Kickstarter Campaign Aims To Add a Full Android Device To the Back of Your iPhone (macrumors.com)

A new Kickstarter campaign aims to expand the iPhone's functionality with its "Eye Smart iPhone Case," which features a fully functional Android device built into the case itself. The campaign was launched on March 1 and has already raised over $100,000. Mac Rumors reports: An always-on 5-inch AMOLED display is built into the case, which runs the Android 7.1 Nougat operating system. The case connects to the iPhone using its Lightning port to enable file transfers, power delivery, and more. A microSD card slot provides up to 256GB of storage for holding photos, videos, and other media, all of which is accessible using the Android file explorer. A built-in 2,800 mAh battery provides additional charge to the iPhone, and the Eye case itself supports Qi wireless charging. Two SIM card slots are included, and higher-end models support 4G LTE connectivity, so up to three phone numbers can be used with an iPhone. Android exclusive features, like native call recording, the file explorer, customization, file transfers, and Android apps are all made available to iPhone users via the Eye case. A 3.5mm headphone jack lets iPhone owners with an iPhone 7 or an iPhone 7 Plus to use wired headphones with the device, and the Eye case includes NFC, an IR blaster and receiver for controlling TVs and other devices, and a car mount. It's available for the iPhone 6 and later, and will allegedly be available for the new wave of iPhones coming in 2017 within a month of their release. The Smart iPhone Case is available for a Super early bird pledge of $95, with prices going up for 4G connectivity. The estimated retail price is between $189 and $229.

Comments

a real keyboard

[roman_mir]

I would rather have a real keyboard added to my Android... RIM is asleep at the wheel, they could be building real keyboards (maybe with extra battery pack in them!) and licensing/selling them as add-ons to existing smart-phones.

Idiocy

[DavidinAla]

This is pure stupidity. If you want to use an iPhone, use an iPhone. If you want to use an Android device, use that. But this makes as much sense as welding a Chevy to the back of a Honda and pretending you've achieved something worthwhile. A lot of people in tech have entirely too much time on their hands.

I got it!

[Frosty Piss]

1. Come up with a wack-a-doodle idea.
2. Build Kickstarter page
3. Get a "story" on Slashdot
4. ?
5. Profit! (That is, burn through a lot of cash on booze, weed, and expensive cocktails)
6. Fold.

Who needs it?

[jcr]

If you've got an iPhone, why would you want an iPhone knock-off?

-jcr

Use Case?

[airos4]

But.. why? I mean, jokes aside, what's the use case here? Are there legitimately apps that cannot run on the Apple platform that people feel they need? I can't think of any other reason. If it was an e-ink display like the Yota, maybe, but why have a wholly separate OS?