Samsung is always on the hook for something in the media spotlight. It’s the most well-known Android OEM, not to mention the most popular, and its smartphones sell like crazy. The same company that makes great hardware and software, however, is always placed in the shadow of its main rival, Apple. No matter what Samsung does, no matter how innovative, Apple will do it and get credit for it.

And now, the “Samsung copies Apple” circus has come back to town. The media continues to propagate the mantra that Samsung is, once again, copying Apple with Samsung soon to bring a new Galaxy S7 battery case to the market. Unfortunately, those who regurgitate this claim (I wish I knew the exact source of this unjustified claim) are forgetting Samsung’s history with battery cases. Let’s dive into it, shall we?

Samsung’s history with battery cases

Samsung emerged with a battery case for the Galaxy S that provided an additional 600mAh of juice, 500 additional hours of standby time, and 9 additional hours of talk time. Along came the Galaxy S2, and Samsung released a Galaxy S2 battery case that provided an additional 1300mAh of battery performance to the second-generation Galaxy S device. Both the Galaxy S and Galaxy S2 arrived far before 2015, as did their battery cases.

Samsung’s history with extended battery and extra battery kits

Samsung has also had a history of producing extra battery kits and extended battery kits for customers who’d rather not swap their current protection case for better battery life or prefer to carry their phone around in all its glory.

The Galaxy S3 proved to be the darling of the Android world, the star that put Samsung on the rise (the name “Samsung” means “rising star”), and the most popular Samsung smartphone to date had a battery case released by the Korean giant. It was called the Galaxy S3 Extended Battery Kit. The Galaxy S3 Extended Battery Kit had a 3,000mAh battery, which was larger than the Galaxy S3’s battery (2,100mAh).

There was also a Galaxy S5 Extended Battery Kit that contained a special back cover and a 3,500mAh battery. The Galaxy S5 Extended Battery was 7.21mm thick as opposed to the regular Galaxy S5 battery that was 5.35mm thick.

Now, let’s be clear: extended battery kits and extra battery kits are not the same as battery cases. Some extended battery kits come with back covers and batteries to replace the ones you get right out of the box, but the advantage to these extended batteries is that they’re always larger than the pre-installed ones – meaning that you can simply upgrade your battery life without having to buy a battery case altogether. Some favor removable batteries, and this option seems to have been a favorite of many a Samsung fan.

The mantra creators forget: the battery case for the Galaxy S7 is a wireless charging case

Apple has created a Smart Battery Case that adds an additional battery within a protector case to the battery life already within the internal battery of the iPhone itself, but Apple has done nothing with the iPhone in regard to wireless charging. Duracell, for example, had a Powermat wireless charging system designed for the iPhone 4s, for example, but a wireless-charging iPhone experience won’t have the fruit company at the helm (at least not yet, anyway).

In contrast, Samsung’s Galaxy S7 battery case is shown to have not only a 2,700mAh battery but also wireless charging – which has been a technology absent with the Korean giant’s rival. In other words, Samsung’s Galaxy S7 battery cases for the original S7 and the other models can’t be compared to Apple’s Smart Battery Case because wireless charging technology makes them different and places Samsung’s ahead of Apple’s own case. Samsung has been making battery accessories for a long time, and, though we’re glad to see Apple enter this realm for the sake of its own customers, the Korean giant should get the credit for the battery accessories between these two rivals, not Apple.

Samsung’s Galaxy S7 wireless charging battery case matches its new Galaxy S6 and Galaxy Note 5 accessories

Samsung’s preparing to bring its Galaxy S7 wireless charging case to market, but the Korean giant is preparing to bring Galaxy S6 edge+ and Galaxy Note 5 wireless battery packs to market as well.

These battery packs, seen here and here, match what Samsung is doing in the Galaxy S7 accessories that are soon to arrive. The battery packs are identical to what some would consider to be a case on the smartphone (it looks like a case, and wraps around the phone and protects the back of the device like a case), but it also wirelessly charges the device – in other words, it charges and protects your Galaxy S6 or Galaxy Note 5, simultaneously. It contains in-built wireless charging that differs from typical battery cases because Samsung can keep it thin, light, and chic while providing the battery life you need on the go.

If you’re wondering why Apple’s Smart Battery Case won’t win any fashion contests, just take a look at Samsung’s wireless charging battery packs in the links above.

Conclusion

Extended battery kits, extra battery kits, power packs, and battery cases, are just some of the accessories Samsung has made for its smartphones over the last few years. While we wish there were more battery cases both past and present, 2 battery cases establish the trend that Samsung isn’t bowing to Apple on this one. It’s an even bigger case (pun intended) the other way around.