Top 12 Things to Know for Best Battery Cases for iPhone 7

Last Updated on May 26, 2019

Before you buy a battery case to wirelessly charge your iPhone 7 for extended battery life, you need to figure out what makes a best one, what feature matters to you and what doesn’t.

Advertisement and slogans about battery cases for iPhone 7 are attractive these days, and, DECEPTIVE.

So make sure you are informed enough before clicking that “Buy” button.

It’s highly recommended that you read this ultimate buying guide first:

Top 12 things YOU’VE GOT TO KNOW about choosing a best battery case for iPhone 7.

Table of Contents

What Is a Battery Case
Why You Need One
Top 12 Must-Know Things
Recommendations

Let’s start with the basic knowledge.

What Is a Battery Case for iPhone 7

Simply put, a battery case is a smartphone case with a built-in rechargeable battery (or battery chip), which is designed to store juice to extend the smartphone battery life whenever needed.

So a battery case is also called an external battery, a backup battery, a digital charging companion, or a wireless charging case. Swaller and Smiphee are the pop ones.

It’s different from the other 2 wireless charging ways.

There are 2 kinds of batteries or battery chips which are used in an iPhone 7 battery case: lithium polymer rechargeable battery, and lithium ion chargeable battery.

In fact, the lithium polymer rechargeable battery is the second generation of the lithium ion chargeable battery.

In theory, it will do a better job in fast and safe charging. But in our tests, the second generation does not move far to the next level. And we see no big difference when it comes to charging the iPhone 7.

We will do more tests and come to update this part if anything changes.

Why You Need a Battery Case for Your iPhone 7

Well, getting a best battery case for your iPhone 7 benefits you a lot.

Let’s say, extended battery life, mobility, protection, ultra slim design, etc. (Also check other functions in Swaller and Smiphee)

Well, you want to choose a best battery case for your iPhone 7, because……

It wirelessly charges your iPhone without you being entangled with wires, power banks, and outlets;

It offers extended battery life for you to play favorable games without worrying about “battery drains quickly”.

It protects your iPhone 7 since it’s a case;

……

You name it.

For whatever reason you what to buy a wireless battery charging case for your iPhone 7, read this ultimate buying guide before you get one:

Best Battery Case for iPhone 7 – Top 12 Things You HAVE TO KNOW Before Choosing One

Let’s get straight:

#1. Battery Capacity vs Slim and Bulky Design

For a wireless battery charging case of iPhone 7, larger capacity means longer extended battery life.

BUT, do not solely depend on this principle even if a longer battery life for your iPhone 7 is your priority.

Because what you get in the end would frustrate you a lot.

Let me explain this way:

Battery capacity has a very close relationship with the thickness of the case: positive correlated.

And that means, in most of the cases, the larger capacity, the thicker case.

Therefore, a battery case with a larger capacity would be totally a brick.

And an ultra slim battery case for iPhone 7 would be with less capacity.

And don’t trust too much the product images of the battery case on the manufacturer’s page.

And don’t rage or be disappointed when you receive the battery case for your iPhone 7 that is not thinner as expected.

Or you just don’t mind the thick stuff, and then cheers!

So what’s the ideal battery capacity for your iPhone 7 battery case then?

Let’s do the calculation.

iPhone 7 built-in battery capacity = 1960mAh

So in theory if the battery case’s capacity is over 1960mAh, it would recharge a dead iPhone 7 fully for 1 time.

However, in practice you’re unlikely to get full recharge due to the no-100% power conversion rate.

Here is our test result and it will give you a hint:

iPhone 7 Battery Case Recharging Test by wirelessitem.com

2000mAh to 3000mAh = 0.5 to 1 recharge
3000mAh to 4000mAh = 0.7 to 2 recharges
4000mAh to 5000mAh = 2 to 2.4 recharges
5000mAh to 6000mAh = 2 to 3 recharges

Results vary a bit from different battery cases for iPhone 7 we tested and this is the best clear-up we can do.

Again, we can’t tell the exact thickness based on the capacity because that’s also affected by other factors, like the design from manufacturers. But always keep in mind, in most cases, it will be bulky if you want a larger capacity for the wireless battery case of iPhone 7.

A good choice is to choose the one that’s at least with 3000mAh capacity to ensure 1 full recharge for your iPhone 7, and up to 6000mAh if you don’t want a bulky case. Swaller and Smiphee are the good ones.

And trust me, it will take a white for you to get used to it if you choose a bulky one.

#2. Functions vs Extra Features

The job of a battery case for iPhone 7 is to charge the phone wirelessly and safely.

But to catch your eyes and to be your favor, many manufacturers would add some features to the battery case, like extended storage, data syncing, anti-scratches, different bumpers to customize the look, etc.

But remember: a best iPhone 7 wireless charging case with battery should not and can not do everything.

If you prefer longer battery life, a larger-battery-capacity base would be your best battery case for iPhone 7;

And if you want a case with some plus, say anti-scratches and different bumpers to customize the look, then one with these 2 features would be your best choice.

Or you just need a rose color or gold color battery case for your iPhone 7.

About waterproof or weatherproof: it’s a case to cover the back of your iPhone, no waterproof guarantee for your iPhone 7.

All in all, the job of a battery case for iPhone 7 is to charge the phone wirelessly and safely. And keep that in mind when selecting one.

#3. Charging Speed

At present, all wireless charging for iPhone 7 (in fact for all smartphones) is slower than the traditional wired charging.

You can’t just expect that a wireless battery case for iPhone 7 can fully charge your dead phone within 30 minutes.

So what’s the normal charging speed for an iPhone 7 battery charger case?

No absolute answer to this question.

