The Eye is an iPhone case that is literally an Android phone. The unique case just raised $100,000 on Kickstarter. Find out everything you need to know about the Eye today in our review.
What Is The Eye?
Have you ever struggled to decide between iPhone and Android? The Eye wants to help make your decision easier by giving you both. The Eye is an iPhone case that consists of an Android phone.
Priced at $189, the Eye recently raised over $100,000 on Kickstarter, where it tempted backers with an enormous list of features – like a 5 inch display, battery power, up to 256GB of storage, SIM slots, and an IR blaster. You know, all of the features you find on modern Androids.
The Tel Aviv-based maker of the Eye, ESTI Inc., describes the product as a “smart iPhone case”. Just like we have smart TVs and smart fridges, we now have smart cases for our smartphones.
The estimated delivery date is August to September 2017. As Mashable explains in their preview, “This iPhone case just ended the war between Android and iOS”.
Have you ever wanted to duct tape an Android to the back of your iPhone – but didn’t want to block the camera? the Eye may be the right choice for you.
The Eye Features
Kickstarter doesn’t let companies upload doctored photos to the website, nor does it let you upload renders or computer demos. So yes, the Eye appears to be a real, working smart iPhone case made from an Android smartphone.
With that in mind, it offers many of the same features you see on an Android phone, including:
- 5” FHD AMOLED display
- Pure Android OS (Android 7.1 Nougat)
- Wireless charging
- Always on display
- 2800 mAh battery
- 2x SIM slots
- Up to 256GB of storage
- Metal tag for easy car mounting
- NFC Enabled
- Infrared pinger
- 3.5mm headphone jack
- Takes better selfies
- Works with the iPhone 7, 6S, and 6, as well as a separate model for the iPhone 7 Plus, 6S Plus, and 6 Plus
- The next iPhone will be supported one month after its launch
- 0.52” thick
- You can still use your iPhone camera (the case has a special hole to fit your camera)
Kickstarter supporters will be given the opportunity to wait until the next iPhone release to start using the unique case. So if you want to buy the Eye today, but save it for the iPhone 8 (or whatever it will be called), then you can do that.
What’s The Point?
Why do you need an Android strapped to the back of your iPhone?
The core advantage is that you can access Android-only features without actually switching to Android.
If you’re a diehard Apple user who refuses to switch away from the iPhone, then you can still enjoy popular Android features, like an infrared pinger, 3.5mm headphone jack, NFC, larger batteries, multi-SIM support, and the Android operating system itself (and any exclusive apps it has).
Another advantage is that the case faces the main Android camera toward you. So instead of taking selfies with your weaker front-facing camera, you can take better selfies with the main camera of an Android.
The makers of the Eye also list the display as an advantage: Androids are popular for their vibrant, colorful displays. It’s the magic of AMOLED technology. As ESTI Inc. explains, “the current technology of the iPhone LCD display is old”.
With that in mind, the Eye uses the best display technology on the market today.
Android displays also tend to have higher resolution than iPhones. The iPhone is still stuck back on 1334×750 resolution while the Eye uses a 5” 1920×1080 resolution display. Another advantage of AMOLED is that it can more accurately display black colors.
Another valuable way to use the Eye is as a storage device. The Eye lets you expand your storage by up to 256GB using an SD card. The microSD card isn’t included with the Eye, but you can buy your own in sizes up to 256GB.
One of the coolest features on the Eye is that you can transfer data from the Eye to the iPhone via Lightning, letting you transfer files at surprisingly fast speeds (up to 130MB per second).
How Does The Eye Work?
The Eye looks like a standard iPhone case from the front. On the back, you’ll see the main Android display.
The bottom of the case plugs into your bottom iPhone port (the Lightning port). When the Eye is plugged in, it will use its 2800mAh battery to run itself while also continuously charging the iPhone.
When you’re using the Eye, the iPhone is hardly used by the battery. It essentially enters standby mode. The iPhone’s battery will never loser power to the Eye. It runs entirely on its own battery.
When you need to charge your case, you can charge it wirelessly. The company recommends purchasing a Qi wireless charger – or any wireless home charger, including the ones you see in some vehicles.
From your Eye, you can enjoy Android-exclusive features like native call recording, a file explorer, recognition of unknown callers, the ability to move files freely from your computer to your phone (drag and drop), better customization options, better multitasking, and Android exclusive apps like Casper (saves Snapchat snaps automatically), Popcorn Time, Kodi, Amazon Underground, and many more.
The Eye Pricing
Here’s how pricing breaks down for the Eye on Kickstarter:
- Eye: $95 USD
- Eye 4G: $129
- 2 x Eye: $180
- 2 x Eye 4G: $239
The final retail price of Eye will be $189 (Eye) and $229 (Eye 4G).
After you’ve backed the project on Kickstarter, the company will email you requesting shipping details, color preference, and any other add-ons – including whether you want to wait until the release of the next iPhone to get your Eye.
Who Made The Eye?
The Eye is made by a Tel Aviv, Israel-based company named ESTI, Inc. That company was launched by founder and CEO Joseph Sabri, a self-described “iPhone person” who also liked the freedom of Android.
The Eye appears to be the company’s first product. You can visit the company’s official website today at www.esti.me/
The Eye Summary
The Eye is a unique product that attaches an Android to the back of your iPhone for a surprisingly reasonable price. The case plugs into your iPhone and continuously charges it via the Lightning port while also powering itself.
You can enjoy Android-exclusive features without giving up your iPhone. Some people just want to use it for the headphone jack, while others enjoy the high-resolution display and higher-quality selfies.
The Eye is priced at around $100 on Kickstarter today. The final retail price will be $189.
