Astropad’s new bookcase is a smartphone accessory designed to make reading on your smartphone feel like reading on an e-reader. No, it doesn’t give your phone an eye-pleasing screen, longer battery life, or any of the other features that have made devices like the Kindle popular. Instead, the $50 Book Case is designed to help you hold your smartphone like a book while making your favorite reading apps more accessible.
Bookcase is essentially a magnetic attachment that adds thick plastic handles to the sides of your phone, making it roughly the same size and shape as a paperback novel or e-reader. Astropad says that “any smartphone that attaches to the magnetic wireless charger can be used with the Bookcase even when it’s in another protective case,” but the company notes that “Android smartphones and older model iPhones” Also includes a MagSafe conversion kit for
But it’s not just the ease of grip that has kept e-readers popular for decades. It’s a distraction-free reading experience. This is another thing Astropad is trying to recreate with its NFC chip and new mobile app. You can also set your phone to automatically open your favorite reading app when you mount it on your bookshelf, or temporarily turn off notifications and other distractions. Astropad doesn’t say whether the Bookcase app can go so far as to prevent you from accessing apps like TikTok while you’re reading.
Bookcase is another attempt by the company to make devices more useful. While it’s tempting to be able to turn your phone into a great reading tool and leave your e-reader at home, you’re still lugging around an equally large accessory. The introduction of a folding design in version 2 might make the bookshelf easier to sell.
