The latest iPhone multi-tool case to find its way to the world of crowd funding, the Hangout Case, offers three pocket-essential functions: protecting your iPhone, popping a bottle, and lighting a cigarette or fire. It also has a tripod screw mount.
We've seen plenty of smartphone multi-tool cases in the past, and frankly, the Hangout is a bit under-tooled when compared to something like the MyTask or IN1.
What makes it worth a look is its integrated flameless lighter. Similar in design to the lighters that used to come standard in cars, the small device is an electric metal coil that lays flame-inducing heat to a cigarette or tinder. It shuts off automatically and uses a lockable slide-over safety cover to prevent danger to the phone or user. It recharges via USB.
Outside of the lighter, the Hangout is a basic protective case that also has the bottle opener that's all but mandatory on every multi-tool, and an M6 tripod screw mount for threading in tripods and camera mounts. The case itself uses a combination of polycarbonate and TPU to protect the iPhone 5 and 5S from drops and bumps.
The Hangout Case went live in a Flexible Funding campaign on Indiegogo last week. It's available for early bird pledges starting at US$29. Deliveries are estimated for July, assuming it reaches production. It can be seen in use in the pitch video below.
If you'd prefer an electric lighter/iPhone 5 case with a flashlight instead of a bottle opener and tripod mount, the Lightercase is available for just under $40. It wrapped up a successful Indiegogo campaign in December.
Source: Indiegogo