Appletell reviews the Beamer case for iPhone 3G and 3GS
by at July 19, 2010 12:02 pm
Sections: iDevice Accessories, iPhone, iPhone/iPod touch/iPad, Reviews
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Developer: Quirky
Minimum Requirements: iPhone 3G or 3GS
Price: $38.00
Availability: Out now
Quite honestly, I figured I was done reviewing iPhone 3G cases. There’s pretty much nothing happening there that hasn’t happened already, and our focus is obviously shifting to the iPhone 4. But then, the Beamer from Quirky arrived, and it’s a case so unique and obvious that I’m surprised it took this long for a company to roll it out.
Straight off, Beamer’s most distinguishing feature is the built-in LED “flash” on the back. It’s not really a camera flash in that it doesn’t automatically activate when you take a photo. Rather, it’s more like a temporary flash light. You turn it on with a button on the side of the case, nicely placed for how you normally hold the iPhone for horizontal photos.
One push of the button leaves the light on for four seconds. This is fine for taking quick photos, but if you want to zoom or change focus, it’s not enough. Same goes for using other camera apps, especially those that have a timer. The functionality would’ve been better if you could, say, press quickly for the four second auto-off or press and hold a moment to leave it on until you manually shut it off (thereby allowing you to use it for more than just photos). Battery life is not a concern, after all, considering the included CR2026 lithium battery is replaceable.
If you can squeeze in your picture within four seconds, the LED is quite bright and does a good job illuminating poorly lit areas. You’ll get pictures with this you simply wouldn’t have been able to take without it, although you may find yourself with many photos of your friends and family squinting at you to shield out the bright light.
As for the case itself, it’s nicely finished in attractive black or purple. All of the openings are wide enough and beveled to allow easy access to the buttons and ports. The flash button, however, protrudes out so far that it makes normal iPhone use a bit uncomfortable. This isn’t helped by the fact that its sharp edges dig into your palm.
The iPhone slides in and out via the detachable bottom plate. The fit is just fine when the iPhone’s in place, and although the two pieces seemed to fit together too loosely, the bottom plate never once started to slip off.
And finally, I did have some trouble with the flash on my test unit. It occasionally wouldn’t turn on at all, or would stay on for only about a second. It’s obviously a defective unit, but I couldn’t find the details on Quirky’s site regarding returns/replacement. In fact, the site doesn’t even have a search feature…I had to find the Beamer product page through a Google search. Get on that, Quirky.
Chances are, you already know whether you need the Beamer. If you’re just looking for iPhone 3G and 3GS protection, no; there are better, cheaper cases out there. But if you often find yourself taking night photos with your iPhone, or you’ve had to let a couple great shots get away because the iPhone’s camera couldn’t handle them, then the the Beamer may be just what you need.
Buy the Beamer
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