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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.

94 of 158 comments (clear)

  1. Does the Android case need a case? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    ...and if the Android case needs a case, does it need to be an Android case Android case?

    1. Re: Does the Android case need a case? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Cases all the way down

    2. Re:Does the Android case need a case? by CanadianMacFan · · Score: 1

      Quick, someone start a Kickstarter campaign for a Windows Phone case for the Android case for the iPhone!

  2. a real keyboard by roman_mir · · Score: 3, Insightful

    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.

    1. Re:a real keyboard by Immerman · · Score: 1

      That's what USB adapters are for. Just plug in any nearby USB keyboard into your phone. Not especially convenient, but you can't beat the typing comfort.

      Seriously though, you're right. I'm surprised the market isn't full of various "built in" keyboard cases.

      --
      --- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
    2. Re:a real keyboard by Kokuyo · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I'm in the same boat. A HTC Desire Z or a Communicator 9500 brought up to current tech and phablet size would be a dream come true.

      The only good thing about the Blackberries is that the keyboard doubles as a touchpad. That's nifty. But portrait mode keyboard? Come on, how am I supposed to work with that?

    3. Re:a real keyboard by jellomizer · · Score: 2

      The market isn't filled with built in cases because it is a rather stupid idea.
      1. By the time you get the product out Apple will have a new product with a new form factor so you will need to start over again.
      2. You are spending a lot of money on a case meant to protect your phone from damage but fill it with damagageable technology.
      3. It is huge and bulky
      4. When it is in place it no longer looks like an Apple product
      5. Most people may want 1 or 2 extra features which can be used with a cheaper dongle, that takes less space.
      6. The device is a phone not a PC! You don't get these for all the IO ports and expandability, but for what you get with the device.

      If you want an Android device one with the ports and features you want go ahead there is no shame in that. Also if you find the Apple device does what you want go with that there is also no shame in that.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    4. Re:a real keyboard by 6Yankee · · Score: 1

      Still carrying my Desire Z and will not be parted from it.

    5. Re:a real keyboard by jon3k · · Score: 1

      Have you seen the KEYone?

    6. Re:a real keyboard by unixisc · · Score: 1

      I bought a Bluetooth keyboard from Microcenter that has 3 settings that I can use w/ 3 separate OSs - iOS, Android and Windows. You can use something like it whenever you are doing extensive typing on the phone, like say text or email

    7. Re:a real keyboard by painandgreed · · Score: 1

      I would rather have a real keyboard added to my Android...

      You should get some hardware guys together and do a Kickstarter. The idea is probably not being done by a large company simply because there is not enough of a market for it. I love Kickstarter because it allows for an outlet for small production niche items like your keyboard. You could probably find a decent amount of people willing to spent a bit extra for that idea, but not enough to tempt a large corporation. If you want it, build it yourself and get other people who want the same thing to help you do it. Still, that still leaves the questions of if it is possible, economical, and if the people doing it are capable enough to get it done.

    8. Re: a real keyboard by Miamicanes · · Score: 1

      It's REAL market is more likely to be, "people who want to use their phone (or at least, its case) for company email & groupware, but don't want to hand over control of what's literally their most intimate and private data, to their company's IT staff... or at least, compromise the functionality & performance of their own phone by installing invasive MDM software".

      In other words, it's a sacrificial device to let your company's IT staff fuck up so you can spare your REAL one from the same fate.

      Why iPhone? Because it's just about the only phone whose models sell enough identical-form devices AND has a market life longer than the 9-15 months typical for most Android devices. The Galaxy S3 was one of the very, very few Android phones that ever came close (re both total sales AND useful market life). The S8 might sell more in 6 months than the S3 sold in two years, but it'll probably be replaced by the S9 6-9 months after the S8's release, and officially discontinued the same day.

      I can DEFINITELY see someone like Huawei or HTC making a future phone that's basically two independent Android devices sharing one battery. Samsung, probably not, because then they'd have to admit that consumers have legitimate complaints about Knox (complaints mostly due to later changes made at the demand of large enterprise customers... Knox infrastructure ITSELF is fairly benign, but the MDM software used to configure & administer it is as bad as any other MDM thanks to LATER demands imposed by large enterprise customers who insisted upon having complete control over the entire device, as opposed to settling for complete control over Knox's VM and virtual encrypted filesystem).

