I often joke that there are three levels of Apple Enthusiasts. The top tier is formed by the ones who buy an Apple Watch. The second tier are the ones who buy a Rs 12,000 ($149) earphones, the Airpods. And the third tier are the not so rich but still very much Apple enthusiasts, the ones who buy a Rs 7000 ($100) power bank i.e. Apple’s Battery Case. I am one of the few who invested in an Apple Battery Case.
I have used my iPhone 6s with the Battery Case ever since I first got it in April last year. For me, undoubtedly it has been the most productive mobile accessory every purchased. The case feels good to hold, provides protection to my phone and most importantly close to doubles the battery life on my iPhone. This means, on most days, I am home with anywhere from 40-60% charge still left on my device. Even on days when I am traveling with heavy GPS and LTE usage, I do manage to survive with 10-15% at the end of the day.
This has had an amazing impact on my mobile usage. I am more confident about using Google Maps or stream Neflix / YouTube on mobile. Plus I no longer have to consciously charge my phone in office before I leave for any evening commitments. Else I risk being out of power and scrambling for a lightning charger, which is still very uncommon to find with any restaurant staff in India. (Side note: I would actually switch to Android if I can only trust my data / privacy there).
And I of course have zero hesitation in using my phone as a hotspot (and sharing it). Which means the need to carry a separate phone as data SIM or data dongle now evaporates. There is also a unique thing about having a battery case, you don’t have to charge both of these separately. Its been my second biggest issue with power banks, I just forget to charge them. That’s if I remember to carry them at all, which is my first issue. Bonus: You don’t end up sharing your battery case with others unlike power banks. So you don’t lose them at least that way.
In fact, I realised that most of the times, I couldn’t charge my mobile at work was because I had to use it! And then repented during an evening outing. But that changes with a battery case. It is much more convenient to just take off the battery case and let it charge and then put it back on when leaving from work. This is useful in situations where I end up at work after missing to charge my devices overnight.
I still wish that Apple someday makes a palm sized iPhone which is a little thick but has a huge battery. Probably never going to happen 🙂 But till then, I would always be looking at a good Battery Case alongside my new iPhone purchase.
Btw: RIP Apple Battery Case?
Chances are that you are unfamiliar with the Apple Battery Case. After all it wasn’t the most famous or cheered Apple accessory. In fact, it was criticised and ridiculed for its design by many. And I suspect most of them did not use it enough before writing it off. However, the reviews were good. Unfortunately, it does seem that Apple has discontinued manufacturing the Battery Case and you won’t find them for the iPhone 8 and X series.
This decision by Apple may either be due to optics (making the case is sort of agreeing that iPhone battery life is poor) or simply a belief that iPhone battery life has increased, specially with the bigger sized models. Either way, having used the official Battery Case for almost a year now, I am unlikely to have a comfortable upgrade to an iPhone 8, X or XI without figuring the battery case replacement. It is just that addictive to have all day battery life without any anxiety or cables dangling off your pocket during a conference.