After Mophie and several other companies created the “iPhone battery case” category, Apple’s Made for iPhone accessory team quietly began to limit what the cases could do. For instance, developers were told that they couldn’t charge both the iPhone and the case at the same time; instead they had to charge the iPhone first, then the case. And although some early battery cases used Apple connectors to recharge, that convenience was nixed by Apple, too. I covered the inception and growth of the battery case market, and heard numerous stories of last-minute scrambles to meet Apple demands, none of which appeared to be making the cases better for end users. Today, the best iPhone 6/6s battery cases are incredibly similar to one another, distinguished more by pricing and capacity than differences in features.

Years later, some of the advantages Apple denied to third-party developers have appeared in the iPhone 6s Smart Battery Case ($99), Apple’s first battery case for iPhones. Roundly mocked for its rear “hump” and unfavorably compared to best-selling $40 alternatives on raw battery power, Apple’s latest design clearly isn’t for everyone. But despite the criticism, Apple isn’t stupid, and even if it isn’t winning beauty or capacity awards, the Smart Battery Case’s few special features give it a leg up on certain competitors…

After years of seeing gently, organically curved iPhone battery cases, there’s no denying that the Smart Battery Case looks different — and somewhat weird. Clearly based upon Apple’s iPhone 6/6s Silicone Case, the design effectively just grafts a battery hump onto that case’s back, and a male/female Lightning connector chin onto its bottom. No tapering smooths out the battery’s presence; it’s just there. Yet it doesn’t feel terrible in the hand, particularly if you rotate the iPhone into landscape orientation, where the left and right of the Smart Battery Case feel atypically thin. Nor does the battery hump snag as much going in or out of pockets as might be expected, though this may vary based on what you wear. Like the Silicone Case, the Smart Battery Case protects the iPhone 6’s side buttons, but not the ringer switch, which is left open.

Two colors of the Smart Battery Case are available. The dark Charcoal Gray one I tested certainly goes well with Space Gray iPhone 6 and 6s devices, while an almost clinical-looking white rubber alternative is made for silver and gold iPhones, which have white faces. According to early reviews, the white one begins to look somewhat ratty within days, so the gray version may be a better pick. That said, Apple’s soft rubbery exterior and microfiber lining seem destined to show wear faster than the hard plastics used in most battery cases.

Apple ships each Smart Battery Case in a plain-looking box with documentation, but no other accessories, such as the Lightning cable you’ll need to recharge it, or the 3.5mm adapter you may need to connect your favorite headphones through the very thin, deeply-recessed headphone port channel. Every other iPhone battery case at least includes one of these items, if not both, but Apple’s theory is apparently that you’ll already have the Lightning cable, and its own headphone plugs are tiny enough to sneak into the recessed port.

Assuming you supply that Lightning cable — and a power source more powerful than the one included with the iPhone 6 or 6s — the Smart Battery Case can simultaneously charge the iPhone and battery at fast speeds. Using an affordable Anker PowerPort adapter, I was able to recharge the iPhone by 25% and the battery by 26% in 36 minutes. As noted above, most if not all of the Smart Battery Case’s competitors have been restricted by Apple from performing this same feat. That’s possibly because Apple hasn’t trusted third-party developers to properly manage the potentially differential changing flows of “high speed” and “trickle speed” energy to the iPhone and case batteries; regardless of its own low-power condition, the Smart Battery Case appears to dramatically slow down its own recharging when the connected iPhone is trickle-charging.

The Smart Battery Case’s single best feature was hidden in iOS starting with version 9.1. When the iPhone is first plugged in to the case, or the iPhone and case are first plugged into a Lightning cable, the iPhone’s Lock Screen displays a new dual battery indicator, something no other battery case can do. One battery shows the remaining power in the case as a percentage, while the next shows the current charge level of the iPhone. Unless you disconnect and reconnect either the iPhone or Lightning cable, the dual percentages can only be found on Notification Center thereafter, not on the Lock Screen, which is unfortunate.

On the other hand, the Smart Battery Case has zero buttons of its own, and only a single light, so you can’t see how much power remains unless you attach your iPhone. The tiny light is hidden inside the case above the Lightning connector, and is there solely to indicate whether the case is fully recharged when connected to power without an iPhone. It stays red if charging, turning green if fully charged. Also apparently hidden within the case is some sort of passive wireless antenna, though Apple provides no documentation on the feature, and has long-required third-party developers to make their iPhone battery cases effectively radio transparent.