    9. Re: a real keyboard by Miamicanes · · Score: 1

      ^--- Argh. "It's" --> "Its". Damn mobile Slashdot, with its goddamn lack of preview-before-post and tiny 4-line input box. :-(

    10. Re: a real keyboard by parkinglot777 · · Score: 1

      Well, but TFA is about Android features for iPhone (not Android over Android). So I still agree with GP that it is a stupid idea...

  3. Expensive but hilarious joke by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    This is an expensive joke, but I wholeheartedly approve. Please make this a thing! This is hilarious. I can't wait to see people trying to use it.

    (Just don't sign me up; I wouldn't use it if you gave it to me for free AND gave me a free unlimited phone plan to go with it.)

    1. Re:Expensive but hilarious joke by sodul · · Score: 1

      They should have hired CrazyRussianHacker to do the ad. Jump at 1:46, "now you got two". See, same concept!

    2. Re:Expensive but hilarious joke by Rockoon · · Score: 1

      Isnt that the guy that tried to kill his viewers with carbon dioxide?

      --
      "His name was James Damore."
    3. Re:Expensive but hilarious joke by sodul · · Score: 1

      Isnt that the guy that tried to kill his viewers with carbon dioxide?

      Even more perfect, when the battery of the Android side catches fire the users get carbon dioxide poisoning.

      Safety is number one priority

      In his defense he does claim to be crazy, what do you expect?

    4. Re:Expensive but hilarious joke by unixisc · · Score: 1

      If it is a lithium ion battery, I don't see the by-product being carbon dioxide: I see it going from Lithium oxide to Lithium carbonate, using a combination of air and moisture i.e. from lithium to lithium oxide to lithium hydroxide to lithium carbonate,

    5. Re:Expensive but hilarious joke by sodul · · Score: 1

      And all that plastic around the whole thing has no carbon in it?

  4. Idiocy by DavidinAla · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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.

    1. Re:Idiocy by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      Do encryption on the Android device and only use the iPhone to network with. When the security services try to get the decoded message all they get is the iPhone passing encrypted messages. Speed for complex encryption and decryption without the big brand trust issues.

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
    2. Re:Idiocy by Mr0bvious · · Score: 1

      But you are carrying two, they're just stuck together to make them even less useful and more cumbersome.

      --
      Never happened. True story.
    3. Re:Idiocy by Mr0bvious · · Score: 1

      Oh not to mention, every time you place the phone down it's face down!

      Every time you drop it, it lands face down!

      How can I use the superior rear camera?

      --
      Never happened. True story.
    4. Re:Idiocy by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 2

      It actually does make sense. iPhones only have one SIM card. I travel a lot and need extra mobiles and extra SIM cards all the time. Also data exchange of Apple devices simply sucks, either you need a cloud or iTunes, how ever there is a third party tool, iExplorer, that is wonderful.
      So: for the extension of the iPhone you need obviously an OS, and Android is the first coming to mind.
      The idea might look strange on the first glance, but I'm sure there is a market. Especially if there was an iPhone 4/5 version, too.

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    5. Re:Idiocy by Rockoon · · Score: 1

      how ever there is a third party tool, iExplorer, that is wonderful.

      Indeed, Apple has praised iExplorer for a long time. Since 1997 if my signature is to be believed.

      --
      "His name was James Damore."
    6. Re:Idiocy by jittles · · Score: 1

      It actually does make sense. iPhones only have one SIM card. I travel a lot and need extra mobiles and extra SIM cards all the time. Also data exchange of Apple devices simply sucks, either you need a cloud or iTunes, how ever there is a third party tool, iExplorer, that is wonderful. So: for the extension of the iPhone you need obviously an OS, and Android is the first coming to mind. The idea might look strange on the first glance, but I'm sure there is a market. Especially if there was an iPhone 4/5 version, too.

      The problem is that you need to pony up some $$ to join the MFI program in order to get access to the lightning port. I do not believe that Apple is going to support this at all and if they don't give you access to the program, you're screwed. Sure you could buy some MFI controller chips that fell off the back of a truck, but you won't ever be an approved product.

    7. Re:Idiocy by mjwx · · Score: 1

      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.

      An better car analogy is to put an Aston Martin V12 into a Chevy Cruze (which wont fit without extensive modifications... for the non mechanically inclined amongst us).

      If you need the power of Android, why not just get an Andoid phone to begin with? Not like you don't have plenty of choice.

