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An iPhone Case Designed With Globetrotters In Mind
These days, a smartphone is an indispensible item on most travelers' packing lists, but if you're heading abroad you need to make sure your phone will work – and work cheaply at that. One idea we've suggested before is to switch out your phone's SIM cards so you don't get hit with massive international roaming charges.
That's still excellent advice, but the problem many of us face is how to get our SIM cards out of our phones, and how to keep them safe when they're not being used. This is the dilemma that two avid travelers are hoping to address with the SIMPLcase, an iphone case designed especially for international jetsetters.
Unlike most iPhone cases where the focus is on the decoration or "bling" on the outside, what makes the SIMPLcase special is what's on the inside. The interior of this durable plastic iPhone case holds a special tool that's used for easily ejecting your phone's SIM card tray, so you don't have to mess around with pins or other pointy objects that might scratch your phone. There are also three padded slots to store spare SIM cards so there's no need to worry about losing or damaging the delicate, fingernail-sized memory chips.
Despite the internal storage, the SIMPLcase still has a sleek profile, which is great for minimalist travelers. Another bonus is the ability to turn the iPhone case into a phone stand by slotting a credit card into the groove on the back of the case. Propping the phone up this way makes skyping with friends back home or watching videos that much more comfortable.
If you're interested in the SIMPLcase, you can pick one up for $12 by jumping on board the company's Kickstarter project. Right now, the case is only available for the iPhone 5, but if there's demand, the company also plans to make cases for the iPhone 4 and 4S.
This is just another one of the many great travel innovations we've already seen come out of Kickstarter. Click to check out images of the SIMPLcase below.
[Photo credit: lgcldesigns]
Despite the internal storage, the SIMPLcase still has a sleek profile, which is great for minimalist travelers. Another bonus is the ability to turn the iPhone case into a phone stand by slotting a credit card into the groove on the back of the case. Propping the phone up this way makes skyping with friends back home or watching videos that much more comfortable.
If you're interested in the SIMPLcase, you can pick one up for $12 by jumping on board the company's Kickstarter project. Right now, the case is only available for the iPhone 5, but if there's demand, the company also plans to make cases for the iPhone 4 and 4S.
This is just another one of the many great travel innovations we've already seen come out of Kickstarter. Click to check out images of the SIMPLcase below.
Gallery: SIMPLcase iphone case for travelers
[Photo credit: lgcldesigns]
Filed under: Gear
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Ernie Feb 23rd 2013 2:55PM
The only problem I see with this new travel case is that the new iPhone has a smaller sim card then the ones sold and used in Europe or the UK.
lgcldesigns Feb 24th 2013 1:00AM
Hi ERNIE,
All SIM card sizes are a designed on a global ISO/IEC_7816 standard. The original iPhone through to iPhone 3GS models used a 'mini' SIM format. The iPhone 4/4s models used a smaller 'micro' SIM format. With the introduction of iPhone 5, the ISO/IEC committee adopted a new, yet even smaller 'nano' SIM format that you will eventually see adopted by many other phones, as manufacturers push to get more features and bigger batteries (to handle all the energy demands of all those added features) into all smart phones.
The iPhone 5 compatible version of SIMPLcase, which is the one we have first launched on Kickstarter, appropriately has storage space designed to accommodate the nano SIM size.
We are currently receiving inquiries for, and may soon also launch an iPhone 4/4s compatible SIMPLcase, which will of course have internal storage sized for the micro SIM size.
Simon Feb 23rd 2013 9:21PM
Hi ERNIE,
All SIM cards are designed to a global ISO/IEC 7816 standard. The original iPhone through iPhone 3GS used a 'mini' SIM card size. The iPhone 4/4s moved to a smaller 'micro' SIM card. With the introduction of iPhone 5, the ISO/IEC committee launched an even smaller new 'nano' SIM card size.
SIM cards are getting smaller because as phone manufacturers push to add more features for consumers, they need more space for the electronics and especially the larger batteries to power all of those extra features.
The iPhone 5 compatible SIMPLcase launched on Kickstarter has a soft rubber insert designed to hold nano SIM cards. We have been receiving requests for an iPhone 4/4s compatible SIMPLcase, and when we launch that, it will of course be designed to safely hold micro SIM cards.
Kevin Feb 24th 2013 12:07PM
hi reena,
the SimplCase is nice i first read the review on Amanda iPhone Case Reviews Website http://newiphonecovers.blogspot.com/2013/02/simplcase-minimalist-iphone-case-for.html as far as i am concerned the case will be a perfect case for me due to my job i travel a lot and sometime i use the local cellular provider's a part from international roaming that means changing sim's a lot but i think after this iPhone Case launch i should feel little comfortable hope to get it soon.