From my perspective, the Smart Battery Case’s major failing is its battery performance. With only 1877mAh of power, it delivers only a 77% recharge to a completely dead iPhone 6; the number will be slightly higher on the iPhone 6s, which has a smaller internal battery. That said, Apple appears to have designed the Smart Battery Case to act in different ways based on the level of charge remaining in the iPhone: if the iPhone’s battery is full, it can run off Smart Battery Case power rather than draining its own reserve, but if the iPhone’s battery isn’t full, it refuels itself to 100% from the accessory. In theory, this could reduce wear and tear on the iPhone’s internal battery by reducing the number of discharge-recharge cycles you’d normally see from a battery case, though in practice, people will need to make sure the iPhone’s well-charged before putting the case on.

It goes without saying that you have dozens, perhaps hundreds of different iPhone 6 battery case options, and no one’s forcing you to choose Apple’s iPhone 6s Smart Battery Case if you don’t like the price, the way it looks, or the battery performance. Given the $99 asking price and 1877mAh cell, it would be near the very bottom of our guide to the best iPhone 6/6s battery cases, and I wouldn’t be inclined to recommend it to most people.

That said, if the Apple name or the unique dual battery Lock Screen feature are of interest, you like the way it looks, and you’re willing to pay a premium for the package, this isn’t a bad battery case. Apple clearly could have done better, and hopefully, it will learn some lessons from this model for next year’s inevitable iPhone 7 sequel — or better yet, improve the “smaller” iPhone’s internal battery so that accessories of this sort are no longer necessary.

Filed under: iOS Devices, Reviews Tagged: battery cases, cases, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Smart Battery Case, smart battery case

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It’s not too surprising that Apple’s new iPhone 6s Smart Case isn’t made to be easily opened for repairs. To get inside for its usual teardown routine, iFixit had to peel off the soft lining of the case by heating up the adhesive. It then had to remove three proprietary Apple screws to remove a metal reinforcement plate and get at the battery itself. So while you likely won’t be able to repair your new Smart Case without destroying it, we do get a look inside of the new product thanks to iFixit…

Apple’s new $99 Smart Battery case for iPhone 6s has been getting a lot of attention this week as pundits and consumers question the design decisions made on the product, while competitors take the opportunity to do the usual Apple mocking adverts. One possible answer for the protruding battery bump on the case that seems to be universally disliked: some have speculated it could be Apple’s way of avoiding patents from the big battery case manufacturers.

But other than the obvious battery bump and the 7.13 Whr (1877 mAh at 3.8 V) capacity battery, iFixit found only the expected Lightning connector components in addition to two chips: NXP NX20P3 load switch (which is used in Lightning to USB cables) and a NXP 1608A1 charging IC. The rest is seemingly being handled on the software side via the connected iPhone. 

The tear down also notes that other than the metal reinforcement plate and flexible hinge, the rest of the case is “made of a hard plastic, seamlessly coated in soft silicone.”

But for all of the hurdles to get into the device, Apple’s proprietary screws, and the fact that the battery isn’t made to be repairable or swappable, overall iFixit gives the new Smart Case an unimpressive 2 out of 10 for repairability.

Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: .13 Whr (1877 mAh at 3.8 V), Apple, battery case, bump, capacity, Chips, iPhone 6s, smart battery case, tear down

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The British government is considering a proposal to give iPads to prison inmates so that they can continue their education when confined to their cells, and also keep in touch with family members via FaceTime and Skype.

The Telegraph reports that the recommendation was made by an adviser to the Ministry of Justice, and is being considered by Justice Minister Michael Gove. A spokesman said that the government wanted to improve educational opportunities so that prisoners were less likely to re-offend following their release.

There does appear to be some support for the idea … 

The plan is being considered by Dame Sally Coates, a former headteacher who is conducting a review of education in prisons for Mr Gove.

“If you haven’t got the skills to get a job, then you’re much more likely to reoffend,” she said.

Jerry Petherick, head of UK prisons for outsourcing giant G4S, said he believed that in-cell tablets would “become the norm”, but warned that strict controls would be needed to prevent further criminality.

Gizmodo suggested instead that if prisoners are there for punishment, they should instead be given 2010-spec Android tablets …

Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: Her Majesty’s Prison Service, iPads for inmates, iPads for prisoners, iPads in jail, iPads in prison, jail, Michael Gove, prison, United Kingdom

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The AppFigures blog has been running the numbers on Apple TV apps, are there are no great surprises. It found that there were 2,624 apps in the store at the time of writing (in line with Eddy Cue’s statement yesterday that there are “more than 2000”), and that the vast majority of them fall into the games and entertainment categories.

So far, at least, developers seem to be pricing them very much like iPhone apps, with $0.99 the most common price, and 85% of them costing no more than $2.99. One slight surprise, though, is that almost 40% of them are paid, rather than free or with in-app purchases.

TV apps are currently growing at the rate of a little under 500 apps per week. Have you got any favorites yet? If so, let us know in the comments.