      --
      Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
    8. Re:Idiocy by jon3k · · Score: 1

      How exactly do you propose to do this? Turn on personal hotspot on an iPhone? Now it's just an Android device connected to WiFi. What have you prevented, exactly?

    9. Re:Idiocy by unixisc · · Score: 1

      I have heard about some Chinese company having an iPhone w/ 2 SIM cards, and other great features. Totally illegal in the US, but legal elsewhere. If one can get one of those, and get 2 SIMs from AT&T or T-Mo, then one would be good to go

      This contraption would have been more useful for an iPhone 4 or 5, than for a 6 or 7, as it is. The 4 or 5 had limited storage, so there, the SD extension would have made sense. But the 7 comes w/ 32, 128 or 256GB, so it only makes some sense for the 32. Same for the battery or camera. Only thing that might be useful - if the 100 or so songs I downloaded from YouTube can be transferred to the iPhone and played from there using this setup, it would be ideal, bypassing Apple's DRM.

    10. Re: Idiocy by Miamicanes · · Score: 1

      Because Enterprise customers aren't satisfied with control over virtual machines or ONE of your device's potentially-multiple operating systems... they demand complete control so they can remotely wipe your whole device (including your personal files) without warning if they decide to lay off your entire team.

      When you allow your company to install MDM software on your device, there's almost no technical limit to what they can do. They might *voluntarily* exercise restraint, but there's literally nothing to stop an evil company (or rogue admin... or malware running with an administrator's credentials) from doing their worst.

    11. Re:Idiocy by dgatwood · · Score: 1

      But this makes as much sense as welding a Chevy to the back of a Honda and pretending you've achieved something worthwhile.

      Reminds me of these:

      Bus on a bus
      Early camper truck?

      --

      Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.

    12. Re:Idiocy by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

      Those iPhones are not iPhones. They only look like them, including the icons of the software. They run Android.

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    13. Re:Idiocy by R3d+M3rcury · · Score: 1

      Anyone else out there remember MacCharlie?

    14. Re:Idiocy by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      AC did you miss the Vault 7 news? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
    15. Re:Idiocy by n329619 · · Score: 1

      Now Imagine really hard about having a Chevy on the back of a Honda... this is so stupid that if someone kickstarter this, I'm getting one. #Logic

  5. Great, now you and a special friend can... by magusxxx · · Score: 2

    ...,have Tindr on one side and Grindr on the other. And use them both at the same time.

    --
    Care killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.
  6. I got it! by Frosty+Piss · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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.

    --
    If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
  7. Been available in China for years by drnb · · Score: 2

    Android pretending to be iphone

    I think phones like that have been available in China for years. ;-)

  8. Re: Android pretending to be iphone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    No, you've got it completely backwards. The Android "case" is clearly providing all the actual functionality while the iPhone is there simply so the owner can say they own an iPhone.

  9. Contrary to popular belief... by pilaftank · · Score: 1

    > lets iPhone owners with an iPhone 7 or an iPhone 7 Plus to use wired headphones with the device

    the iPhone 7 already has wired headphones:
    http://www.apple.com/shop/prod...

    They use the Lightning connector (not a 3.5mm jack), but it won't make much difference unless you need to charge at the same time.

    --
    dna.js
    1. Re:Contrary to popular belief... by Agent0013 · · Score: 1

      > lets iPhone owners with an iPhone 7 or an iPhone 7 Plus to use wired headphones with the device the iPhone 7 already has wired headphones: http://www.apple.com/shop/prod... They use the Lightning connector (not a 3.5mm jack), but it won't make much difference unless you need to charge at the same time.

      Because, who would want to listen to music all day while working, right? And if you can't charge and listen, then you only have the time the battery lasts to listen to music. And then after that, you can't use the phone for anything else until you charge it up again.

      --

      -- ssoorrrryy,, dduupplleexx sswwiittcchh oonn.. -Quote found on actual fortune cookie.
    2. Re:Contrary to popular belief... by pilaftank · · Score: 1

      Everyone at my work uses Bluetooth headsets even though we all have 3.5mm jacks on our Macs (and some mobile devices). When given a choice in the real world, 3.5mm goes unused. If simultaneous charging is truly your important use case, just keep your Bluetooth headset plugged in while you wear it (or don't get an iPhone 7). The improved battery life and waterproofing of the iPhone 7 are far more important to most people.

      --
      dna.js
  10. I'm hoping for students ... by drnb · · Score: 2

    This is pure stupidity. If you want to use an iPhone, use an iPhone. If you want to use an Android device, use that.

