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.
...and if the Android case needs a case, does it need to be an Android case Android case?
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.
You can't handle the truth.
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.)
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.
...,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.
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.
Android pretending to be iphone
I think phones like that have been available in China for years. ;-)
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.
> 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
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.
>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.
You've posted this story 16 days too early.
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."
If it smells like fish you need a new one. That one is expired.
Handy if you're a developer who has to develop for both platforms.
http://replycandy.com/wp-conte...
Silence is a state of mime.
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)!
Just have your lock screen and background be the Apple logo?
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.
I heard you like phones with your phone, so I got you a phone for your phone!
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
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
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.
Not to go off-topic, but she had something like 6 or 7 devices
She originally claimed that using the personal server for work was so she would only need to carry one device.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
No, she originally claimed that she used her personal phone for official work so that she'd only have to carry one device
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!
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.
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?
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...
All you need to do is buy an Android Phone, an iPhone case, and glue them together. Kickstarter is getting really weird tehse days :-(
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.
I hear you like phones, so I put a phone on your phone so you can phone while you phone.
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?