Filed under: Apple TV Tagged: Apple TV, Apple TV apps, TV apps, tvOS

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Originally launched as a way to vote on new technology products, Product Hunt has since greatly expanded to include media like podcasts and books as well as games and other content. Product Hunt rolled out a visually refreshed home page a couple weeks back to reflect the evolution, and today the service is unveiling a redesigned iPhone app with new features to match…

The new Product Hunt iPhone app features categories for discovering what’s trending in books, games, and podcasts now so you’re not just limited to tech. Podcast playback is also now built right in so you can listen to entire episodes of posted shows and vote accordingly. Start a show, leave the app, and keep listening in the background.

Product Hunt users can create collections of podcasts, games, books, and products right from the app. You can share your own collection or follow other collections to see what others are curating. The new app also includes a Popular feed for highlighting upcoming live chats, popular products, and collections visually.

The new app also takes advantage of some iOS 9 and iPhone 6s features. Searching Product Hunt is now more accessible thanks to Spotlight search from the Home screen without evening opening the app. And iPhone 6s and 6s Plus users can use 3D Touch to access quick shortcuts within the app. Press firmly on the updated icon to jump to Popular, Today, Live, and Search.

Grab the new Product Hunt for iPhone from ProductHunt.com or the App Store.

Filed under: Apps Tagged: books, chat, Games, Podcasts, Product Hunt, products, recommendations

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GoPro has updated its iOS app with support for the Apple Watch, demonstrated in the video below featuring pro skateboarder Mikey Taylor. Owners previously had to use a third-party app to control their action cams from the Watch.

GoPro is excited to launch Apple Watch features for the GoPro mobile app, featuring a simple design that gives Apple Watch users quick access to the camera’s controls right from the wrist. The Apple Watch features allow users to preview their shot, toggle between capture modes, start/stop record and add HiLight Tags to the best moments of their videos.

The iPhone app has also been updated to make it easier to grab still images from video clips and easily trim videos to 5-, 15- or 30-second lengths using the smart editing feature first introduced in September …

Finding your favorite moments is also easier, with a new filtering option that allows you to show only Hi-Lights or edited clips. For action cam fans, it could be just the excuse you were waiting for to treat yourself to that discounted Apple Watch.

The app is compatible with any of GoPro’s Wi-Fi-equipped models, which start at $200.

Via Engadget

Filed under: Apple Watch, Apps Tagged: action cam, Action camera, Action cameras, Action cams, Apple watch, Apple Watch apps, GoPro

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The UK entered glove-wearing weather in the last week or two, leaving the annual problem of how to use touchscreen devices when out and about. If you’ve ever used cheap touchscreen gloves, you’ve probably been disappointed. Most aren’t good at either job: they aren’t very warm, and their touchscreen performance is poor.

Jordan was impressed when he tried out a couple of pairs of Mujjo’s touchscreen gloves almost two years ago, and as I still use the company’s Leather Wallet Case as the daily driver for my iPhone 6s, I thought I’d put the latest gloves to the test …

Mujjo’s Leather touchscreen gloves are far from cheap, at $110. But before you dismiss them out of hand, let me explain why I think they are worth the steep price-tag.

You can walk into any upmarket department store and pay a similar amount (or more) for top-quality leather gloves. And if you did so, you wouldn’t be at all disappointed with these. That impression of quality begins with the packaging, shown above. They are beautifully presented, and would make an impressive gift.

While leather gloves may have something of an old-man image, it’s clear that Mujjo is targeting a completely different demographic here. The design is contemporary, with the fold-over flap giving the gloves a bit of a motorcycle vibe. While not specifically marketed as a men’s glove, I would say the look is more male than female, and the sizing is limited to 8, 8.5 and 9, which will be too large for many women.

The feel of the gloves is fantastic, both outside and in. The leather is Ethiopian lambskin. It’s incredibly supple, and beautifully soft to the touch. Mujjo says they are both windproof and waterproof. I was a little skeptical of the waterproof claim, as in my experience you can have ultra-supple leather gloves or waterproof leather gloves but not both. However, when running them under the tap, water beads up impressively, and they did later come through a rain-sodden bike ride without letting in any water.

The interior lining is another luxury material: cashmere. The gloves feel far too thin to keep your hands warm in cold temperatures, yet somehow they do. Granted, UK temperatures don’t get much below freezing, and they only hit 7-8C (44-46F) at this time of year, but if anything they are a little warm for these temperatures.

The fastening is a magnetic press-stud:

This is my only slight complaint about the gloves. They fasten really easily, and are secure in everyday wear, but I did find that the stud came undone a couple of times while cycling. A slightly stronger magnet would be a worthwhile improvement. However, the ease of fastening means that all I had to do was slap it back down and it fastened itself again.

Most touchscreen gloves have visible patches of conductivity. Not these. There is absolutely nothing about them to give any visual clue that they’re touchscreen gloves. The entire surface of the glove is capacitive.

