Today, Apple released the latest version of its Smart Battery Case, an accessory that"s been part of the iPhone lineup since the iPhone 6 and 6s. The product has been improved over the years though, adding support for Qi wireless charging. This year with the models for the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro series, there"s another improvement, which is the addition of a dedicated camera button.
Pressing the button on the side will launch the Camera app, whether the phone is locked or not. Pressing it while the app is open will take a picture, or holding it will take a video. The feature was originally popular in Nokia"s old Lumia Windows phones, allowing for the phone to feel more like a real camera, placing a shutter button on the right side of the top of the device while it"s being held in landscape orientation.
But the key benefit to the Smart Battery Case is, of course, additional battery life. On each of the three case models, Apple says that they"ll get you up to 50% better battery life, which should be pretty impressive given how much battery life has improved on this year"s iPhones already.
The new Smart Battery Cases will run you $129. You can find the model for the iPhone 11 here, for the iPhone 11 Pro here, and for the iPhone 11 Pro Max here.