Skip to main content

This crazy iPhone case records calls with the push of a button

Recording phone calls on your iPhone isn’t as easy as it should be. While there a few app-based options, many of them require extra awkward steps or force you to pay a by-the-minute rate for the privilege. The “Just in Case,” a hybrid iPhone case and audio recorder that’s currently raising money on Indiegogo, claims to eliminate both of the obstacles and give users a one-button solution for recording phone calls.

“With app or conference call solutions, users have to connect to an external server prior to recording,” Just in Case CEO Oshri Farhat said in a prepared statement. “In fact, most times you want to record, you don’t realize this in advance. With Just in Case, users can instantly record 100’s of hours of conversations whenever they want.”

Recommended Videos

Compatible with iPhone 5 or later, the Just in Case looks like your standard bulky smartphone case, except for two extra buttons: one to start and end recordings and a second to play them back. Rather than relying on an app that cuts into the call, the case opts for a comparatively low-tech solution: a small microphone placed in just the right spot to record both your voice and the sound coming out of the receiver. The microphone can also be used as a stand-alone audio recorder for in-person conversations.

If it looks a bit bulky, it’s because the recorder is powered by a self-contained battery and supports MicroSD card storage. The recorder’s battery can record for up to eight hours, and lasts for as long as a year in low-power mode. The device will come with a 2GB MicroSD card, which can be swapped out. Unfortunately, since these features are meant to minimize the recorder’s strain on the phone, they cannot be used to enhance the phone’s battery and storage.

The Indiegogo campaign is seeking to raise $30,000. Early bird customers can currently pre-order the recorder-case for $30. The case will retail for $60 at launch. Just in Case expects to ship the device to backers in May, 2016, though the timeline may change if the campaign does not reach its funding goal. If you’re interested, you can grab one of the cases here.

Mike Epstein
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Michael is a New York-based tech and culture reporter, and a graduate of Northwestwern University’s Medill School of…
iPhone theft victim sues Apple. It sparks a new hope for others, too
The iPhone 16 sticking out of someone's pocket.

Smartphones are the center of our digital existence. Not just because they open the doors for communication and social connection, but also due to their role as gatekeepers of our financial and professional lives. 

Needless to say, a stolen iPhone can upend your life in many ways, but it’s even harder to recover those precious files stored on the device. A few victims of iPhone theft may finally have a chance, thanks to a lawsuit against Apple over not offering enough help in recovery efforts.

Read more
I tested the Pixel 9a and iPhone 16e’s cameras, and the two almost tied
A person holding the Google Pixel 9a and Apple iPhone 16e.

The Google Pixel 9a’s arch rival, almost regardless of whether you are trying to decide which one to buy, is the Apple iPhone 16e. Just like dogs chase cats, a new Pixel phone will go up against an iPhone in a camera test at some point, and over the past week or so, we’ve worked to answer the question of which phone takes better photos, the Pixel 9a or the iPhone 16e.
The camera specs
Google Pixel 9a (left) and Apple iPhone 16e Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The two phones have very different camera systems. The Google Pixel 9a has a 48-megapixel main camera with an f/1.7 aperture and optical image stabilization (OIS), plus a 13MP wide-angle camera with an f/2.2 aperture and a 120-degree field of view. On the front is a 13MP selfie camera.

Read more
New iPhone 17 Pro render keeps us guessing on the final design
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Render

Apple is to expected to announce the iPhone 17 series later this year, likely sometime in September if previous release patterns are anything to go by. By our calculations, that puts us around five months out, though math is not our strong point – we're writers here after all. 

What we do know however, is that in the upcoming months we are no doubt going to see more conflicting rumors about what we can expect from the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro models in terms of design. A few months back, it was suggested the iPhone 17 Pro models would feature a new camera bar across their rear, taking on a more Pixel-like approach. 

Read more