Pebble founder's comeback is a battery case for iPhone and AirPods
It offers up to 40 charges for Apple's wireless earphones.
After ushering in the smartwatch movement in 2012, Eric Migicovsky's Pebble brand fell by the wayside. The company was saved from bankruptcy by Fitbit, which acquired its talent and software last year, but ditched its beloved devices. Now, the man behind the e-watch timepiece is returning to the site of his greatest success: Kickstarter. And, this time, he's packing an iPhone case.
Okay, so the PodCase isn't as revolutionary as the Pebble smartwatch, but neither is it trying to be. The charging case comes in two sizes that can accommodate an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus. But the likes of Mophie and OtterBox have been offering this type of functionality for years. What sets the PodCase apart from its rivals is the ability to store and charge your AirPods. Even Apple is aware of the fact that people keep losing its wireless ear phones. Therefore, offering somewhere to slot them is an interesting idea. At least it would be if the PodCase didn't just place them in a great big bulge at the top of its rubber casing. But hey, the case will charge them too -- so, there's that. Its 2500 mAh internal battery boasts enough juice for a full iPhone charge, or up to 40 AirPod charges.
The PodCase is the first in a promised series of projects from Migicovsky and fellow Pebble alum Steve Johns. Joining them is Allan Evans, founder of Avegant, a startup trying to take on Microsoft's HoloLens with its own mixed reality headset. Instead of launching another brand, the trio are planning to bring their products directly to the public (probably via Kickstarter) beginning with the PodCase. The funky iPhone case will be sold for $99 after its crowdfunding campaign.
