's slim, simple, and to the point while integrating nicely with the phone itself (both aesthetically and operationally).

I'm interested to see the expanded MacNN review of the product.

[Mike Wuerthele]

Our first piece will be a couple of days of use, but certainly more than a few hours like reviews today are. A bit down the road, we'll do our "Living With" on it.

Case in point - the WSJ reviewer slighted a LED on the inside of the case to say if the case was charged or not. How could they not notice (or mention) the on-screen battery gage?

[mindwaves]

This battery case news made me buy one for my iPhone.

http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Anker-...dp/B00QG4YYWY/

Got it for $29.99 with the special sale today.

Will use it for when I am overseas. Otherwise, will use my normal case.

[Sanjiv Sathiah]

I'm just wondering where they managed to hide the battery?

[txcrude]

really Apple, a bulging back ????? and $99 ??

[coffeetime]

That's what I am saying. At least making it flush against the edges of the phone or by filing them with lightweight material so they look like one equally-thick-all-around iPhone (I don't mind thicker iPhone for battery sake). Can you imagine iMac or MacBook design this way with CPU bulging out from the back or battery bulging out from the bottom of a laptop? Come on Apple, where's your sense of design?

What is the external battery's tolerance for when people have their iPhone 6s in their pants pockets as I would have for my iPod Touch? I want to expect the external battery in this smart case to not be damaged.