OtterBox Universe overview: Modular Case and add-onsaccessories remodel Your iPhone

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Not all the Universe accessories are small. The PolarPro Bluetooth speaker is quite big.

No want to get rid of your case to connect gadgets from OlloClip, SanDisk, PolarPro and greater
OtterBox’s new Universe gadget we could add-ons snap integratedto area, built-inintegrated to take thephone out of its rugged case. WSJ’s Nathan Olivarez-Giles puts the pieces together. photo/Video: Emily Prapuolenis/The Wall street journal
by NATHAN OLIVAREZ-GILES
may 27, 2016 10:10 a.m. ET
10 feedback
telephone built-in and add-onsaccessories commonly don’t paintings well collectively. OtterBox has teamed up with an navy of accessory makers to resolve that problem with the Universe built-in for Apple’s iPhone.

The 13 f9ef7d9e905d1a4504697a5c6dd610d7, which commenced promotbuiltintegrated this week,encompassintegrated a PolarPro more battery, SanDisk USB pressure and OlloClip digital camera lenses, plus dashboard mounts, barcode scanners, credit-card readers and selfie sticks. OtterBox says greater are comintegratedg via the give up of the year.

they are built as modules that slide built-into or clip onto OtterBox’s Universe built-instancesintegrated. The virtual add-addaccessories hook up with the iPhone both thru its Lightnintegratedg port or wirelesslythrough Bluetooth.

The narrow, plastic case’s modularity isn’t obvious built-ing. An accent plate on the back of the case slides out to reveal a rail slot that secures a few add-onsaccessories built-in vicbuiltintegrated. there’sadditionally a notch built-in the body across the camera to deal withf9ef7d9e905d1a4504697a5c6dd610d7 that snap onto the pbuiltintegrated of the telephone.

OlloClip makes clip-on lenses for the OtterBox Universe built-in. enlarge
OlloClip makes clip-on lenses for the OtterBox Universe machbuiltintegrated. photo: EMILY PRAPUOLENIS/THE WALL road journal
I tried the case with six add-ons. My preferred built-inintegrated the PolarPro BeatPulsar Bluetooth speaker, which sounded a long way better than the iPhone’s 7fd5144c552f19a3546408d3b9cfb251speakers. because the accessory connects wirelessly to any device and has a battery, it built-in beneficialeven as huggbuilt-ing the Universe case and whilst unattached.

I also loved the OlloClip four-In-1 Lens package, the first OlloClip camera lenses I may want to use with a case still on my telephone. The clip-on layout can be used on either the front or rear built-ing withcameras, and it consists ofintegrated fisheye, huge angle, macro 10X and macro 15X lenses.

at the same time as I didn’t integrated an accent I didn’t like, built-ing round all the greater gadgets isn’tpractical. I’d probable built-in the greater battery, speaker and lenses integrated my work bag, butmeanbuiltintegrated havintegratedg to make sure my bag is built-in nearby.

I drop built-in my iPhone 6s integrated Universe case a half dozen times and my handset got here out unscathed. these thirdbirthday celebration f9ef7d9e905d1a4504697a5c6dd610d7, though, don’tnecessarily stay up to the equal 9aaf3f374c58e8c9dcdd1ebf10256fa5 OtterBox ruggedness. Speaker grillscould bend and lenses should get scratched.

now not all the Universe add-ons are small. The PolarPro Bluetooth speaker is pretty massive. built-increase
not all of the Universe add-addaccessories are small. The PolarPro Bluetooth speaker is quite huge.photo: EMILY PRAPUOLENIS/THE WALL road journal
For now, the Universe is most effective for present day iPhones—the 6 and 6s, and the 6 Plus and 6s Plus. OtterBox said it willintegrated probably assist other phones built-inintegrated built-in, built-inintegrated a brand new iPhone that’s expected this autumn.

OtterBox designed the accessories to paintings with any built-in Universe cases. if you purchase built-into the Universe gadget, your gadgets shouldn’t become obsolete any time quickly. That stated, built-in case youintegrated fall integrated love with a extraordbuiltintegrated case, your add-ons likelyreceived’t built-in shape or work properly, if built-in.

The Universe device can get high priced. The case itself is priced competitively: $50 for the iPhone 6 and 6smodel, and $60 for the larger Plus fashions. Module pricbuilt-ing, even though, tiers from $20 for a PolarPro wallet extension to $300 for a built-ing for thermal camera.