Congrats on the Kickstarter launch, @bizstoryteller! This looks like a really cool iPhone case. With so much content being shot on iPhones these days that finds a use as real media content, this case looks like a real solution :)
How did you come up with it?
@nivo0o0 Hi Niv, thank you! We've been really happy with how the campaign has gone so far.
The idea for the Helium Core first came to me when I was flying back to Durham, North Carolina from San Francisco. Once again, I'd lugged all my bulky digital SLR with me on my trip, only to shoot everything with my iPhone! The trouble with the iPhone was that it wasn't comfortable to use as a camera for long periods of time, and I wanted to be able to add lenses easily. I also wanted to be able to add lights or a flash, and in some situations, a microphone. I looked at the market, and couldnโt find anything that really suited my needs, so I decided to do something about it. The Helium Core is the result of that frustration. :)
This looks really cool! Now that phone cameras are getting better and better this is going to make filming on my iphone epic! Does it fit other smartphones? Asking for a friend.
@themelamini Hi Melanie, thank you ๐We really appreciate your kind words! The Helium Core only works on the iPhone 6 models right now (6/6s/6 Plus/6s Plus). The fragmentation in the Android market makes it very risky to develop model-specific designs for most other phones. We're developing one for the iPhone SE/5s as well and hope to have that ready soon. Please let me know if you have any other questions. :)
@colemercer Thanks! Our design approach was different than the other products on the market. We wanted something that is pocketable in size, provides complete flexibility for placement of accessories so that people can customize in any way that they want, is sturdy (the Helium Core is made out of aircraft grade aluminum) and doesn't require any setup time. We made a very deliberate decision at the start of the design process not to go for a universal design, because we didn't want to make the compromises that a universal design would force. A dedicated design such as the Helium Core allows us to do things like keep it compact, allow for precise lens placement concentric with the iPhone's camera sensor and allow it to be usable while it's sitting in the cage.
We don't currently have any plans for an iPad version, but we're designing the iPhone SE/5s version now, and hope to be able to prototype and do a test fit before the Kickstarter campaign launches.
Thanks again for the nice comment about the Helium Core, and please let me know if you have any other questions!
#ProductHuntReview: Ok, this is pretty amazing! The only thing that I can even come up with is that the housing case is going to become obsolete pretty fast when Apple releases different iPhone models. Other than that, take my money!!!!
@bizstoryteller, will production be done before the new iPhone comes out? I want to fund the kickstarter at the $99 or higher rate, but am afraid that when the new iPhone comes out that the housing wont work. Thoughts?
@sethlouey Yes, that's the goal- to have the products shipped by end of July. What would accelerate the production schedule is if our campaign absolutely goes bonkers; then we'd take a littlerisk and get the tooling started earlier and hope that there's not a massive round of unpledges ๐
@sethlouey I'd love your feedback on this. Would you be more inclined to contribute if we gave a discount to backers for the next model of the Helium Core? If so, what would that threshold point be? 15%? 20%?
@bizstoryteller I guess whatever makes sense that you can continue development on the project and grow. (Not trying to rob anyone here) 15% is pretty fair, but 20% is more than fair.
Side note: i don't really understand the kickstarter levels. Is that just me? Is the kickstarter for only the casing and not the accessories?
@sethlouey Thanks for that feedback. If you don't understand the rewards structure, it's my fault, and I'll do a better job of making it clearer. Yes, the reward levels are only for the casing. We've been considering a bundled package with other accessories (lenses, handle, microphone, etc.). Is this something you'd find interesting?
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So, question: why didn't you shoot the Kickstarter video on an iPhone? ;)
@andreasduess A very good and fair question, Andreas :o) The person who helped me shoot my video is a friend of mine, and while he owns an iPhone, doesn't use it to shoot video very often. Since we did this on a very compressed timeline, he wasn't comfortable trying a new production workflow. He's now a convert, though, and as soon as I get back from a trip to MoJoCon to promote the Helium Core, we're going to shoot a short entirely on the iPhone. If you back us at $1, you'll get an update that includes that short ;o)
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