After dropping his iPhone and smashing the screen, Brookline resident Jonathan Marcus realized something about smartphone cases: it’s odd that they only try to protect the phone after it’s been dropped. It would be better if the case helped to prevent the phone from hitting the floor in the first place, Marcus thought.
Despite the fact that there’s a cottage industry around fixing cracked smartphone screens, Marcus says no one has designed a simple, cheap way to guarantee you won’t drop your phone.
Cue the Neverdrop—an iPhone case the features an adjustable finger strap, which lets you keep a better hold on your device. On Monday, Marcus launched a Kickstarter for the Neverdrop; the case is available to backers starting at the $20 contribution level for January delivery (at higher levels, backers are promised a prototype of the case as soon as December).
I’ve been using the Neverdrop on my iPhone 5S for about two weeks. It took a little while to remember to slip my middle finger through the strap, and I don’t actually do it every time I pick up my phone.
However, I’ve found it immensely useful—dare I call it a game-changer?—in one particular setting: while riding the T. What I've realized is that there are situations on the subway, usually while I’m standing, where I don’t use my iPhone at all because I’d probably drop it. Think: times when you’re holding onto the bar with one hand and maybe holding a coffee in the other. Using Neverdrop, I've been able to actually use my phone and get a good enough grip on the bar with the same hand.
Marcus certainly does see one-hand use as a major reason people might want to use Neverdrop—particularly as many smartphones, such as the iPhone 6 Plus, have grown to such a large size that one-hand use can become a challenge.
Another benefit, which might not be as obvious, is the way that using a finger strap helps to relieve some of the stress of gripping a phone. “I consider it an improvement to the existing design of smartphone cases. Right now you have to consciously grip them, stressing the muscles in your hands, and there’s a small part of your brain thinking about not dropping the phone,” he said.
“When you slide [the case] on your finger, it gives you a relaxed grip on your wrist and hands,” Marcus said. “Ergonomically it’s an improvement.”
Marcus, who previously worked in property management, has been working on Neverdrop for about a year and went full-time on it about two months ago. His process has involved conceptualizing the case and then using freelancers (including through oDesk and Thumbtack) to create the actual design. He’s made prototypes with help from 3D printing startups and also with his own sewing (which he’s taught himself how to do for the project).
"It’s not rocket science. But, tech accessories are a huge industry," Marcus said. "Everyone has a smartphone, and we all drop them."
For the Kickstarter, Neverdrop is available for iPhone 4, 4s, 5, 5s, 6 and 6 Plus. The campaign is seeking to raise $5,000, and has so far gotten pledges of $660 from 13 backers, with 46 days left in the campaign.