    Well its sort of convenient for developers who want to target both platforms ;-)

    In the days of $350 Nexus devices I wouldn't think about it at all. Now in the days of $650 Pixel devices I might briefly think about it.

    A lot of people in tech have entirely too much time on their hands.

    I'm hoping for a team of EE, CS and ME students who want to take something from idea to reality so that they have something on their CV beyond attending required classes. For such projects showing that you can take an idea and build something that works, in a cross discipline team environment, is more important than that thing being useful.

    1. Re:I'm hoping for students ... by drnb · · Score: 1

      In the days of $350 Nexus devices I wouldn't think about it at all. Now in the days of $650 Pixel devices I might briefly think about it.

      You realize there are tons of good sub-$200 phones now, right?

      I was kind of hoping for a modern version of Android and a few years of upgrades/updates.

    2. Re:I'm hoping for students ... by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      I'm hoping for a team of EE, CS and ME students who want to take something from idea to reality so that they have something on their CV beyond attending required classes. For such projects showing that you can take an idea and build something that works, in a cross discipline team environment, is more important than that thing being useful.

      People are free to waste their time in any way they want, what I don't understand is why anyone would donate to kickstarter to fund this stupidity.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    3. Re:I'm hoping for students ... by unixisc · · Score: 1

      In the days of $350 Nexus devices I wouldn't think about it at all. Now in the days of $650 Pixel devices I might briefly think about it.

      You realize there are tons of good sub-$200 phones now, right?

      The advantage of Marshmallow or Nougat is that if one has a low end phone that has an SD card slot capable of, say, 128GB, then one can define that as the primary memory, and then pack that phone w/ as many apps, and media as they want. But a lot of those phones or tablets are artificially crippled - not only do they come w/ something as low as 8GB storage, but to make things worse, they only support 32GB of SD, making it painful. As a result, they can only be upgraded as high as Gingerbread or Kitkat

    4. Re:I'm hoping for students ... by drnb · · Score: 1

      I'm hoping for a team of EE, CS and ME students who want to take something from idea to reality so that they have something on their CV beyond attending required classes. For such projects showing that you can take an idea and build something that works, in a cross discipline team environment, is more important than that thing being useful.

      People are free to waste their time in any way they want, what I don't understand is why anyone would donate to kickstarter to fund this stupidity.

      To be clear, such a student based effort would not be a waste of time. Showing that you started a project and finished a project and created something that worked is a great supplement to a degree. What the thing is is far less important than you finished what you started.
      See
      https://news.slashdot.org/stor...
      for discussions on this theme.

      But yeah, others wanting the device is puzzling. Might be people think this can somehow forward the idea of more open android hardware.

    5. Re:I'm hoping for students ... by drnb · · Score: 1

      If you are an Android developer you aren't going to be interested in the latest Android version. Or the previous one. You are going to be interested in the most popular. You can asume that newer versions will be supported by your app. It might not get advantage of the newest features but, then, only a small margin of your users will have access to the newest version of Android so it shouldn't be a problem.

      Actually you can not assume an existing app will work on a newer version of Android. I've seen newer versions of Android intentionally break existing apps when the powers that be decide developers should no longer be allowed to do something. Plus you can have conditional executed code that lets you use newer OS functionality when your app finds itself running on a newer Android version. Simulators can help but you do really need to have some actual hardware for testing.

      Reviewers and other influencers are more likely to have a current version so recommendations can suffer if you don't properly support a current version.

    6. Re: I'm hoping for students ... by Miamicanes · · Score: 1

      I wish Android allowed you to use microSD as primary storage, but use the phone's (usually) much-faster internal flash as a delayed cache (always writing to internal flash & reading from it when possible, but periodically saving updates to microSD when the UI is inactive & the phone would otherwise be asleep... kind of like the way Intel allows you to do on a PC to cache your laptop's slow 2TB+ hard drive to a special partition on your mSATA SSD)

  11. Forget the iphone/case, make it a PHONE by markdavis · · Score: 2

    >An always-on 5-inch AMOLED display is built into the case, which runs the Android 7.1 Nougat; microSD card slot provides up to 256GB ; 2,800 mAh battery ; Qi wireless charging. Two SIM card slots are included ; 4G LTE connectivity ; 3.5mm headphone ; IR blaster" "The estimated retail price is between $189 and $229"

    Hey, I have a better idea. Instead of messing around with being a "case", why not just forget the whole iphone nonsense and release it AS A PHONE ITSELF. Make sure the battery is swappable, throw in some decent cameras, and add $50 more for it and sell at $250 to $275 (based on the claimed retail price). Many of us have been waiting for a suitable replacement for the Nexus 5, this might be it; we had a fast, decent phone for around that price, with a nice 5" screen and QI charging.

