Relonch Camera case for iPhone lets you take Fancy Photos

Digital photography isn't all just about megapixels, which some smartphone OEMs would like you to otherwise think. But even then the iPhone's cameras could perhaps do a bit better. That's were Relonch comes in, an iPhone accessory that its makers claim lets you take Magazine-class photos and instantly upload them to the cloud, hopefully only if you tell it to.

Technically, Relonch is an iPhone case that houses its own camera, shutter button, and supporting apps, like a Relonch Guru that tries to give you photography advice on the spot. It even has its own battery which actually doubles as an external battery charger when the iPhone is docked in. The company, also named Relonch, isn't exactly talking about the finer details like camera specs, except that it has a big APS-C sensor and a normal lens with a large aperture. Whatever the hardware is, Relonch says it's capable enough to take high-quality Fancy Photos.

What exactly are these Fancy Photos? Relonch defines them as photos with crisp lines and accents on the main object, blurred backgrounds, natural perspective, and balanced soft tones. Supposedly the kind of photos you'd put on a magazine and something you'll want to put on your social network wall. Whether the camera actually is capable of any other setting is something that Relonch isn't mentioning. If that would be the case, then this would be one very limited and expensive accessory.

Relonch Camera totes many advantages over both smartphone cameras and even "smart", WiFi-empowered digital compacts. Obviously the main spiel is that it has a better camera than most smartphones, perhaps with a few exceptions. When faced with more professional digital cameras, however, it tries to win with convenience. Relonch attaches to the iPhone directly and physically via the Lightning port, making transfer of photos instantaneous. No more waiting or pairing hassles. Relonch says that you can even start uploading photos while you're still shooting, again, hopefully configurable.

That said, Relonch has a few downsides as well, presuming you buy into their offer. The first is that it will obviously bulk up your iPhone. Of course, it isn't meant to attach to it 24/7, but then you'll end up carrying it in your bag or purse (definitely not your pocket) separately, in which case having a compact digital camera might be better in most use cases (unless you really need instantaneous Twitter/Facebook uploads). The other drawback is the price, as Relonch Camera doesn't come cheap at $499. Relonch Camera is available for both the iPhone 5 and iPhone 6, no word on the iPhone 6 Plus, and starts pre-order period today.

SOURCE: Relonch