MacFormat UK – September 2019

APPLE CHOICE iOS hardware

A

pple’s Smart

Battery Case

is £129 – this

third-party alternative

saves you more than a

fifth of that price and,

like Apple’s case, works

with wireless chargers.

The case draws in power

over its USB-C port and

charges your iPhone

wirelessly. We could feel

the warmth this generates,

but that’s true even with

Apple’s all-wired case.

The case sends power to

your iPhone only after you

hold down a small button

that sits f lush on its back.

Brief ly pressing it

illuminates up to four status

LEDS for a rough estimate

of remaining power. Though

less precise than the insight

iOS gives into Apple’s official

case charge level, it’s only

really a concern when the

level gets low.

Mophie says the case’s

2,950mAh battery should

extend your iPhone’s talk

time to more than 33 hours

in total. Disappointingly,

though, the fully charged

case topped up our iPhone

XS Max’s battery by just 36%.

That said, Mophie’s Charge

Vault tech is designed to hold

charge for an extended

period, which is reassuring.

Also, the case’s design leaves

the Lightning port available

for other accessories (Apple’s

has a passthrough port, but

not all cases do) so you can

top up power while using

wired headphones.

ALAN STONEBRIDGE

Can’t justify paying

over £100 on Apple’s

case? This one is

almost as good.

++++++

Leaves Lightning

port available

Modest extension

to overall battery life

VERDICT

Mophie Juice Pack Access

Third-party power for your iPhone

£99.95 FROM Mophie, uk.mophie.com

FEATURES Wireless, USB-A to USB-C cable

84 | MACFORMAT | SEPTEMBER 2019 Image credits (top to bottom): Logitech, Mophie

L

ogitech’s Slim

Folio Pro cases

for the third-

generation 11-inch and

12.9-inch iPad Pro are

functionally identical.

Well built, they offer excellent

protection for your iPad,

but also add some heft.

There’s no Smart

Connector, so you pair over

Bluetooth low energy, with

the keyboard waking and

sleeping depending

on whether your iPad’s

positioned for typing.

The internal battery lasts

three months on a single

charge based on two hours’

use per day, and charges over

USB-C. Since these iPad Pro

models are the first iPads that

can output power themselves,

this means you can charge

the Slim Folio keyboard

from the iPad itself.

There are three stand

positions: typing, viewing,

and read/sketch modes –

all of which feel natural.

The keys are precise and

responsive, and backlit with

three choices of light level.

The catch is magnetic, and

the case allows space to

connect (and thus charge)

a second-gen Apple Pencil.

Costing a fair bit less than

Apple’s own Smart Keyboard

Folio case, Logitech’s case also

makes typing much faster

and easier, and protects your

iPad and Apple Pencil very

well, even if the whole

package feels significantly

larger when the iPad is in

its case. HOLLIN JONES

There are three stand modes –

this is the regular typing position.

Logitech Slim Folio Pro

A solid keyboard case for the iPad Pro

£109-£119 FROM Logitech, logitech.com FEATURES Backlit keys,

Type/Sketch/Read modes, charge and stow Apple Pencil

A good blend of

old and new ports,

but display support

is disappointing.

++++++

Low-profile design

One less USB–A port

than regular model

VERDICT

Unfortunately, the case edges run

flush with the screen so there’s no

protective front ‘bumper’.