Apple’s Smart Battery Case is a great way to protect your iPhone and give it some extra power (at the cost of a bit of added bulk). But, can they actually be bad for your iPhone’s battery life?
The short answer is probably not. iPhones regulate their own charging cycles and will stop charging when the battery is at capacity. Read on to learn more.
Is Smart Battery Case bad for your iPhone? The short answer is probably not.
There are actually quite a few posts and threads online discussing Smart Battery Cases and iPhones. Some of them stretch back a few years and the most recent are from this month (after the release of the iPhone XS and XR cases).
On these posts, users chime in with their own anecdotal experience. But many of the threads die off without any sort of clarity. Presumably, that’s because Apple doesn’t specifically clarify whether or not its Smart Battery Cases are bad for batteries.
But it may also be because of a handful of users reporting that their iPhone battery capacity actually degraded after using the Smart Battery Case.
Are those reports accurate, or are users simply drawing conclusions from faulty evidence? Let’s take a look at batteries in general — and what can damage them.
Check to see if your iPhone battery is degrading normally.
An iPhone battery’s degradation all comes down to how many “charge” cycles you put it through.
We’ve previously covered what a “normal” rate of battery degradation is for the average iPhone user. If you don’t have time to read our piece on it, the general takeaway is that it can vary widely between average users.
Because battery degradation varies, users may actually find that their iPhone’s battery capacity does indeed degrade after using a Smart Battery Case. But that doesn’t mean it’s the Smart Battery Case that’s causing it. Correlation doesn’t equal causation.
All lithium-ion batteries will degrade normally over time. The rate of degradation depends on how often you use your smartphone, how fast you drain the battery, and how often you charge it.
And, contrary to popular belief, charging your iPhone overnight or leaving it on a charger when it’s fully charged isn’t bad for it. Similarly, having a Smart Battery case on a charged iPhone won’t kill its battery.
That’s because, as we’ve covered, a battery’s degradation all comes down to how many “charge” cycles you put it through.
Don’t let your Smart Battery Case overheat.
Engineered for iPhone, the Smart Battery Case gives you even longer battery life while offering great protection.
But, on the other end of the spectrum, a Smart Battery Case could theoretically cause battery damage — but not for the reasons that you think. It comes down to overheating, which definitely can damage a battery and reduce its overall capacity faster than normal.
Fast charging or using wireless charging can cause a smartphone to get warmer than it would be through a conventional cable and adapter setup.
And that’s not all, having any kind of case on your iPhone could cause problems, too. Leaving a case on a charging smartphone could inhibit its ability to cool off naturally.
Apple itself recommends that users remove any case on their iPhone before charging.
Also, keep in mind that the capacity indicator in the iOS Battery Health menu is just an estimate — and it can be inaccurate at times. So don’t overthink it.
Tips to keep your iPhone battery safe.
If you’re still concerned about your Smart Battery case, here are a few tips to keep your iPhone’s battery safe.
Try to avoid using the Smart Battery Case in direct sunlight or when the ambient temperature is really high.
Don’t use the Smart Battery Case while playing graphically intensive games or when using other CPU-draining apps.
Only use MFi-certified chargers and charging accessories from a manufacturer that you trust.
Charge the iPhone and the Smart Battery Case separately, without the case on the actual device during the charging process.
If you notice your iPhone or Smart Battery Case getting unusually hot during use, take the case off.
What are your thoughts around this issue? Have you already bought Apple’s Smart Battery Case and started using it with your new iPhone XR/iPhone XS? We would love to hear your thoughts.
Mike is a freelance journalist from San Diego, California.
While he primarily covers Apple and consumer technology, he has past experience writing about public safety, local government, and education for a variety of publications.
He’s worn quite a few hats in the journalism field, including writer, editor, and news designer.
“Exposing the battery to high temperature and dwelling in a full state-of-charge for an extended time can be more stressful than cycling.”
And that’s what the apple smart battery case does, keeps your phone at full charge. Yes, it gives you more juice, but killing your internal battery in return.
There is very simple solution, the battery case just needs to provide the power to the iphone electronics instead of charging the internal battery.
Why it is not implemented? Are the apple engineers so dumb?
They are very smart actually, if it was implemented, your phone would last 5 years, now it lasts 1-2.
I have the smart case for my XR ,
I don’t know if it’s constantly charging or what ,
But if I have the case on there’s always the lightning bolt over my battery as if it’s in charging mode. And my question is , is there power being pushed into my battery even though it’s at 100% ? Right now my battery is at 100% but still shows the lightning bolt over the battery. I wish there was a power button on the case so I could choose when I want my phone to charge.
I have the iPhone Xs with the Apple battery pack and I’ve noticed that my iPhone’s internal battery health is dropping rapidly despite the fact that the external battery is connected all the time and I use that battery up only half each day leaving my internal iPhone battery at full charge every day.
In other words, the internal iPhone battery isn’t being discharged at all, yet the health of the internal battery is dropping rapidly.
This seems to indicate to me that the external battery pack is either damaging the internal battery of the iPhone or the health rating of the battery is independent of anything connected to it and it is simply Apple’s model of timed obsolescence that drains the battery health meter regardless of whether you discharge the battery or not.
