Apple iPhone 11 Pro Smart Battery Case Analysis, Opinion and Price
The new Apple iPhone 11 has made an important leap in autonomy this year thanks to a larger capacity battery and optimizations of the processor and screen hardware.
However, those users who make very intensive use of the phone throughout the day may need even more battery. For these users, Apple has launched this year the Smart Battery Case for the new iPhone 11/11 Pro / 11 Pro Max.
These cases are similar to those that the company launched last year for the iPhone XS but now they incorporate a dedicated button to open the Camera app and take pictures.
Design: Greater thickness and weight
The design of the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Smart Battery Case is similar to other Apple silicone cases and is available in white, black and, as a novelty this year, also in sand pink.
In my experience with the Smart Battery Case of the iPhone XS, this silicone finish is somewhat delicate since, over time, it is easy for some piece of the surface to peel off.
The most striking aspect of the design of this case is that it has a hump in the back, inside which is the battery. As expected, the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Smart Battery Case adds weight and, above all, thickness to the iPhone, although to be fair it is not excessively annoying.
Perhaps the most complicated thing is to enter and take out the iPhone from your pocket if you wear tight pants due to the extra thickness that the battery adds.
As for the contour around the front, there is practically no difference with a conventional case and, in fact, if you look at the Apple iPhone 11 Pro in front with the case on, you will hardly notice a difference with a conventional case.
As a novelty, Apple has incorporated a physical button that opens the Camera app if you keep it pressed for a second. Once inside the Camera app, a quick press allows you to take a picture while a long press captures video. If you’ve ever missed a dedicated button for the camera like Sony smartphones, you’re in luck.
Improvement in autonomy
The Apple iPhone 11 Pro Smart Battery Case offers an integration with iOS that we do not find in the cases of other manufacturers, which usually have LEDs to report the status of the charge.
The percentage of battery remaining in the case is visible at any time in the Battery widget of the Notification Center, as well as when the charger is connected or disconnected on the lock screen.
Likewise, a lightning-shaped icon is also shown that lets us know if the case is charging at any given time.
I would have liked Apple to show information about the status of the Smart Battery Case in the Control Center because, due to its greater accessibility, it is the place I usually go to when I want to know the battery level of my iPhone.
According to Apple, with this case, you can increase the autonomy of your iPhone by around 50%. In the case of the Apple iPhone 11 Pro, this means that we would get around 27 hours of video playback, 17 hours of streaming video playback or almost 100 hours of music playback.
In my experience, the increase in autonomy is remarkable. Although it is difficult to measure the battery increase, the reality is that now no day I can completely empty the iPhone battery.
Cable or wireless charging
Once the Apple iPhone 11 Pro is inserted into the case, it starts charging its internal battery from the energy accumulated in the case’s battery, so the Smart Battery Case can even serve as a temporary charging base for a while if You don’t have the charger at hand.
Apple has provided the Smart Battery Case with wireless charging, so charging the battery is as simple as supporting the iPhone with the case on a Qi-compatible charging base (tip: support the central area of the case on the base of charging, not the area where the battery excels, since the charging circle is in the center).
If you do not use wireless charging or go in a hurry, you can connect a conventional charger through the Lightning port of the case that replaces the iPhone port. In this regard, it is worth mentioning that the Lightning port of the case behaves like that of the iPhone, so we can connect any accessory that we normally use with the iPhone.
Whether you use a wireless charger or if you use a conventional wired charger, Apple has implemented intelligent charge management that prioritizes the iPhone’s battery charge over the case’s battery charge.
Maximum charging speed is achieved using an Apple USB-C power adapter of 18 watts or more. With high power chargers, it is even possible that the iPhone and the case are charging at the same time.
Of course, it is also possible to charge the Smart Battery Case without the iPhone inside, both by cable and wirelessly. In this case, the case has an LED in the interior area that lights up to show if the case is charging (orange) or if it is already fully charged (green).
Price and Conclusions
The Smart Battery Case is available in black, white and sand pink colors (the latter color only for Pro variants) with a price of $ 129.99, so it is not exactly a cheap case.
However, taking into account the excellent integration in iOS and intelligence when prioritizing charging, in my opinion, it is the best battery case you can buy for your iPhone.
All images Credits for iPhone 11 Pro Smart Battery Case
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