An incredible Hungarian invention: anti-theft phone case

 As Forbes.hu reports, the incredible invention of the anti-theft phone case designed by 3 Hungarian youngsters was inspired by their own unlucky adventures. Instead of complaining, however, they turned their bad luck into good by inventing Safeskin, the unhackable accessory of iPhones. The team only works with Hungarian suppliers, and they aim to conquer the USA and Europe, too. Here is how the new invention may revolutionise our lives.

Have you ever been frightened when you reached into your pocket in search for your mobile phone, but it was not there? Then, you probably tried to look for it in all your pockets and your bag. This is the horror of the 21st century, and it is what happened to the inventors of the new gadget not once, but six times right after the other.

Invention inspired by real incidents

Júlia Sohajda and her two brothers, Csongor and Ábel, experienced what it is like to lose an iPhone 6 times in Budapest, Los Angeles, München, Cancun and Cabob. This is an exemplary achievement, but their parents did not praise them for it. The youngsters, however, used the unfortunate incidents for launching their project about the anti-theft phone case. As they report:

“Every time we lost our phone, we realised that the thieves immediately switched them off no matter where the incident happened in the world. Once it is done, the GPS-based tracking service does not work, so it is impossible to track them down.”

How does it work?

These days, smartphones are necessary parts of our lives because we are very much accustomed to them and dependent on them. Therefore, to prevent further prospective incidents, the siblings and two technical experts formed a team of 5 and started to experiment with prototypes.

The invention consists of a case that you can put on your phone with a particular lock that cannot be removed without a key and a passcode. The key, which you should keep with yourself, is similar to a car key. It is in contact with the phone via Bluetooth, and it alerts you when your phone is out of the safety range.

Furthermore, an application also makes it possible to personalise the settings including the distance allowed or the safety zones. This also means that if you want, you can set not to be alerted at your workplace when you go from one office to another.

However, if someone tries to steal your phone, the device immediately alerts you, and since its sound is between 100-110 decibels, no matter if you are at a festival or in a crowded place, you will undoubtedly perceive if someone tries to steal your phone. Of course, 100% protection is not guaranteed especially if your phone is in your bag. And of course, the alarm does not sound forever. But if the battery is full, the device will send the GPS information to the application that you can see from other electronic devices, too.

During the process of production, the inventors took into consideration three aspects:

• to create a case that protects the device, that is safe and is aesthetically pleasing for the eyes
• to create a tool that immediately alerts the owner when the phone gets stolen
• and to match the standards of Apple.

The reason why the brand Apple was chosen is a practical decision since based on statistics, this is the brand which is the victim of most thefts. The youngsters did not think about producing the pieces in China due to financial reasons. As they report, “if we worked with Chinese partners, the process of production would be longer, and if there were problems with the quality, we would lose much time with contacting the partners and transporting the new pieces. In the end, production would be more expensive.” Meanwhile, everything can be produced in Hungary in good quality.

How much is it?

Their initial capital was around 4 million forints (13,333 euros), which meanÍt their own savings together with the financial support given by family members and friends.

In 2017, this sum was supplemented with the investment of the Hiventures, altogether with 140 million forints (466,666 euros).

They made the prototype with a 3D printer, but to start the mass production, they would need further equipment and tools costing around 20 million forints (66,667 euros). Therefore, they decided to launch a public campaign to find financial contributors on Indiegogo. During the campaign, the case can be purchased at early bird price. If you are interested in the invention that might mean a breakthrough in our lives, check it out here.

Featured image: facebook/The Safeskin

Source: forbes.hu