Skip to main content

This iPhone case has a clever flash that’s 10x brighter than the one in your 5S

Taking pictures with your phone at night, inside the house, or worse, in a dark environment like a club is usually an exercise in futility. LED flash units, which are fitted to most phones, just aren’t strong enough to effectively light up most subjects. While Nokia has come to the rescue with hardware such as the Lumia 1020 and its xenon flash, it’s not much good if you own an iPhone.

The Lightstrap is a new product up for funding through Kickstarter, which elevates the iPhone’s low-light photo ability way beyond even the most capable camera phones, something it does by incorporating a massive flash into a handy case. But this isn’t just another single LED bulb, as the Lightstrap is what’s known as a ring light. The LED array produces a diffused, soft light to bring out more realistic colors and skin tones, while avoiding blur and grain.

Recommended Videos

Photographers will have more control over their pictures using the Lightstrap too, as it comes with a color control with six different settings, and seven different brightness levels. It’s all controlled using a set of buttons on the shell, and three LED lights show the flash’s status.

Overall, you’ll get a flash which is ten times brighter than the standard flash on the iPhone 5S, and fifteen times brighter than the iPhone 5. Naturally, the Lightstrap has a battery inside, which is good for around 500 pictures and 30 minutes of video, and although it’s primarily a case for the phone, it can be taken off and used independently too. What’s not immediately obvious is how the Lightstrap works. It’s compatible with any camera app for the iPhone, and is apparently triggered by the phone’s flash, but there’s no Bluetooth connection or dedicated app for the Lightstrap.

According to the Kickstarter blurb, the Lightstrap is ready to be sent to manufacturing, and provided the goal is met, shipping will begin in April next year. The campaign has only just begun, and it has a lofty $245,000 target, of which $10,000 has been raised at the time of writing. It’s not a cheap piece of kit either, as each Lightstrap will set you back $97, or if you’re quick, $87 in an earlybird special.

If you’re frustrated by your iPhone’s shortcomings when taking pictures at night, then you may want to take a closer look at the Lightstrap.

Andy Boxall
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
This one iPadOS 26 feature has me excited for the iPhone Fold
Semi-open state of a foldable iPhone concept

Samsung is set to launch the seventh generation of its Galaxy Z Fold book-style folding phone this Summer, but its biggest rival is yet to show its folding phone hand. Apple has long been expected to unveil an iPhone Fold, and the latest rumors suggest that it will launch next year.

I’ve used almost every folding phone released globally, with some exceptions for extremely obscure ones. While I've always been curious what an iPhone Fold would look like, I was fairly certain that Apple shouldn't build it, as I wasn’t sure they could deliver on one necessary feature.

Read more
iPhone 17 price looks more certain to rise for first time since the iPhone 12
Apple might be preparing its first iPhone price increase in five years
iPhone 16 Pro Max next to the 16 Plus, 16 Pro and regular iPhone 16

For years now, Apple has launched the base model iPhone at $799 - but in 2025, more and more signs are pointing towards prices being increased for the introduction of the iPhone 17.

The likelihood of an iPhone 17 price increase was raised by the Wall Street Journal in May, and now Counterpoint Research notes in its recent 2025 shipment forecast that "cost increases are expected to be passed on to consumers" by not only Apple, but Samsung as well.

Read more
Why you shouldn’t care what number Apple puts on your iPhone’s software
The Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max's screen.

One number may change to another number at an important industry event on June 9, and despite some of the headlines that have been circulating around the news, this succinct explanation of what may happen allows you to guage its real importance. Apparently, Apple may use the WWDC 2025 keynote presentation to announce a change from the expected iOS 19 software’s name to iOS 26, and here’s why you shouldn’t worry about it. 

Many people won’t even know

Read more