Astropad’s
new
Bookcase
is
a
smartphone
accessory
designed
to
make
reading
on
a
smartphone
feel
more
like
reading
on
an
e-reader.
No,
it
doesn’t
give
your
phone
an
easy-on-the-eyes
screen,
longer
battery
life,
or
any
other
features
that
have
made
devices
like
the
Kindle
popular.
Instead,
for
$50
the
Bookcase
is
really
just
designed
to
make
a
smartphone
easier
to
hold
like
a
book,
while
making
your
favorite
reading
app
more
accessible.
The
Bookcase
is
essentially
a
magnetic
attachment
that
adds
chunky
plastic
handles
on
either
side
of
your
phone,
making
it
roughly
the
size
and
shape
of
a
paperback
novel
or
an
e-reader.
Astropad
says
“any
smartphone
that
can
be
attached
to
a
magnetic
wireless
charger
can
be
used
with
the
Bookcase”
even
while
it’s
in
a
separate
protective
case,
but
the
company
also
includes
a
MagSafe
conversion
kit
for
“Android
phones
and
older-model
iPhones.”
But
being
easier
to
grip
isn’t
what
has
kept
e-readers
popular
for
decades;
it’s
the
distraction-free
reading
experience.
That’s
something
else
Astropad
is
attempting
to
replicate
using
an
NFC
chip
and
a
new
mobile
app.
You
can
configure
your
phone
to
automatically
open
your
preferred
reading
app
when
it’s
attached
to
the
Bookcase,
and
even
temporarily
turn
off
notifications
and
other
distractions.
Astropad
doesn’t
say
if
the
Bookcase
app
can
go
so
far
as
to
prevent
you
from
accessing
apps
like
TikTok
while
you’re
reading.
The
Bookcase
is
only
available
in
a
dark
blue
twilight
colorway
to
help
minimize
distractions.Image:
Astropad
Astropad
is
a
small
company
that
has
made
a
name
for
itself
with
apps
and
accessories
that
turned
iPads
into
Wacom-like
drawing
tablets
and
wireless
displays
—
at
least
until
it
was
Sherlocked
by
Apple.
Bookcase
is
another
attempt
by
the
company
to
make
a
device
more
useful.
Making
your
phone
a
better
tool
for
reading
so
you
can
leave
your
e-reader
at
home
is
appealing,
but
you’ll
still
be
carrying
around
an
accessory
that’s
just
as
large.
If
version
two
were
to
introduce
an
folding
design,
the
Bookcase
might
be
an
easier
sell.
(Originally posted by Andrew Liszewski)
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