Apple has officially released a new Smart Battery Case for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR following leaks late last year that showed the then unreleased accessory in documentation distributed to Apple resellers across the world.
The new cases are designed very similarly to the other Smart Battery Cases the company has released for previous generation iPhone models, with a bump at the back to house a battery pack. The cases are available in Black and White, priced at $129 for all three sizes.
Apple touts that the new Smart Battery case for the iPhone XS adds 33 additional hours of talk time, 21 hours of internet use, and 25 hours of video. The iPhone XS Max case adds 37 hours of talk time, 20 hours of internet, and 25 hours of video playback. Finally, the iPhone XR Smart Battery case packs 39 hours of talk, 22 hours of web, and 27 hours of video.
As with the previous versions of the Smart Battery Case, the new accessorie shows a battery status on the iPhone’s Lock screen and in Notification Center, allowing you to check the remaining charge of the case.
The new cases support Qi charging, meaning customers can top-up the charge of their case on any wireless charging mat, in addition to plugging the case in through the bottom Lightning port for power.
The Smart Battery Case is compatible with Qi-certified chargers. You can charge your iPhone and battery case simultaneously for increased talk time up to 33 hours, Internet use up to 21 hours, and even longer audio and video playback.* With the Smart Battery Case on, the intelligent battery status is displayed on the iPhone Lock screen and in Notification Center, so you know exactly how much charge you have left.
Despite the iPhone X having a near identical design to the iPhone XS, Apple notes the case isn’t backward compatible likely due to the rear camera bump on the iPhone XS being ever so slightly taller than the original iPhone X. Customers can order the case online through Apple.com today with next-day shipping available, and presumably the accessories will be available in Apple retail stores and third-party sellers later this week.