Tech21’s Evo Endurance is Apple’s iPhone 6 battery case on steroids (and smarter)

Apple’s battery case for the iPhone 6 made news for being weird, but it was a decent concept. Tech21 seems to have seen it as a challenge, so it created the Evo Endurance case.

If you’re not familiar with Tech21, they’ve got an impressive polymer that flexes to protect your phone against damage when dropped. If you’ve ever run into Tech21 at an event, you’ve likely seen them wrap a hand in that orange polymer and hit it with a hammer.

Evo Endurance also has some advanced battery technology buried within. The 1800mAh battery is Lithium Ceramic, which Tech21 claims will reduce heat emissions and leaks. It’s also non-flammable, which is handy if you really do drop your phone.

Materially, Evo Endurance is not quite as polished as Apple’s case. Whereas Apple’s is a silicon wrapped shell, Tech21 seems to have slapped a plastic battery shell on a rubber-y phone case. It also doesn’t have the microfiber lining of Apple’s case.

The design Tech21 uses is much the same as Apple’s, though their case is a touch larger. It’s got the same large chin at the bottom, and a directional speaker grill to redirect sound forward. IT even has the same cutouts for the camera, mute toggle and headphones.

Where Tech21 loses a bit of mojo is that it charges via micro USB.  That means it’s not part of Apple’s MFi program, and will require you to carry an extra cord with you (or invest in Tylt’s duo cable).

It’s also a bit more manual than Apple’s case, which will either delight or frustrate you. While Apple makes charging seamless, Tech21’s Evo Endurance lets you control when your phone charges. Both perform the same (Apple’s case is 1877mAh), they just go about it differently.

Personally, I liked Apple’s case just fine, but Tech21’s offering is a bit less jarring. The strange ‘hump’ on Apple’s case is neatly finished on the Evo Endurance, leaving it with cleaner lines. I’m not crazy about the dual-material decision, but it’s not a deal breaker.

And if I were prone to drops, the choice would be a no-brainer. Tech21 says Evo Endurance will protect your phone from drops up to 6.6 feet, which inspires confidence.

Evo Endurance retails for $109.95 via Tech21’s Website.

➤ Evo Endurance [Tech21]