Steve Kelley
Imagine, for a moment, a video magnifier small enough to fit in your pocket—with a stand that unfolds to keep it steady and make it hands-free. Even better—what if the iPhone already in your pocket came with a stand to hold it steady when magnifying something with the camera? That’s the Case for Vision. Designed to transform the iPhone already in your pocket into a versatile video magnifier, its simple design combines a padded case for the iPhone with a sturdy folding stand that holds the iPhone at just the right height to slide documents or mail beneath. Using the iPhone’s camera and the Case for Vision magnification software, the phone becomes a handy video magnifier and telescope.
The case also includes a built-in mirrored lens that can be used to magnify distant objects. With the stand open, the lens slides into place and is adjustable to pinpoint objects in the distance, such as a whiteboard, presentation, or even an outdoor bird feeder.
With the free Case for Vision software available on the App Store, users will find many features found in stand-alone video magnifiers— add contrast with alternate background and font colors, or capture a screen image of a recipe or phone number. Standard iPhone gestures are used to increase or decrease magnification or to scroll around the magnified screen.
When the Case for Vision app opens, either the Magnifier or Telescope button is selected to begin. If Telescope mode is selected, the telescope lens will need to be opened by sliding it into place over the camera lenses. Adjust the lens to center the image and use a pinch gesture to zoom in or out. With the iPhone held in place on the stand, it’s easy to see how handy this would be in a classroom or professional setting to see a distant screen or whiteboard.
The Case for Vision software is designed as companion software for the case, but other apps will benefit from being used with the hands-free case. For example, Microsoft’s Seeing AI. With the iPhone in the Case for Vision supported on a sturdy stand over the document, it is much easier to use for many tasks. With Seeing AI open in Text Mode, it becomes a great tool for quickly identifying mail or paperwork on the desk. Documents slide beneath the stand easily and are quickly read aloud with the Seeing AI software.
Because the stand and telescope lens are built right into the Case for Vision, they become a part of the iPhone— just open the stand when needed and fold it back into place after use. The case and stand are lightweight and add very little weight or bulk to the iPhone. With an iPhone in a Case for Vision, it becomes a portable video magnifier.
One of the added advantages in a classroom setting is that the magnifier and telescope are simply part of the iPhone, without adding another piece of assistive technology to a student’s desk. Because “it’s just another iPhone,” it may be more quickly accepted by the student who will benefit from having a video magnifier or telescope handy, and it is less conspicuous.
Right now, the Case for Vision is available for the iPhone 15 Pro. Coming in January 2025, it will also be available for the 13 Pro, 14 Pro, 15 Pro, 16, and 16 Pro. It is important to note that, with the exception of the iPhone 16, all other iPhone models need to be the Pro model because of the camera lenses required to work with the Case for Vision. The Case for Vision retails for $299, with $50 off during the 2024 holiday season—until January 6, 2025, it is available for $249. For more information, check out https://www.caseforvision.com or call 781-343-1071.
