There are iPhone cases, and then there’s Magellan‘s waterproof Toughcase. Priced at $199.99, it’s actually just as expensive as a new iPhone 4 on contract, and double the price of an iPhone 3GS (which it actually houses). So, what does two Benjamins get you? Most would argue “not nearly enough,” but argonauts may beg to differ. The case meets IPX-7 waterproof standards, enabling it to be submerged at a depth of one meter for up to 30 minutes, and there’s also an integrated 1,840mAh battery that’s able to “double the life” of your iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS or second / third-generation iPod touch. Moreover, there’s a built-in high sensitivity SiRFstar III GPS chipset for superior GPS reception, and nothing here prevents consumers from accessing the touchscreen. ‘Course, the sex appeal of your iDevice goes right out of the window once you strap this monster on, and there’s no official support for Apple’s newest iPhone, but it’s hard to knock the approach here.
We’re not sure if it’s a result of some hard information or simply an educated guess, but it looks like the first next-gen iPhone cases (or would-be cases) are now starting to find their way before a camera. The most convincing of those comes courtesy of Hardmac, which received the image above from one of its contacts in China — a quick search of the model name also reveals the manufacturer, Shenzhen Soonleader Electronic Co, and a few more pics (check them out after the break). As you can see, it has all the right curves, a larger opening for a flash and, if you look really closely, you can see the necessary spaces for the new side buttons. Like we said, this could well just be a case of a manufacturer looking to get a jump start, or it could be… something more.
That picture above is about all you need to know, because if you go to this product’s website there’s virtually no text — just that self-explanatory image showing the thing and what it does. The thing is the iAngle and what it does is double as an earbud case and a mini stand, perfect for your coach class commutes. Massive advancement in the world of gadgets? Hardly, but it’s a neat little deal, and at $10 it won’t break the bank either. We’re thinking it might work with other gadgets too, at least those of roughly the iPhone‘s thickness, but you’re on your own for verifying that hypothesis.
Visa has been trying to finagle its way onto mobiles for quite a while, and its latest attempt, done in partnership with DeviceFidelity, has now been named as the In2Pay system for iPhones of 3G and 3GS varieties. Built around an app ensconced on a MicroSD card inside that oh-so-special iPhone case, this offers contactless payments anywhere that Visa’s payWave is available, as well as secure access to buildings and computer networks. Yep, that sounds like it’s definitely going to end in tears, but the brave cash collectors are pressing ahead. Trials are still set for the second quarter of this year, which makes them imminent, and soon thereafter we’ll all be making our ill-advised purchases with even greater ease. Video and full PR after the break.
It’s not November ’09 as originally promised, but Novothink has now announced that its Solar Surge charging cases for the iPhone and iPod touch are finally available. Those will run $79.95 for the iPhone 3G/3GS version and $69.95 for the iPod touch version (second gen only, it seems), which are each available only in black or white at the moment (additional colors are “coming soon), and should add between four and eight hours of talk time, or up to 20 hours of additional audio playback. That’s, of course, when the charger is fully charged, but Novothink says you can still expect to get between 30 and 60 minutes of talk time after two hours of exposure to direct sunlight.
Remember that wireless induction charger that we saw poking around at the CES iLounge Pavilion earlier this year? Seems that Case-Mate has finally given that little doohickey a name, a price and a ship date. The aptly-titled Hug (which consists of the Hug Case and Hug Pad) slips onto one’s iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS and allows Apple’s darling to get recharged by simply laying on the aforementioned platter. Of course, the case itself is distractingly bulky, and this whole thing relies on the same eCoupled technology that we’ve been seeing for years now — though, the fact that this pad will charge any other case that utilizes the same standard is worth noting. Is the ability to never need your dock connecting cable for rejuvenation purposes really worth the $99.99 asking price? We’re guessing not, but those that disagree can get their own shipped out this very moment.
You know, for all the praise the iPhone has received in its time, we never thought it looked quite Matrix-y enough. Thankfully, that all-important deficiency has been remedied by a man named Ryan Glasgow up in Portland, who has just started selling the above case to all who care to have one. It’s built out of stainless steel on the outside and silicone padding on the inside, with strategically located cutouts for wireless signals and heat emissions to get through. You can flip the front plate open, turning it into a rather outsized clamshell, or you can just talk with the lid closed, it’s all up to you. Aluminum and engraving options (how about “my other phone is a Vertu“?) are also available with each case costing a slightly spendy $95. See more of it in the gallery below.
There are iPhone cases, and then there’s Magellan‘s waterproof Toughcase. Priced at $199.99, it’s actually just as expensive as a new iPhone 4 on contract, and double the price of an iPhone 3GS (which it actually houses). So, what does two Benjamins get you? Most would argue “not nearly enough,” but argonauts may beg to differ. The case meets IPX-7 waterproof standards, enabling it to be submerged at a depth of one meter for up to 30 minutes, and there’s also an integrated 1,840mAh battery that’s able to “double the life” of your iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS or second / third-generation iPod touch. Moreover, there’s a built-in high sensitivity SiRFstar III GPS chipset for superior GPS reception, and nothing here prevents consumers from accessing the touchscreen. ‘Course, the sex appeal of your iDevice goes right out of the window once you strap this monster on, and there’s no official support for Apple’s newest iPhone, but it’s hard to knock the approach here.