Because there are various variables that come into play when you use a battery case to charge your iPhone 7, like:

How old is your iPhone 7;
The battery status;
What output is it for the case;
Are you using the phone while it’s charging;
What kind of apps you are running when the phone’s charging;
Is it on Airplane Mode while it’s charging;
What’s the power conversion rate;
And many others.

Here is our test result and it would give you a hint:

iPhone 7 Battery Case Charging Speed Test by wirelessitem.com

Age of the iPhone 7 in test: 3 years and 2 months; only used in test

Battery case output: DC 5V-1.0A

Phone state: Airplane Mode (faster mode in charging)

You can see that the iPhone 7 gets 9% – 11% juice after 15 minutes, and 19% – 22% after 30 minutes.

The roughly estimated time for a full charge using an iPhone 7 battery case is 150 minutes ideally.

But you might use your iPhone 7 while charging to send messages, browse Amazon, read gossip news, watch YouTube, and play games, so charging will be much slower than that in our test.

#4. Harm vs No Harm

Are battery cases bad for your iPhone? Will they do harm to the iPhone 7?

You may wonder.

NO. The wireless battery cases will NOT do harm to your iPhone.

What will hurt your iPhone 7 is charging with heavy current and high voltage.

The battery case industry has far hit the proven technique of protection for short circuit, overvoltage, over discharge, overcurrent, and overcharge.

And the output of all the battery cases is DC 5V-1.0A.

Then what about overheating? Some users do suffer overheating when using a battery case to charge an iPhone 7.

Well, let’s move to the next part.

#5. Overheating

The fact we need to admit is that: all phones heat when charging, in any way.

Overheating is another encounter, and issue in fact.

Overheating can cause harm to your iPhone 7.

We need to avoid it.

But you might have been misled.

The prime culprit that cause overheating on your iPhone 7 is not the battery case.

The prime culprits are as follow:

Bad network connection. If there is a weak network or poor WiFi, your iPhone 7 will use more energy to expend more time searching for and maintaining network connections. The battery heats up quickly, especially when it’s charging.

CPU Usage. You have a lot of apps running, for example, you are playing games with lots of applications open. The increase in CPU usage will generate higher temperature, especially when the iPhone is recharging.

iPhone will get warm and even overheated if you are in these circumstances, no matter in which way you charge it – in the traditional wired charging way, or with a wireless charger, or with a battery case.

So the problem does not lie in the battery case for your iPhone 7. It is on how you use your iPhone.

And the battery case is kind of assistant of overheating, at worst, according to what materials are used to make the base.

Always remember, choose the battery case for iPhone 7 made with aluminum alloy, aluminium magnesium alloy, or all aluminum materials, which is good for heat dissipation.

#6. Extra Length

Some battery cases have extra length at the bottom to the iPhone, which is not well accepted by some customers.

Who ever wants a bulky and overlong iPhone? I don’t.

But the fact you need to know is that all battery cases that are equipped with an MFi Apple certified chip do add that extra length at the bottom to the iPhone.

That’s because the MFi Apple certified chip is fixed in that length and the battery case manufacturers have no choice to change it.

If you prefer a battery case for your iPhone 7 with the MFi Apple certified chip, then you will have an extra chin on your smartphone.

#7. Charging Options

Just like your iPhone, the battery case has its own charging options too.

It can be charged either with a Qi standard wireless charging pad or a micro USB cable.

There are only a few manufacturers who offer battery cases with the Qi wireless charging feature.

Only 2-3, you can count. And the rest are compatible with USB charging only.

Here is the comparison of the 2 options:

Micro USB charging VS Qi standard wireless charging for iPhone battery case with lightning port

Features	Micro USB charging	Qi wireless charging
No need to remove the case first	Yes	Yes
Fast charging speed	Yes	No
Support Qi & other wireless charging	No	Yes
Larger capacity	Yes	No
Wireless	No	Yes
Price	Lower	Higher

Those battery cases would be more expensive than those featuring USB charging.

There is no absolute superiority, though. So just choose the one that you prefer.

#8. Headphone Jack Supported

And due to Apple’s new design for the iPhone 7 (with no 3.5mm headphone jack any more and with a lightning port instead), it was difficult for the whole battery case industry to figure out a perfect solution.

But now it isn’t.

Some battery cases do add the Bluetooth and 3.5mm audio headphone jack features, but only a few.

If this is your must-have, do read the introduction carefully to ensure the case you’re going to buy has this feature.

#9. 360° Protection

Yes, it’s a protective case, so it should do its job, to a certain extent.

But only a certain extent.

I dropped my phone several times and the cases I used held up nicely.

But that doesn’t mean you should test that with your own phone (like I did), seriously.

You can’t just hope (or pray) the case can protect your iPhone from any damage every time and in every circumstance.

Therefore, if it’s advertised with the word “100% protect”, or “360° protect”, just ignore it.

#10. Data Syncing

Some battery cases do have the data syncing feature, which enables you to sync your iPhone 7 to MacBook, PC or laptop without removing the battery case.

Which also means, others do not support this feature.

Check carefully if the case you’re going to buy has this feature or not.

#11. Take On and Off

There are some circumstances that you have to remove the case (e.g. when you use a headphone that does not support the connector of the case).

Make sure it’s easy to take the battery case on and off. Otherwise you would throw it away when you’re in that circumstance. (I know it, because I’ve suffered this once. bad experience!)

#12. Connector Issue

The battery case would be equipped with a connector.

And if the connector breaks easily, the case dies.

So read through as many reviews as possible to see if the one you want has this issue.

Best Battery Cases for iPhone 7

If you want a list on best battery cases for iPhone 7, take a look at this below.

Note: Since the size of iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are different, you may not find the case designed for the 7 Plus in the linked page. Please select the model or just type it to search.

Swaller – Best of the Best