Feeling limited by your smartphone's puny light? If so, you might want to check out the phone-mountable Wuben E1. It's currently on Kickstarter, and puts out up to 300 lumens as compared to the iPhone 15's measly 50.
Made by Hong Kong company Wuben, the E1 consists of a ring of 28 LEDs which is attached via a hinge to a base plate containing a ring of neodymium magnets. The device simply gets placed on the Magsafe area of any Apple or Android smartphone, where it stays securely in place until deliberately removed.
If its LED ring is left folded down, the E1 can be used as a much brighter alternative to the phone's existing back-facing camera light. When shooting selfies, however, the ring can be flipped around to face the user, working alongside the front-facing camera.
The whole E1 can also be pulled off the phone and used on its own. Its magnets allow it to be stuck to any ferromagnetic surface.
Utilizing a knob-type dial on the side of the device, users are able to turn the E1 on and off, steplessly dim or brighten its LEDs, or set it to one of three color temperatures. The latter consist of warm (3,000 to 3,500K), neutral (3,500 to 5,000K) and cool (5,000 to 6,000K).
One USB-C charge of the integrated lithium battery is claimed to be for 30 minutes of runtime at 300 lumens, ranging up to 50 hours at the lowest setting of 2 lumens. The whole rig is 6 mm thick and reportedly tips the scales at 36 g (1.3 oz).
An optional magnetic-topped aluminum stand can be inserted between the E1's base plate and the phone, then used as either a monopod for static shots or a handgrip when going handheld. The stand can also be extended for use as a selfie stick.
Pledges range from US$39 – for a basic magnesium-bodied version of the E1 – up to $169 for a titanium model with the stand. The planned retail prices for those packages are $49 and $248, respectively. Assuming the Kickstarter works out, shipping should commence in July.
You can see the Wuben E1 in action, in the video below.
Source: Kickstarter