I just when to the apple store to find a fix on my i phone X mas that I bought less that an year ago, and at the moment of the purchase I t was a good idea to get the extra battery case from apple and get it with all the warranties, and few day ago my iPhone while been in the battery case was connecting and disconnecting from the case, and I tough was the case getting wear out or the connection and only do it while the phone battery was discharged and the battery case was Pushing up power to the phone but of the phone battery was strong enough to sustain the phone, the issue will not happen, then I try while the phone battery was discharged and the connected to my car charger and will do the same connect and disconnect effect l, showing on the screen on and off and with the battery logo connected and disconnected, but I try that in to the wall charger and did not happen, all this using the apple cables with the exemption of the car charger because apple do not produce one, so I ending taking my iPhone and the battery case to and apple store and get a full diagnosis on the items, and they did the first test and they did not find anything wrong and they lady try to send me home with the issue, then I reply and pointed at her on the iPhone option where show the battery health show that the day before the battery show the low and parameters and she still skeptical to my complaints and the I ask for the manager of the store, I then I repeat my complaints and he was more carefully and putting detailed attention to my issues and how they show on the phone, then he suggests a different test where they check the amount of power goes in to the lightning connector and then bing the test fail immediately, and the only explanation that they have is that since my phone was in the battery case since I bough it for about 7 to 8 months and I never get out was some type of damage to the hardware of the phone connection do to be all ways subject to recharge all the time and at the end they remplace the phone and but now with the new phone I don’t To out them inside case like before
I’ve been using Apple’s battery case for more than two years now, and it’s hands down the best investment I’ve ever made. Through 3 different phones (two 7s and a 6s), it has worked perfectly.
While some of the rubber peeled off after some time, usability is still incredible.
I have NEVER run out of battery in one day since I got this case, and that is really valuable to someone like me who’s 23 and uses his phone all the time.
Because this is all positive, I feel it’s appropriate to mention that I have no affiliation with Apple, and don’t stand to gain anything from this.
I just value this case VERY highly. Also never cracked a screen with the case on, even though it doesn’t seem very sturdy.
Sorry but this advice to charge Apple Smartcase saparetelly from the phone is very strange, once Apple itself designed the device to be charged together.
“Exposing the battery to high temperature and dwelling in a full state-of-charge for an extended time can be more stressful than cycling.”
And that’s what the apple smart battery case does, keeps your phone at full charge. Yes, it gives you more juice, but killing your internal battery in return.
There is very simple solution, the battery case just needs to provide the power to the iphone electronics instead of charging the internal battery.
Why it is not implemented? Are the apple engineers so dumb?
They are very smart actually, if it was implemented, your phone would last 5 years, now it lasts 1-2.
I have the smart case for my XR ,
I don’t know if it’s constantly charging or what ,
But if I have the case on there’s always the lightning bolt over my battery as if it’s in charging mode. And my question is , is there power being pushed into my battery even though it’s at 100% ? Right now my battery is at 100% but still shows the lightning bolt over the battery. I wish there was a power button on the case so I could choose when I want my phone to charge.
Does the fact that the phone battery being always on 100% if one doesn’t deplete the smart case , is bad for the battery itself ?
I have the iPhone Xs with the Apple battery pack and I’ve noticed that my iPhone’s internal battery health is dropping rapidly despite the fact that the external battery is connected all the time and I use that battery up only half each day leaving my internal iPhone battery at full charge every day.
In other words, the internal iPhone battery isn’t being discharged at all, yet the health of the internal battery is dropping rapidly.
This seems to indicate to me that the external battery pack is either damaging the internal battery of the iPhone or the health rating of the battery is independent of anything connected to it and it is simply Apple’s model of timed obsolescence that drains the battery health meter regardless of whether you discharge the battery or not.
I just when to the apple store to find a fix on my i phone X mas that I bought less that an year ago, and at the moment of the purchase I t was a good idea to get the extra battery case from apple and get it with all the warranties, and few day ago my iPhone while been in the battery case was connecting and disconnecting from the case, and I tough was the case getting wear out or the connection and only do it while the phone battery was discharged and the battery case was Pushing up power to the phone but of the phone battery was strong enough to sustain the phone, the issue will not happen, then I try while the phone battery was discharged and the connected to my car charger and will do the same connect and disconnect effect l, showing on the screen on and off and with the battery logo connected and disconnected, but I try that in to the wall charger and did not happen, all this using the apple cables with the exemption of the car charger because apple do not produce one, so I ending taking my iPhone and the battery case to and apple store and get a full diagnosis on the items, and they did the first test and they did not find anything wrong and they lady try to send me home with the issue, then I reply and pointed at her on the iPhone option where show the battery health show that the day before the battery show the low and parameters and she still skeptical to my complaints and the I ask for the manager of the store, I then I repeat my complaints and he was more carefully and putting detailed attention to my issues and how they show on the phone, then he suggests a different test where they check the amount of power goes in to the lightning connector and then bing the test fail immediately, and the only explanation that they have is that since my phone was in the battery case since I bough it for about 7 to 8 months and I never get out was some type of damage to the hardware of the phone connection do to be all ways subject to recharge all the time and at the end they remplace the phone and but now with the new phone I don’t To out them inside case like before
I’ve been using Apple’s battery case for more than two years now, and it’s hands down the best investment I’ve ever made. Through 3 different phones (two 7s and a 6s), it has worked perfectly.
While some of the rubber peeled off after some time, usability is still incredible.
I have NEVER run out of battery in one day since I got this case, and that is really valuable to someone like me who’s 23 and uses his phone all the time.
Because this is all positive, I feel it’s appropriate to mention that I have no affiliation with Apple, and don’t stand to gain anything from this.
I just value this case VERY highly. Also never cracked a screen with the case on, even though it doesn’t seem very sturdy.
Sorry but this advice to charge Apple Smartcase saparetelly from the phone is very strange, once Apple itself designed the device to be charged together.
Great information! I feel much better about my smart battery case I bought now.
Great post. Just picked one of these bad boys up!
Thanks for the information. I feel a lot better now.