You think Apple’s Smart Battery Case is ugly? Wait ’til you see its insides

For the Apple fans disappointed in the Quasimodo look of the new Smart Battery Case, there is probably great satisfaction in seeing it all busted up. Yes, the staff at iFixit wasted no time prying one open to behold the guts of the beast.

iFixit did not defend the case from the “ugly” tag so many people gave it in its’ first 24 hours of public life. The technicians were impressed with the ducting on the case, which turned a downward-facing speaker into one that faces forward. The microphone also faces forward and iFixit wonders if this a preview on future designs.

Apple’s Smart Battery Case was rolled out this week and while the protruding battery pack was off-putting to some, the case promises practical value to the iPhone 6s with 25 hours of talk time, 18 hours of internet and 20 hours of video playback.

iFixit’s Teardown feature is popular because of how it demystifies the technology and informs the DIY spirit in the many who make their own repairs. But most of us are chicken to take apart our own devices, so it’s fun when someone else does it for us.

That iFixit had to destroy the case to get a detailed look (on a fixability scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being easy, iFixit rated it a 2) may be a testament to the case’s durability. The entire case, except for a hinge, is constructed out of a hard plastic that is coated with a soft silicone to make it comfortable to the hand.

The case contained a battery connector “so we don’t have to bust out the soldering iron,” iFixit said. “The battery is very strongly adhered in place – probably so it can help stiffen the case to protect its precious cargo.” The battery more than doubles your iPhone 6s capacity, iFixit said.

Other discoveries included two Lightning connectors housed on the same board and only “rudimentary ICs” inside, an indication that the brains of the battery “live in software on your iPhone.”

iFixit said battery replacement is possible but not without destroying the microfiber liner, which is attached with strong adhesive.

iFixit gave a nod to a developer on Twitter who referred to the Smart Battery Case as the place where traded-in iPhone 4’s wind up.

Source: iFixit