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Snappgrip turns your iPhone into a point-and-shoot camera

Snappgrip turns your iPhone into a point-and-shoot camera

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snappgrip iphone controller
snappgrip iphone controller

Snappgrip is a UK-based Kickstarter campaign with a simple goal: help iPhone users take one-handed photos. The campaign's eponymous product, on display here at CES this week, is essentially a bluetooth controller that slides on to the back of an iPhone, effectively turning it into a simple point-and-shoot camera. The Snappgrip is still in prototype mode and didn't exactly perform up to expectations during the time we spent with it, but the concept alone is novel.

one-handed shooting, made easy

Upon attaching the controller to the back of a handset, users can use it to zoom in and out, focus, or change shooting modes with one hand, just as they would on any digital camera. It's an idea similar to what we've seen from Red Pop, another Kickstarter campaign that long ago met its funding goal, though the main advantage here is that users can zoom in and out by simply pushing buttons at the top of the accessory — rendering the pinch-to-zoom function all but irrelevant.

The product itself didn't really function as advertised during our time with it and its build wasn't exactly sturdy, though it's worth noting that the Snappgrip is still in prototype mode. It's currently compatible with the iPhone 4, 4S and 5, and the makers plan on eventually producing a version for the Galaxy S III, as well. Its fate, of course, depends on the whims of crowdfunding, but early signs are certainly encouraging. After just one week, Snappgrip has already earned over 80 percent of its £18,000 ($29,000) funding goal.

Snappgrip iPhone camera controller hands-on photos

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