    1. Re:Forget the iphone/case, make it a PHONE by aliquis · · Score: 1

      If you want a phone then what's wrong with just getting the HTC Honor 6X, the Motorola G5 Plus or the Nokia 6 for instance?

    2. Re:Forget the iphone/case, make it a PHONE by markdavis · · Score: 1

      (It is the Huawei Honor, not HTC)

      Looks like none of them have QI charging.

    3. Re:Forget the iphone/case, make it a PHONE by aliquis · · Score: 1

      Looks like none of them have QI charging.

      Is it important? To save on wear of the port?
      Compatibility with other devices which can charge rather than having a specific cable (then again micro-USB and USB type C ..)

    4. Re:Forget the iphone/case, make it a PHONE by markdavis · · Score: 1

      Yes, it is important. Primarily convenience.

    5. Re:Forget the iphone/case, make it a PHONE by swillden · · Score: 1

      Yes, it is important. Primarily convenience.

      Have you tried a device with USB-C? I found that most of the aggravation of plugging my phone in was due to the orientation-dependence and general fussiness of micro-USB connectors. I used to have a wireless charger, but I find USB-C connectors are so easy to plug in that I don't feel a significant loss in convenience vs putting my phone on the charging stand.

      I also find that very fast charging and decent battery life mitigate the issue. I don't charge my phone at night any more. I just plug it in when I'm in the car; 20-30 minutes a couple of times per day is sufficient, so I rarely think about charging at all. My phone is a Pixel XL.

      --
      Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
    6. Re:Forget the iphone/case, make it a PHONE by markdavis · · Score: 1

      No, I haven't tried USB-C yet. I know it will be a lot better than microusb, but still can't compete with just slapping it on my pad and walking away :) I really don't want to lose that feature and don't care how long it takes to charge.

    7. Re:Forget the iphone/case, make it a PHONE by swillden · · Score: 1

      No, I haven't tried USB-C yet. I know it will be a lot better than microusb, but still can't compete with just slapping it on my pad and walking away :) I really don't want to lose that feature and don't care how long it takes to charge.

      Well, on balance I find I think less about charging now than when I had wireless charging. YMMV... but I doubt it.

      --
      Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
  12. Dear /. contributor, by pinzvidz · · Score: 2

    You've posted this story 16 days too early.

    1. Re:Dear /. contributor, by coofercat · · Score: 1

      Most of the time /. is "news several days old, you already read about it". Now you're complaining that the news is too early! There's no pleasing some people ;-)

  13. Who needs it? by jcr · · Score: 2, Insightful

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

    -jcr

    --
    The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
    1. Re:Who needs it? by swillden · · Score: 2

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

      To take your iPhone to the next level: Android!

      --
      Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
  14. Re:This makes as much sense as by Highdude702 · · Score: 1

    If it smells like fish you need a new one. That one is expired.

  15. Development Phone by johnsie · · Score: 1

    Handy if you're a developer who has to develop for both platforms.

    1. Re:Development Phone by gnasher719 · · Score: 1

      Handy if you're a developer who has to develop for both platforms.

      If you are an iPhone developer, you have multiple iPhones and iPads, running multiple iOS versions, and if you are an Android developer, I would think that you have multiple Android devices running multiple Android versions. This thing is of basically no use for the developer.

  16. Re:This makes as much sense as by wbr1 · · Score: 1
    --
    Silence is a state of mime.
  17. Great, a base for my kickstarter page by burtosis · · Score: 4, Funny

    What this really lacks is a windows phone. Simply order my case for this and you can have one built into the four unused sides! Why have a ultra thin phone when you can have cube phone(tm)!

    1. Re:Great, a base for my kickstarter page by jpatters · · Score: 4, Funny

      Or a Toblerphone

      --
      "Remember, there never were pineapple-almond cookies here."
  18. Re: Android pretending to be iphone by Arab · · Score: 1, Funny

    Just have your lock screen and background be the Apple logo?

  19. Use Case? by airos4 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    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?