These gloves aren’t for everyone. Any design will, of course, appeal to some and not to others. And for $110, some may feel they don’t mind briefly removing their gloves to use their phone. But if you are already in the market for gloves of this quality, my view is that you’re getting a fantastic pair of top-quality gloves with the touchscreen performance thrown in free.

Mujjo Touchscreen Leather Gloves are available from Amazon for $109.95.

Filed under: iOS Devices, Reviews Tagged: Leather touchscreen gloves, Mujjo Leather Touchscreen Gloves, Mujjo Leather Touchscreen Gloves review, Touchscreen, touchscreen gloves, touchscreen gloves iPhone

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While Apple didn’t make any claims about water-resistance when it launched the iPhone 6s/Plus, submersion tests showed that the company has clearly been working hard in this area – with the new phones still working after a full hour underwater. But water will always get in through ports like the Lightning and headphone sockets, and a new patent application by Apple suggests that it may have a way to fix this …

The patent application, filed today, is for a ‘self-healing elastomer’ covering the ports. The idea is that when you plug in a cable, the elastomer deforms to allow access to the port, and then closes the opening once the cable is removed.

An electronic device has a self-healing elastomer applied over one or more external electronic connectors. The self-healing elastomer may obscure the electronic connectors from the user as well as provide environmental protection for the connector and the electronic device. Electronic probes may temporarily penetrate the self-healing elastomer to mate with the electronic connector. After removal of the probes the self-healing elastomer may elastically reform and self-heal.

Business Insider annotated one of the patent drawings to illustrate.

As ever, we note that Apple patents all kinds of ideas that never see the light of day, but given the steps the company has already taken toward far greater water-resistance, this one may be more likely than most to make it into a future iPhone.

Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: iPhone, iPhone 7, Patent, self-healing elastomer, United States Patent and Trademark Office, waterproof, waterproof iPhone, Waterproofing

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Earlier this week, Apple launched its very first official battery case for the iPhone 6/6s. It’d be an understatement to say that it got some attention on social media, mostly from people who couldn’t believe the design-focused company released something so hideous. In fact, you’ll be hard pushed to find someone who has something good to say about the way the case looks.

Not to miss a good marketing opportunity, ASUS and LG were among those mocking the battery case and using it to sell the benefits of its own products. ASUS was keen to point out that, even with the battery case attached, the iPhone 6 is still no match for the ZenFone Max. ASUS claims its 5000mAh battery-powered smartphone can handle 2 hours more video playback, 2 hour more internet use and 12 hours more talk time than a case-equipped iPhone.

You don’t need that extra pack when you have the maximum power in one. #ZenFone #Max https://t.co/McjMJbzij5

—
  (@ASUS) December 09, 2015

Meanwhile, LG took a slightly different line with the V10, ribbing the Apple case’s ‘bumpy’ design. Incidentally, LG’s V10 has a 3,000mAh battery which you can fast-charge up to 50% in just 40mins. :

A moment of silence for those experiencing a bumpy ride. Life's Good. #TheHump #LGV10 https://t.co/OX9i4Bo4UE

—
LG Jordan (@LGJordan) December 09, 2015

It’s no surprise to see the companies exploiting a weakness in Apple’s armor to fuel their own marketing efforts, and the Cupertino-based company could certainly have tried to make it a little harder. Right now, the humped battery case is an easy target.

One thing no company has mocked is perhaps the one thing that has impressed all of us: iOS integration. When an iPhone has a Smart Battery Case attached, it displays both the phone and case’s battery levels in the notification drawer’s ‘Today’ view. What’s more, it charges the iPhone automatically and charges via Lightning cable. Those are some convenient features, for sure. Whether or not you’d want a ‘bumpy’ case in your hand to gain those features is another matter entirely.

Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: Android, Asus, iPhone 6, iPhone cases, lg, smart battery case

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Modern ironies: a metro or train journey is one of those occasions when you have some time to catch up on your Facebook feed, but you often have no data connection or a very intermittent one. The company is currently testing a couple of features that should help.

The first is caching posts that have been downloaded but not yet viewed. When you’re offline, the app will display these posts.

We look at all the previously downloaded stories present on your phone that you have not yet viewed, and rank them based on their relevance. We also factor in whether the images for the story are available. This way we can immediately display relevant stories you haven’t seen yet, instead of showing a spinner while you wait for new stories.

Second, it will allow you to comment on posts even when offline, storing your comments in the app and then uploading them once you’re back online.

There’s no indication on when we’ll see the new features, but the fact that Facebook is sharing them suggests that they are likely to be introduced sooner rather than later.

Via Engadget. Photo startuppanel.co.

Filed under: Apps Tagged: Facebook, Facebook for iPhone, Facebook offline mode, Online and offline

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