Kickstarter is brilliant – it’s a way for small inventors to get funding for their creations to become reality. Mobile phone accessories have seen a lot of clever inventions begin at Kickstarter over the past year, and in this post we’ll be looking at five that have made it all the way from Kickstarter to our store shelves. Let’s go!
5. Sound Cover
This clever slimline case solves one pressing problem with the iPad: its anaemic speakers. With the Sound Cover, as well as full body protection for the iPad you get built-in NXT stereo speakers which make your iPad much louder and clearer. Get all of the benefits of a good set of stereo speakers without having to carry around a dedicated speaker unit – with the Sound Cover you’ll always have good sound with you. As well as boasting triple the volume for your iPad, the case also will protect from scratches and includes a kick stand.
After being launched in early February and meeting its funding goal in March this year, the Sound Cover went into production.. We’ve got both the wireless Bluetooth and wired versions on pre-order and they’ll be available soon.
4. Adonit Writer
The Adonit Writer is another useful addition to the iPad, this time adding a full size keyboard that makes writing faster and easier than it is on the touch screen. The high quality keyboard is perfect for anyone that spends a lot of time writing on their iPad, whether you’re penning a novel or just writing an email to your boss. Of course the case serves other benefits too – you get a laptop style form factor with an adjustable stand and a protective cover that ensures your iPad’s screen and chassis remain in pristine condition.
The Adonit Writer began its funding campaign in January last year and was funded to the tune of $26,000 by February, more than $16,000 more than was originally asked for. Adonit would go onto launch the Jot Capacitive Touch Stylus on Kickstarter in August that year, where they raised $168,000 from a goal of $2,500. Both products are now available on Mobile Fun, where they’ve proved popular.
3. FUSEChicken Une Bobine
The Une Bobine by FUSEChicken is a clever charging cable for micro USB devices – instead of made of a soft piece of plastic like most cables, it’s wrapped in a strong yet flexible metal gooseneck material. That means as well as charging your phone, it can also hold it aloft. It’s a strong stand that allows you to keep your phone aloft over your desk, where it’s out of the way and easy to read, while charging it too.
Une Bobine was launched on Kickstarter on May 7th and funding ended on June 15th this year. The project was a massive success, with $212,000 being raised against a goal amount of $9,800. At Mobile Fun, we’ve got the micro USB version of the Une Bobine in both 30 cm and 60 cm versions.
- FUSEChicken Une Bobine Flexible Micro USB Charging Cable & Stand 60cm
- FUSEChicken Petite Une Bobine Flexible Micro USB Charging Cable & Stand 30cm
2. CruxCase
CruxCase is a series of cases by Brian Probst. It began with the CruxFLIP, an iPad case and stand that introduced a 360 degree hinge that was later used to great effect in the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga Ultrabook.
The combined case, stand and book cover was unfortunately unsuccessful in raising money on Kickstarter, but Brian continued to develop cases and eventually landed upon the CruxCase iPad Keyboard Case, which adds a clever keyboard to the iPad 3 or 4. It’s this case that made it to Mobile Fun shelves, with versions for both the iPad 3 / 4 and the iPad 2.
1. PadPivot
Of all the kickstarted accessories on this list, the PadPivot was the one that I really wanted the most. It’s a brilliant fold-up universal tablet stand that works with anything from phones to mid-range 7″ tablets and full size 10″ tablets. The ingenious thing about the PadPivot is that it works in so many ways. The curved stand on your leg for easy tablet use in a chair – there’s even a strap to keep it on if you’re moving about. Of course, it works equally well on a desk or another flat surface. There’s a slot on the front that works really well for standard orientations, but there’s also a sticky pad on a ball mount that can be positioned in loads of different ways. And of course, it all folds apart to almost nothing making it easy to transport. This is probably the best tablet stand ever – can you tell I’ve bought one and it’s become one of my most essential Google Nexus 10 accessories?
The PadPivot was launched on Kickstarter at the beginning of last year and blew its goal out of the water, raising $180,000 more than its $10,000 goal. Of course, it’s now on sale at Mobile Fun via the link below.
Conclusion
So there you have it – five kickstarted accessories that have made it to Mobile Fun’s virtual shelves. Which Kickstarter projects should we stock next? Let us know in the comments below!