This $50 case turns any phone into a Kindle

Reading books on your phone is often a hassle. After reading for a while, the ergonomics of holding a smartphone for a long time does not provide a useful 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 Apple or Android numbers like a phone book 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 says that reading on your phone can be good for your body, preventing neck strain and hand cramps that come with reading a book. It aims to improve the experience even further by providing more real estate to work with while also helping to reduce accidental tapping or scrolling.

Users can also head to the Bookcase compatible app and set their preferences for reading apps and phone mode (Do Not Disturb, Study Mode, etc.). This way, the next time they dock their phone inside the case, it will automatically power up to the user’s preference.

Astropad says it’s given the Bookcase a classic paperback feel with a vegan leather back and polycarbonate handles and says, with your phone inside, it’ll weigh about the same as a book, too. Still, I believe most e-reader buyers turn to it for a paper-like interface that’s easy on the eyes. So, I’m not sure about spending nearly $50 on my reading setup to keep dealing with the phone’s blue light, no matter how ‘book-like’ it is.

Bookcase pre-orders start at $40, and shipping will begin in six weeks. After the limited-time introductory discount ends, the Bookcase will sell for its regular price of $50. It is available in one attractive ‘Blue Twilight’ color and works exclusively with iOS and Android phones. It offers support for iPhones 12 or newer out of the box, and extends compatibility with older iPhones and Android phones using the ‘MagSafe conversion kit’ in the package.

The e-reader space has recently seen some exciting developments. Amazon has introduced a color Kindle for the first time, so book images and covers no longer look dull. It also released the new Kindle Scribe, which offers a Kindle and a notebook in the same device, which comes with a pen for taking notes. Boox has renewed its Palma series with the Palma 2which promises an improved Android OS, a faster octa-core CPU, and a fingerprint reader. Other specifications include a 300 PPI e-ink Carta 1200 screen, 6 GB of memory, 128 GB of storage, and a 16 MP camera for scanning. The Palma 2 is available for pre-order for $280.