Mobile Technology

Weak Wi-Fi signal on iPhone 5? Linkase is claimed to improve it

Weak Wi-Fi signal on iPhone 5? Linkase is claimed to improve it
The Linkase is designed to extend an iPhone 5's Wi-Fi range
The Linkase is designed to extend an iPhone 5's Wi-Fi range
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The Linkase with the EMW unit extended
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The Linkase with the EMW unit extended
The gray Linkase from the back
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The gray Linkase from the back
The Linkase comes with an extra EMW unit
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The Linkase comes with an extra EMW unit
The front of the Linkase
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The front of the Linkase
The volume buttons of the Linkase
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The volume buttons of the Linkase
The back of the Linkase with EMW unit down
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The back of the Linkase with EMW unit down
The Linkase is designed to extend an iPhone 5's Wi-Fi range
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The Linkase is designed to extend an iPhone 5's Wi-Fi range
Absolute Technology's Wi-Fi comparison chart
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Absolute Technology's Wi-Fi comparison chart
View gallery - 8 images

Anyone who often finds themselves in a place where Wi-Fi is signal is weak knows how much of a pain that can be. The new Linkase for iPhone promises to solve that problem, by adding an external antenna that increases the phone's ability to grab a Wi-Fi signal.

The signal is improved via a slide-out EMW (electro magnetic waveguide) element. Basically, it grabs signal that an iPhone cannot, and resonates with the iPhone's antenna to get Wi-Fi signal from every direction.

According to Absolute Technology, the creator of the Linkase, users' hands often block the phone's ability to get the Wi-Fi signal – because the EMW unit slides out, that's not a problem anymore. In fact, the creators claim that the case offers up to a 50 percent increase in Wi-Fi strength.

Absolute Technology's Wi-Fi comparison chart
Absolute Technology's Wi-Fi comparison chart

Absolute Technology created a chart that compares Wi-Fi signal with and without the Linkase on an iPhone 5. According to the chart, download speeds were increased, and in places where their iPhone 5 normally lost Wi-Fi, the tester was able to connect, albeit with much lower download and upload speeds than the area near the router. Of course, this test was conducted by the company making the product, so the results need to be taken with a grain of salt.

The Linkase is made with polycarbonate on the back and coated with leather to give it some extra grip. It also has raised rubber on the front to recess the screen and give it some extra protection. The rubber is also used on the sides of the case to make it easier to get on and off the iPhone 5.

The case is available in five colors — white, black, red, gray, and blue. Each case comes with an extra interchangeable EMW unit, and additional units can be purchased separately. Pricing and a final release date aren't available at this time, but the company did say it would announce more soon.

Source: Absolute Technology via SlashGear

View gallery - 8 images
2 comments
2 comments
Gregg Eshelman
Reminds me of those completely worthless "antenna boosters" that stuck onto the phone battery and the "radiation shields" and all the other phony-baloney phone accessories for cell phones.
Jignesh Padhiyar
Has this been tested? After reading the above comment - and seeing the plastic thing, it doesn't really look so perfect now. Even if it does work, would people love Nokia-style antennas on their iPhones?