Weird iPhone Case Bends Light Using Flash

A futuristic case for the iPhone 5/5s could light up your world. Sparkbeats turns your iPhone's LED flash into funky-looking light beams adorning the case for notifications about incoming calls and texts. The playful accessory, which costs $49, is available now in black or white.

Sparkbeats redirects light from your iPhone's LED flash through a light wave guide plate within its body, and reflects the beam internally to light up the whole case. This way, after you turn on LED Flash Alerts in your iPhone's Accessibility settings, you'll get notifications for incoming calls or texts through the shell.

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Since it harnesses existing light from the smartphone, Sparkbeats doesn't require an external battery to work, which affords it a slimmer profile than competing products. However, we expect that the increased use of the iPhone's flash may sap the battery. You can always turn off the light effects via the power switch on the case to prevent battery drain. 

In case a strobe light for alerts isn't enough for you, the bumper's light can also flash in reaction to your groovy dance moves via the Sparkbeats app. The case will remain firmly in your hand thanks to the non-slip grip. And even if it falls, the Sparkbeats should offer some light protection for your phone, since it's made of durable ABS plastic. 

The Sparkbeats case is available through bitemyapple.co, a site that was developed to showcase successful Kickstarter projects.

Cherlynn Low
Staff Writer
Cherlynn joined the Laptopmag team in June 2013 and has since been writing about all things tech and digital with a focus on mobile and Internet software development. She also edits and reports occasionally on video. She graduated with a M.S. in Journalism (Broadcast) from Columbia University in May 2013 and has been designing personal websites since 2001.