Joanna Stern on the iPhone 6S Smart Battery Case

Joanna Stern:

Even better, Apple fixes many of the issues I’ve had with cases over the years. It uses the same Lightning cable as the iPhone to charge, and it tells you how much power is remaining right on the phone’s screen. Besides, the case doesn’t feel like the stuff plastic forks are made of.

The Lightning cable is what made me want one, but the fact that it shows the amount of power left right on the iPhone’s screen is a great addition.

Still, I’ll take it over all the ugly messes sold by Mophie, Anker and others, especially since it provides better protection for the phone. A lip curves just above the screen to prevent the glass from hitting a hard surface and an interior lining provides better shock absorption than hard plastic. Plus, the grippy material is much easier to hold and doesn’t feel like it will slip from my hands.

I have a Mophie case and I can’t stand the plastic.

Here’s the best part about the design: There are no blinking LED lights on the case to tell you how much power is remaining. As soon as you attach it, the percentage of power remaining in the phone and the case is displayed on the iPhone’s lock screen. You can also see both battery levels by swiping down in the notification center.

Apple even integrated a passive antenna into the case so cellular reception doesn’t suffer.

Apple’s attention to detail is still alive and kicking.