As battery cases go, Apple’s Smart Battery Case is one of the best around, with a slim fit, excellent monitoring, and of course, great battery life. But if yours isn’t working as it should, Apple might replace it for free, even if it’s out of warranty. And if it is working, you just got a free extra year of warranty.
Apple has launched the Smart Battery Case Replacement Program for iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR, which covers all cases made through October of 2019. That’s basically every model ever produced, since the case only launched a year ago today, on January 13, 2019.
There are two issues that Apple has identified:
The battery case will not charge or charges intermittently when plugged into power.
The battery case does not charge the iPhone or charges it intermittently.
Since the case is only a year old, most of the models in circulation will still be under warranty, but this program extends the warranty for an extra year. Even if your case is working fine now, if it craps out in a few months, you’ll still be covered. Apple says it will evaluate each Smart Battery Case to verify that they are eligible once they are brought in for service.
You can get your Smart Battery Case replaced at a local Apple Store, or an authorized service provider. All models and colors of the case are included in the program.
Author: Michael Simon, Executive Editor
Michael Simon has been covering Apple since the iPod was the iWalk. His obsession with technology goes back to his first PC—the IBM Thinkpad with the lift-up keyboard for swapping out the drive. He's still waiting for that to come back in style tbh.