Placing all its bets on MagSafe, Apple has not released new versions of its Smart Battery Case for either the iPhone 12 or iPhone 13 series.
Instead, the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack is the official way to carry extra charging power for the latest iPhones in your pocket. Read our Apple MagSafe Battery Pack review.
Nice as that is, the Battery Pack just magnetically clamps to the back of your iPhone and offers zero protection from everyday bumps and knocks, which you would get with a quality battery case.
Drop your phone to the ground and it will likely crack the screen at the very least – unless you have it in a protective case.
A battery case offers both robust protection and the opportunity to recharge a fading iPhone battery on the go.
We were big fans of Apple’s old Smart Battery Case but now that it’s no longer available for the latest iPhones, we must look to third parties for the best battery cases for iPhone 12 and 13.
Previously we’ve gathered the best battery cases for older versions of iPhone:
Best battery case for iPhone X
Best battery case for iPhone 11
There are a lot of generic Chinese-made battery cases, but few from recognisable brands. One Chinese brand that we’ve been impressed with in the past is Newdery, which makes a range of charging devices for today’s mobile gadgets.
We tested the Newdery Battery Case for iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro (both are the same size so the case works for both iPhones) and it passed our quality and performance targets.
There are also versions for the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro on Amazon.com and Amazon UK, and the 12 Pro Max (US and UK), but nothing yet for the 13 Pro Max. There is one model that works for both the iPhone 12 mini and 13 mini.
Battery performance
We test with a simple battery recharge shootout, letting our test-unit iPhone 13 Pro (3,095mAh battery capacity) drain to just 5% and then set the portable battery to work recharging the phone.
We then assign the charging device with a score of whatever percentage it managed to charge the iPhone to and subtract the 5%; we test each model at least twice.
The Newdery Battery Case scored 96% in our test, showing that it will supply very close to a 100% recharge.
That’s much better than we achieved from Apple’s own MagSafe battery Pack (60%) and the Anker MagGo 622 and MagGo 633 battery packs (86%).
Rated at 4,800mAh and 17.75Wh, the case should perform better but we’ve never found a battery case that actually matched its mAh potential to charge a lower-powered phone.
Protective design
The beauty of a battery case is its dual function to protect the phone from bumps, knocks, drops and scratches that come about through everyday use, clumsiness and genuine accidents.
The Newdery Battery Case is tough and should resist the most minor and middling horrors that we inflict on our precious phones.
The design is chunky but the case weighs just 134g, which is less than it looks like. In comparison, the Apple MagSafe Battery Case weighs 114g but the Anker 622 comes in at 143g with its integrated stand.
There are the usual cutouts and button covers for the iPhone’s controls, speakers and mic.
It charges via Lightning cable, but is also wireless compatible so can be charged on most Qi charging pads.
(There is also a version without wireless charging if you want the basics only.)
Four small LEDs show you how much charge is left in the battery case.
Verdict
Almost alone as a respected battery case option for Apple’s latest iPhones, the Newdery Battery Case offers full protection and nearly a full battery recharge, which makes it a great accessory for everyday use and those days when you need extra battery power away from a reliable power source.
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