Protective cases for the iPhone come in all shapes and sizes, and the bigger and bulkier the case, the greater level of protection you can usually expect. That holds true for the LenzO, which is a massive iPhone enclosure that turns Apple’s smartphone into an extremely capable underwater camera. It’s a beast, in both size and function, and it’s currently being crowdfunded on Kickstarter.
The LenzO completely encases the iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, waterproofing it to a depth of 100 meters. A huge dome lens is situated on the iPhone’s camera, giving it some added muscle, and a pair of flip-up filters inside the case can provide automatic correction for underwater shots. In terms of control, the enclosure has tiny touch pads attached to hinges that let you swipe tap and utilize full on-screen controls while still retaining the case’s waterproof properties.
The LenzO is created by Valstech, which already built a version for the iPhone 6 and 6s, but is now trying to get an iPhone 7 version off the drawing board and into production. The enclosure is big, but not absurdly so, and considering the number of features packed into it, it’s actually a pretty impressive accessory.
The current Kickstarter campaign has the LenzO priced at $229 for the iPhone 7 version, with a substantial bump up to $450 for the iPhone 7 Plus version. Both cases are expected to retail for $395 and $749, respectively. It’s a pretty sizable investment, especially considering how niche of an accessory the LenzO is. That being said, if you’re in the market for an underwater camera and already own an iPhone, it’s probably going to be a lot cheaper than dropping the cash on a standalone device.