Do you have aniPhoneorAndroid phone ? Of course you do . Do you have ane - reader ? Maybe . Have you ever wanted to wrench yoursmartphoneinto an e - lector ? believably .
If so , there ’s a cracked little accessory from Astropad : the Bookcase . It basically take your smartphone sense like an due east - proofreader , like aKindle , but without the actual benefit of an e - ink display .
It ’s certainly one of the more , well , interestingaccessories that I ’ve come across in my years of continue peregrine phone . I got my hands on one , so let ’s find out if there ’s any point to this little whatchamacallum .
What is the Astropad Bookcase anyway?
First off , you in all probability have n’t ever heard of Astropad . It ’s a modest startup caller that create apps and accessory that are design for meter reading , writing , and drawing . One of the bigger things that it ’s known for was turningiPadsinto Wacom - like drawing pill or wireless displays for your Mac , at least until Apple implement that feature natively .
The Bookcase is n’t exactly a “ grammatical case ” in the normal gumption . It ’s a magnetic attachment that will add pliant hold on the side of the phone , and it becomes about as blanket as an average paperback book ledger . Compared to the floor model Kindle , it ’s a bit wide .
Since it uses MagSafe to attach to the iPhone , it can be used with a naked iPhone or even one that ’s in a MagSafe compatible case . For Android earpiece , the Bookcase comes with a MagSafe spiritual rebirth outfit , allowing you to add MagSafe compatibility to your Android headphone of selection .
OK , that ’s all fine and dandy , but the real welfare of e - readers is the misdirection - destitute reading experience . Astropad knows this , and it seek to duplicate this with the Bookcase by adding an NFC chip inside . With the companion Bookcase app , users can configure it to plunge their favourite recitation app , and it will also temporarily call on off other distractions , such as presentment . Of course , you could still manually distract yourself by become into other apps while having your earphone in the Bookcase , but the idea is there .
What I like about the Astropad Bookcase
Lately , I ’ve been trying to show more book in my redundant time . I typically get hold of for myAmazon Kindle ( 2024)orKindle Scribe ( 2024)because I bed the solace of reading on an eastward - ink display , and the Scribe is especially useful when I demand to write note or foreground parts of my Scripture .
But when I do n’t have my Kindle with me , I may utilize myiPhone 16 Proin a pinch to read with the Kindle app . I set my Bookcase app to establish the Kindle app when I send my iPhone inside the instance , but it can be changed to open up a webpage or another study app , like Apple Books .
you’re able to also choose to not use the NFC chip and do nothing . Those who require to really utilize the NFC chip can even employ it for a Shortcuts mechanisation to essentially launch any app you desire .
Though I still think it ’s a very recess product , I do revalue the more ergonomic feel that the Bookcase adds when I ’m using it . It ’s more comfortable to entertain my iPhone 16 Pro with two hand with the Bookcase , and I can use it one - reach , which means easygoing page turning on the Kindle app .
What could be improved with the Astropad Bookcase
My big irritation with the Bookcase is that it is quite bulky to take with you , so I basically only employ it at home . It would take up too much place in my bags since it does n’t fold up or anything . Perhaps the next looping of the merchandise could close down to make it more compact and portable .
It ’s also a bit disappointing that the Bookcase does n’t have a tear interface for passthrough charging , or even pack in a shelling . For an accessory of this size of it , it ’s just a MagSafe “ character ” with an NFC chip .
Again , while the mind behind the Bookcase is neat and all , I still find it a bit , well , sappy in general . Sure , it can help you attain a beguilement - free setting with your iPhone or Android phone so you could focus on meter reading , but you ’re still lack the actual benefits of an atomic number 99 - reader like a Kindle . And since it ’s not exceedingly portable , might as well just bring your Kindle instead , as the Bookcase is about the same sizing anyway .
In the end , this fiddling accessory just feel like a solution in search of a job .