    --
    I wish there was a choice that said "Factually Wrong -1" when I mod.
    1. Re:Use Case? by mjwx · · Score: 2

      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?

      There aren't just Apps that don't run on the Apple platform... there are basic OS functions like MSC and bluetooth to transfer files. I run my choice of browser (Ghostery) and ad blockers (which Ghostery does a good job of). Plus I like not being under the control of an evil overlord.

      You'll never get an Iphone case for an Android phone because Android users dont need it. I cant say the same in reverse.

      --
      Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
    2. Re:Use Case? by mjwx · · Score: 2

      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.

      Headphone jack?

      --
      Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
    3. Re:Use Case? by IsThisNickTaken · · Score: 1

      "Use Case", no it is an "Android Case"...

  20. Yo! by Fieryphoenix · · Score: 1

    I heard you like phones with your phone, so I got you a phone for your phone!

  21. Re: Android pretending to be iphone by unixisc · · Score: 1

    No, you've got it completely backwards. The Android "case" is clearly providing all the actual functionality while the iPhone is there simply so the owner can say they own an iPhone.

    The extra 'functionality' that it provides are increased storage (SD slot), extra battery, headphone jack, 2 extra SIMs and the car mount.

    I have an iPhone 7, and took the 128GB option, so storage ain't an issue for me like it previously was. I don't need the extra battery or headphone jack, and if it comes w/ an e-SIM, then the extra SIMS are also unneeded. In short, all I am doing is thickening the phone, and probably making it tough to fit in my pocket.

    The iPhone's real features come w/ iOS, and not too long ago, it was the only platform for seamless -video calling, w/ FaceTime. Now, WhatsApp has levelled the playing field for all, while Android phones have Hangouts and Duo. In reality, any Android phone from Lollipop onwards is at par w/ iPhones, aside from things like camera resolutions or other hardware niceties. I have an iPhone 7, a Moto X and a Lumia 550, and like all of them. One thing I could use - something that would enable Android apps to run on Windows 10 Mobile

  22. Re:Improvements by unixisc · · Score: 1

    A pretty lame thing to add on an iPhone: just get an Android if that's what one wants. Otherwise, the iPhone is good as it is

  23. 2 phones or numbers? by unixisc · · Score: 1

    Eh.

    There are quite a lot of people that own both an iPhone and an Android device. This would cater to those who would want to use two devices but only carry one cellphone.

    That said, yes, It doesn't look very practical. If butt dialing was a problem, this is double the trouble.

    I have both, and if I wanted only one phone, I'd have gotten a dual SIM phone. In the past, there were some killer apps on iOS that were not there on Android, such as FaceTime, but that's been levelled both w/ Duo/Hangouts as well as WhatsApp. So there is no reason to get this contraption. I use one phone for work and another for family, and keep them very separate: my kid can play w/ the iPhone, but not the Android, while the other can be used in a BYOD environment, but not the iPhone. Otherwise, DavidinAla is right: get the phone you want.

  24. Re:Hillary 2020 by unixisc · · Score: 1

    Not to go off-topic, but she had something like 6 or 7 devices

  25. Re:Hillary 2020 by drnb · · Score: 1

    She originally claimed that using the personal server for work was so she would only need to carry one device.

  26. A project worth doing by unixisc · · Score: 1

    I'm hoping for a team of EE, CS and ME students who want to take something from idea to reality so that they have something on their CV beyond attending required classes. For such projects showing that you can take an idea and build something that works, in a cross discipline team environment, is more important than that thing being useful.

    I have an idea that would be more worthwhile. Build a car navigation unit that comes w/o its own maps (for which they right now charge $200 every time the map changes), but w/ all the software hooks to any platform - iOS, Android or even Windows 10. So if an iPhone owner gets into the car, Apple Maps will project itself to the screen, and not just that, the iPad set-up will work so that one can play one's playlists directly, as well as the ability to do FaceTime, normal calls, et al. If it's an Android user, same thing - the screen acts as a Chromecast, and Google Maps is projected there, as well as a few others, like Waze, Play Music, Hangouts, Duo, and other apps that could work w/ those things, such as Yelp! Same for Windows 10: enable Bing Maps there, as well as Groove, and one would be set.

    Right now, some cars have stereo systems that are Apple compatible, some have Apple CarPlay, some have Android Auto. With something like this, one could get any smartphone and play it seamlessly with the system. Also, connect it directly via USB, instead of Bluetooth, so that instead of draining the battery, the phones can charge while the person is driving.

