Best battery cases for the iPhone X and XS
Whether you’re looking for a slimline battery case or something that will just provide extra power, Simon Jary has it covered
While Apple has made some advances in iPhone battery life, most heavy users of their smartphone will run into that Low Battery warning at some stage of the day. And sadly the same is true of Apple’s iPhone X and newer iPhone XS.
The iPhone X has a Li-ion battery capacity of 2,716mAh (10.35Wh). According to Apple, this will get you 21 hours of talk time, up to 12 hours browsing the Internet, up to 13 hours watching video, or 60
hours listening to audio – although not all at the same time, of course.
The iPhone XS’s battery capacity is slightly smaller than that of the X, at 2,658mAh. While the phone’s A12 Bionic SoC chip should be more efficient, the smaller battery may mean that overall battery life is a bit worse, or at best, the same.
The iPhone XS Max has a capacity of 3,174mAh, which is considerably larger than the 2,691mAh one found inside the iPhone 8 Plus.
Out of the blue, Apple has released its Smart Battery Case for iPhone XS and XS Max (see page
15), after skipping versions for the iPhone 8 and X. It’s not supposed to be compatible with the iPhone X because of the XS’s slightly larger camera, but fear not as it fits and works perfectly with the older X, too. There’s also a model for the iPhone XR.
Even battery-case market leader Mophie skipped a battery case for the iPhone X, and hasn’t bothered with the XS either.
With limited – and very expensive – Apple-certified battery case solutions for the iPhone X, users have a choice of the uncertified Chinese-made battery cases.
Although some claim much higher capacities we found most of these maxed out at a full recharge, so the 3,200mAh case did nearly as well as the 5,000mAh cases tested here.
Remember most of these are not Apple certified. Though we tested some of the products reviewed here and they worked fine, Apple recommends using only accessories that it has certified (MFI) and that come with the ‘Made for iPod/iPhone/iPad’ logo.
Peyou Charger Case for iPhone X/XS
Price: £19 from fave.co/2VF5guh Compatible with: iPhone X, iPhone XS
While not the largest battery capacity of the cases reviewed here, the Peyou is one of our favourites and performed just as well as those claiming greater energy capacity. Its 3,200mAh battery looks puny compared to the 5,200mAh and 6,000mAh power packs, but impressive next to the Apple Smart Battery Case, although it performed about the same, showing the numbers of all to be something of a nonsense. It gave us about an 80 percent recharge, which should be enough for most people. And even the 5,200mAh battery cases we tested didn’t go much further than 100 percent.
There are four easy-to-read LED battery indicator lights at the back, next to the button to control charging. Cutouts and button protectors work well.
At £19, it’s great value for money, and offers enough battery charge and protection to make it the all-round battery case that I use every day with my iPhone X.
Cofuture iPhone X/XS Battery Case
Price: £24 from fave.co/2SK1Og3 Compatible with: iPhone X, iPhone XS
This battery case from Cofuture promises an additional 150 percent battery life to your iPhone X, though this claim wasn’t backed up in our tests. It has a storage capacity of 5,000mAh and is designed to prevent your handset from overheating and overcharging. Plus, a power indicator at the back of the case lets you know how the charge is faring.
This Cofuture also lets you sync to your MacBook or PC with your Lightning connector without the tedious task of removing the case. The case itself is made of the silicone-like material TPU and the ABS plastic, which can withstand high temperatures, and is shock and scratch proof. It also has cutouts for easy access to ports and buttons. But it is bulky, especially compared to the Peyou Charger Case for iPhone X/XS.
You can find this case in red and yellow, although the ‘red’ is definitely on the ‘pink’ side. There is also a red and a black option that
costs £27, and has a kickstand that allows landscape viewing. Cofuture offers a one-year warranty.
Newdery 6,000mAh Rechargeable External Charging Case
Price: £20 from fave.co/2EOrkgk Compatible with: iPhone X, iPhone XS
If you want something a little more powerful, this 6,000mAh capacity case from Newdery promises 170 percent more battery life. It’s not compatible with wireless charging however, nor does it have a builtin 3.5 audio input, but it does work with Lightning headphones, AirPods and other Bluetooth headphones.
Like Cofuture’s case, Newdery’s battery case also lets you sync with other devices, like your MacBook, using your Lightning cable.
What we like about this is that it doesn’t extend the phone screen, so your iPhone can stay as close to it’s original chin-less splendour. Any additional bulk is behind the phone, which is a small price for all the power this charger packs.
EasyAcc Wireless Charger Case
Price: £20 from fave.co/2tMOA8e Compatible with: iPhone X, iPhone XS
With a claimed 5,000mAh extra battery capacity, this really is a beast, and is also monstrous in size, adding a lot of bulk to the normally svelte iPhone X. But despite the reassuring size, this extra battery power managed to recharge a fading iPhone just the once. We could get the same on a much smaller, lighter case such as the Peyou Charger Case for iPhone X/XS.
Interestingly, the EasyAcc is a wireless case, so you don’t need to attach a cable to charge it up, and it also powers the encased iPhone wirelessly, too, unlike any of the other cases reviewed here. This means the Lightning cable is free to use to sync to a computer, or use with headphones (Lightning or via a Lightning adaptor, of course) and Apple CarPlay.
The case can also be charged by cable, but a USB-C one rather than a Lightning. Maybe EasyAcc is preparing for a post Lightning world.
With its enormous bulk it should be able
to resist a grenade attack, let alone a drop to the floor, so if you are mountaineering without a rope at least your phone should survive. It’s the only case that also ships with a tempered glass screen protector, although you can buy an iPhone X screen protector from Amazon pretty cheaply.
It’s difficult to recommend the EasyAcc Wireless Battery Case for iPhone X because of its massive bulk and weight (a hefty 145g, which combined adds 85 percent to the weight of the naked iPhone), and the fact that it doesn’t live up to its claim of a giant battery, except in size.
If you want to charge a battery case wirelessly then this is the one for you, but the size of the thing is extraordinary.
Runsy iPhone X Battery Case
Price: £26 from fave.co/2EMmCQn Compatible with: iPhone X, iPhone XS
The Runsy battery case packs 5,000mAh of power and comes with a nifty power switch that lets you turn the battery on and off as desired.
From a protection standpoint, it has a raised bezel to keep that iPhone X screen scuff and scratch-free. Plus a matte finish adds grip, which is a useful safeguard for unexpected drops.
The Runsy battery case also supports both Apple Lightning wired headphone listening as well as AirPod wireless listening, which is a nice touch.
BrexLink iPhone X Battery Case
Price: £17 from fave.co/2NIJJ0V Compatible with: iPhone X
This 6,000mAh battery case promises to have your iPhone recharged in up to four hours. It’s built similarly to some of the other battery cases on this list, so you can expect the same sense of protection from TPU and high-grade plastic protection. One neat feature is that you can also charge your phone and the case at the same time. This case is also designed to prevent your iPhone from overheating and overcharging.