External stick-on lenses for mobiles first surfaced years ago and they really haven’t been widely adopted. Maybe it’s because they’re not marketed well, maybe it’s because they don’t work well and maybe it’s just because they’re ugly. Whatever the case may be, the Mobile Phone Telescope is one of the first options we’ve seen that actually packs some significant zoom capability. Available for a variety of Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Motorola models, this lens adds an additional 6x optical zoom to your mobile’s already existing zoom capabilities. It doesn’t fix directly to your phone’s case thankfully; instead it includes a form fitting shell that hugs your mobile. The lens then fixes to the shell and can easily be removed for storage on the go. Yes, it makes your phone look plain silly, but if you have a mobile with a decent camera you might finally be able to toss your separate point-and-shoot and carry the lens attachment in its place. Brando, the well-known online retailer from Hong Kong, is offering all models of the Mobile Phone Telescope for a paltry $19 and shipping is a flat $3 worldwide. If you can get past the awkward stares you’ll be getting every time you pull this thing out of your pocket, it’s really not a bad deal.
[Via geeksugar]
