Camera Control in the new iPhone 16 lineup is Apple’s attempt to improve the ergonomics of smartphone photography, but it doesn’t solve the problem of safely holding smooth rectangular slabs while framing a shot. Similar to accessories we’ve seen from companies like Xiaomi, the Snappy adds the grip and buttons of a focused camera, and more device compatibility with its expandable clamp.
Buddiesman, a Chinese manufacturer of tripods and heads, created the Snappy and is trying to crowdfund the smartphone grip through Kickstarter. Full retail pricing is expected to be $149, but early backers can preorder one for $89.
While Buddiesman may have experience designing and manufacturing camera equipment, its current offerings don’t appear to offer any electronic features, so this could represent new territory for the company, which could complicate matters. in delivery for any crowd-sourced effort.
Its stronger grip includes a dedicated shutter button and a scroll wheel that can control the zoom of a compatible camera app over Bluetooth, such as Blackmagic’s. The grip can even be detached and used further away from the phone as a wireless remote.
The Snappy’s motorized clamp works alongside an accelerometer to cancel unwanted movement, but it only offers one degree of rotational stabilization, so it’s certainly not an alternative to larger gimbals like DJI’s Osmo line. It can also switch the smartphone between portrait and landscape orientation at the touch of a button.
With Bluetooth, a motorized gimbal, an adjustable ring of LED lights, and the Snappy’s relatively compact size, delivery aside, our other question is what its battery life will be when it becomes available these starting in November.
