This $50 Case Turns Any Phone Into a Kindle

Reading books on your phone can often be a hassle. After reading for a while, the ergonomics of holding a smartphone for long periods don’t provide a worthwhile reading experience. The folks at Astropad are looking to solve that problem with the $50 Bookcase, a phone case that makes it feel like you’re holding a book.

The Bookcase gives your Apple or Android phone book-like dimensions by extending it on both sides for a better grip. It features a MagSafe mount between its left and right handles to hold your phone. The company claims reading on your phone can be better for your body, preventing the neck strain and hand cramps associated with reading a book. It aims to enhance that experience even more by providing more real estate to work with while also helping reduce accidental taps or scrolls.

Users can also head to the Bookcase’s companion app and set their preferences for reading apps and phone mode (Do Not Disturb, Reading Mode, etc.). This way, the next time they dock their phone inside the case, it’ll automatically enable the set preferences for the user.

Astropad says it has given the Bookcase a standard paperback feel with a vegan leather back and polycarbonate handles and claims that, with your phone inside, it would weigh as much as a book would, too. Though, I believe most e-reader consumers turn to it for its paper-like interface that’s easy on the eyes. So, I’m unsure about spending around $50 on my reading setup to still deal with a phone’s blue light, regardless of how ‘book-like’ the material on the handles is.

Preorders for the Bookcase start at $40, and shipping will start in six weeks. After the limited-time launch discount ends, the Bookcase will retail at its regular $50 price. It’s available in just one stunning ‘Blue Twilight’ colorway and works exclusively with iOS and Android phones. It offers support for iPhones 12 or newer out of the box, and extends compatibility to older iPhones and Android phones using a ‘MagSafe conversion kit’ in the package.

The e-reader space has recently seen other exciting developments. Amazon launched a color Kindle for the first time, so book images and covers don’t look as dull anymore. It also released a new Kindle Scribe, offering a Kindle and a notebook on the same device, which comes with a pen for note-taking. Boox refreshed its Palma lineup with the Palma 2, which promises an improved Android OS, a faster octa-core CPU, and a fingerprint reader. The rest of the specs include a 300 PPI e-ink Carta 1200 screen, 6 GB memory, 128 GB storage, and a 16 MP camera for scanning. The Palma 2 is available for preorder for $280.