    1. Re:A project worth doing by drnb · · Score: 1

      Start a kickstarter campaign, if a full android device for an iPhone can get funded ... :-)

  27. Kindle clone would have been better by Camembert · · Score: 2

    I expect that in general people are happy with IOS or Android. Not sure how much having both would bring extra, and it is clunky to have them together.
    But, perhaps, a thin ebook reader a la kindle would be an interesting back for an iOS or an android device. Because the electronic paper of those readers is much more pleasant to read books than traditional screens.

  28. Re: Android pretending to be iphone by unixisc · · Score: 1

    I have all 3. The Android for work, the iPhone for home and the Lumia for when I travel abroad and need something to stick a SIM in

  29. Re: Android pretending to be iphone by unixisc · · Score: 1

    Fully agree w/ you here. Like I have a number of music videos that I downloaded from YouTube in Windows, and which I copied onto an SD card that I use on my Ellipsis tablet. If that could be read by the iPhone in iOS, I could set up a playlist of music videos on the iPhone and play it in my car, which only recognizes iPod players from the console (anything else must be Bluetooth connected). But if it can't, it's totally worthless.

  30. Re: Android pretending to be iphone by CanadianMacFan · · Score: 1

    Yes, but the way Apple is going the advantage of iOS will be disappearing. With every major iOS "upgrade" the usability goes down. I just put iOS 10 on my phone and I don't like it but apps are starting to come out that require that version. As an example of the usability issue, in iOS 9 when a reminder came due and showed up on the lock screen you could slide left and have the option to complete it. In iOS 10 if you slide left you can't complete it but you view it and from there you can complete it. Every new major version there seems to be a bunch of new things like this that make the user have to take more steps to accomplish the same task, if it's still possible. You can't change the rating of a song anymore but you can "love" it.

  31. Re:Hillary 2020 by unixisc · · Score: 1

    No, she originally claimed that she used her personal phone for official work so that she'd only have to carry one device

  32. Please tell me Xzibit is the CEO by Jfetjunky · · Score: 1

    Yo dawg, we heard you like phones, so we put a phone on your phone so you can use a phone while you use your phone, dawg!

  33. Re: hookers and blow by Miamicanes · · Score: 1

    Qualcomm ships SoCs with the silicon necessary to use mobile phone networks, but charges substantial licensing fees for the radio modem FIRMWARE. And probably wouldn't allow a small company to license it anyway. Wifi, in contrast, can be implemented with a pre-certified module. The FCC test requirements for part A or B compliance are fairly tame... their requirements for "intentional generators" (like WiFi subsystems and cellular radio modems) are quite a bit more stringent & expensive to satisfy. Using a pre-certified module for a radio modem would make it too expensive AND probably too large to fit in the case.

  34. Android storage configuration options by unixisc · · Score: 1

    Doesn't Marshmallow or at least Nougat have that? Is the internal flash drive something that has to become secondary storage, or can it be programmed to be a non-volatile cache?

  35. Re:Hillary 2020 by drnb · · Score: 1

    She originally claimed that using the personal server for work was so she would only need to carry one device.

    No, she originally claimed that she used her personal phone for official work so that she'd only have to carry one device

    It was all about the email, hence the server.

    "“First, when I got to work as Secretary of State, I opted for convenience to use my personal email account, which was allowed by the State Department, because I thought it would be easier to carry just one device for my work and for my personal emails instead of two. -- Hillary Clinton, news conference addressing her private email server, March 10, 2015”
    https://www.washingtonpost.com...

  36. Android Phone + iPhone Case + Glue by slincolne · · Score: 1
    What's the point of this gadget ?

    All you need to do is buy an Android Phone, an iPhone case, and glue them together. Kickstarter is getting really weird tehse days :-(

  37. Re: Android pretending to be iphone by unixisc · · Score: 1

    The multi SIM is, however, useful for people who have a home in one country and extended family in another, and who travel in b/w.

  38. Re:Yo dawg! by n329619 · · Score: 1

    I hear you like phones, so I put a phone on your phone so you can phone while you phone.

  39. Re: Android pretending to be iphone by Coren22 · · Score: 1

    I could set up a playlist of music videos on the iPhone and play it in my car,

    This right here is illegal in the US. Any video playing that the driver can see is illegal. Why do you need videos for in the car at all? Why not just play the music?

    --
    APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?