Android or iOS, it’s a question virtually every shopper faces when they’re looking for a new phone. Each has its strengths and weaknesses making it difficult to choose between the two. The team at ESTI Inc. are looking to end the iPhone and Android wars by providing users with a convenient way to carry an Android device alongside their iPhone. It’s a device called Eye, and it’s an iPhone case equipped with a chipset that runs Android 7.1 Nougat OS.
Eye features a customized Android install which supports a few features such as native call recording, a real file explorer, recognition of unknown numbers, and real multitasking.
Unlike the iPhone which uses standard LCD technology, Eye’s screen uses AMOLED technology. This means all colors including real black are more vibrant on the screen. The resolution also is a bit higher than the iPhone. While the iPhone 6, 6s and 7 feature a screen sized 4.7” with a resolution of 1334×750, Eye’s screen is 5” and has a resolution of 1920×1080.
In addition to using the screen to run Android applications, the display also mirrors the view from the iPhone’s rear camera. This means that rather than relying on the front facing camera for selfies, users can easily take photos using the higher quality rear facing camera.
Another notable feature of Eye is the inclusion of two extra SIM card slots that support LTE cellular speeds up to 300 Mbps. This enables users to have three phone numbers – one inside their iPhone and two inside Eye. Eye doesn’t have a built-in microphone or speaker, so it instead uses the iPhones built-in sound systems.
As far as specs go, Eye contains 3GB of LPDDR3 RAM, 16 GB of onboard storage, an IR Blaster, NFC chipset, a/b/g/n/ac WiFi, Bluetooth, FM radio, and GPS technology. There’s a built-in gyro sensor, accelerometer, proximity sensor, and ambient light sensor. The processor comes in two speeds: a 2.3 GHZ quad-core ARM Cortex-A53, and 1.6 GHZ quad-core ARM Cortex-A53.
With all these features, battery life is understandably a valid concern. Rather than running off the iPhone battery, Eye is equipped with a 2,800 mAh battery, which also charges the connected phone. Charging is simplified with the built-in Qi charging module that enables wireless charging.
So far the makers of Eye have raised over $376,000 via crowdfunding with estimated shipping dates starting in August 2017. Pricing for the device currently starts at $149 and has a retail price of $229. Each purchase includes a one-year warranty and two years of Android OS updates.
Users also can purchase a dedicated wireless charger for an extra $20. Eye comes in Jet White, Jet Black, Matt White, and Matt Black.
