Smartphone screens are getting bigger, but their overall size isn’t. In fact, they’re also getting thinner, which presents a bit of an ergonomic problem. It’s harder to reach some parts of the screen with one hand, and phones are now more likely to slip off your hand as well. Most cases can protect phones from accidental falls, but they don’t always prevent it, no matter how rough their texture might be.
Phone grips popularized by the likes of PopSocket add something stable to hold, but having that thing semi-permanently stick out of the back of your phone doesn’t do wonders for its appearance. Ring holders later became more fashionable, but they still didn’t allow for flexibility in their position. This concept accessory takes those lessons to heart to provide a secure grip as well as an aesthetic design that you don’t have to commit to forever, thanks to the magic of MagSafe.
Designers: Jiwan Yu, HJ Kang
Apple’s application of its popular magnetic technology to the realm of wireless charging did more than just revolutionize the way you charge iPhones; it also introduced a new generation of accessories that could easily be removed or added at a moment’s notice. Strong magnets offered a secure connection between the phone’s back and the accessory while still leaving the possibility of removing it and swapping it out for something else.
The NanoPop MagSafe concept utilizes this feature to offer a ring grip and stand that is both stylish yet also impermanent. Although you can remove it and position it on the back of a MagSafe-compatible phone as you please, the point of the design is to actually encourage you to keep it on. Thanks to its playful two-tone colors, slim profile, and comfortable silicone material, it becomes a functional decoration you might actually want to show off.
That silicone material makes it feel good to touch on the back of your phone, while the metal ring delivers a sturdy and confident grip that also functions as a stand. The ring can be adjusted up to 130 degrees so it can hold up the phone at the most convenient angle for watching. The design is really simple and quite familiar, but the execution is what sets this concept apart.
The concept also envisions six color options for the outer silicone ring, while the adjustable metal ring is always black. Best of all, you can choose different colors for different days or moods, presuming you have a few of them available, making it as easy as changing your fashion or accessories. Best of all, this design isn’t really difficult to pull off, given how almost all the pieces are already available today.