The Latest 3-D Printed Smartphone Accessories

With Beijing-based company Huashang Tengda completing the world”s first 3-D printed house this June, it should come as no surprise that a factory in China has begun printing smartphone parts for companies like Huawei, HTC and Sony. The ability to print sensors and electronics opens up the potential to embed them in almost anything. With these advances in 3-D printing in mind, the following products are a few of the latest smartphone accessories created with 3-D printing technology.

Smartphone Stands

My Mini Factory has revived and repurposed the classic rotary phone stand with a vintage stand that doubles as a charging dock. The top of the stand features a cradle where you set a smartphone like the Samsung Galaxy Note5. The base of the stand recreates the look of an old-fashioned rotary phone. This accessory is the perfect hipster accessory to maintain the design aesthetic of your home. The phone design can be downloaded from My Mini Factor and takes just under 10 hours to produce.

Image Source: Pixabay

Phone Amplifiers

Did you ever wish your smartphone could play your favorite music just a little louder? The 3-D printed Bugle natural acoustic amplifier enables you to turn up the volume on your iPhone. Shaped like a sports megaphone, the Bugle has a simple horn shape with a curve for a natural flex that lets it fit snugly over your iPhone speaker. With no batteries required, the Bugle comes in white, black, blue, purple, red and pink. It is a great accessory for when you”re traveling, hosting a party or away from traditional stereo speakers. A model of the Bugle that fits your iPhone 4 or 4S is available for about $24 from Shapeways.

Eye Exam Apps

Another application of 3-D printing technology lets eye doctors turn a smartphone into a portable eye exam kit. The Portable Eye Examination Kit (PEEK) is a 3-D printed adapter that attaches to a smartphone and serves the same function as the printed charts or costly illuminated vision boxes used in eye exam clinics. PEEK displays a shrinking letter on the screen to simulate the shrinking lines of an eye exam chart. PEEK also can examine the retina with a smartphone camera to help diagnose cataracts, simulate eyesight on the screen and run color and contrast tests. PEEK works with both the Android and iOS platforms.

Video Game Control Mounts

If you”re a gamer, use a 3-D printed mount to turn your smartphone or tablet into a portable Xbox screen or use it with second screen apps. UtorCase designed a mount you can attach to the top of a wired or wireless Xbox 360 controller that lets you use a Samsung Galaxy S5 as a portable screen for gaming. Using the mount requires a USB OTG cable for Android gaming, an Xbox 360 USB receiver for a wireless Xbox 360 controller and games supporting the Android Gamepad API. The mount is available in ten different colors for $15.44 from Shapeways.