Case for iPhone with pop-out goggles doubles as VR headset

A big barrier to all those new 360-degree videos cropping up on YouTube, Facebook and elsewhere is that people are rarely carrying around a VR headset to strap on whenever they are ready to get immersed in a new video. Some might caution against this kind of practice in public just out of concern for safety, but at least one company wants to make sure users always have a VR viewer with them.

Quantum Bakery put up its Figment VR iPhone case on Kickstarter in November 2015 and was fully funded within a month. The product is not available commercially yet, so the broader success of a VR viewer hidden inside a smartphone case remains to be seen. Currently, pre-orders are available for $69, which is $10 off the retail price.

By the looks of it, the case has a fairly elegant and clever design, which no doubt aided its appeal in the crowdfunding campaign. Figment VR does not appear to be bulkier than most iPhone cases. The goggles are hidden in the back and pop out at the press of a button. This allows users to hold their phone in front of them, with the goggles resting on the bridge of the nose, unlike Google Cardboard. This means there is no strap for a handsfree experience, but many people are already accustomed to holding their phones up in this fashion thanks to Google and the VR cardboard products the company has inspired.

To be sure, $70 to $80 is a lot more than a piece of cardboard and many are not yet convinced of the merits of 360-degree videos and other VR media. However, early adopters may find this compelling. Many apps now offer content designed for VR headsets. The New York Times gave out a million units of Google Cardboard to subscribers last year so people could experience 360-degree videos in the NYT app.

Like many niche products these days, though, it is currently available for the iPhone only, fitting the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus form factor. China suppliers are already capitalizing on this design by focusing on the iPhone market. It is not hard to spot the similarities between the Figment VR case and products such as the VR Box from Dongguan Rollmax Electronic Co. Ltd. But since imitation is said to be the purest form of flattery, Quantum Bakery may have a hit on its hands.