With Apples big announcement yesterday, we should start seeing a flood of new iPhone 5 accessories hit the news. Today, we are presented with the Hitcase. It’s a waterproof, shockproof, wide angle point of view camera case for your iPhone 5 (and 4 / 4s models).
The case keeps the phone functional, allowing access to the headphone jack, touch screen, and buttons. And when paired with the free Videometer App, you get a neat overlay on your video showing you speed, altitude, g-force, and more. Now you have the proof to back up the bragging.
Full details and more images in the press release after the jump.
Press Release:
Vancouver, BC – Sept. 13, 2012 – Hitcase Corp. today announces two new waterproof cases that revolutionize the way you use your iPhone 5 and iPhone 4/4s by transforming it into a ruggedized point of view camera for action sports – the Hitcase and Hitcase Pro. Both feature a patent-pending ShockSeal™ design that protects your iPhone from the elements and shields it from shocks and drops while allowing use of the touch screen, buttons and headphone jack. They also include the Railslide™ Mount System with auto-locking functionality and a one-button trigger release that makes it quick and simple to mount the cases to just about anything. The Hitcase Pro takes things to the next level with a built-in, removable wide angle lens that doubles the effective field of view of your iPhone’s camera to capture professional quality photos and videos.
Both models of Hitcase come with two mounts, including the StickR mount for helmets and other surfaces, and a tripod adapter so that you can mount the cases to any standard 1/4×20 mount. Hitcase lets you use your iPhone without fear in any environment, and is made to be easy to use so you can put your iPhone inside when you need it, and get the phone out quickly when you don’t. Whether you are mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding, surfing, skateboarding, hiking or skydiving, Hitcase helps you capture your adventure, share it and protect your favorite device. Hitcase’s free Vidometer app for iPhone, available now in the App store, adds context and a cool factor to your footage, and helps you defend your bragging rights by overlaying your speed, altitude, G-force and more onto your iPhone videos in real time.
“Hitcase is the only waterproof and shockproof iPhone case that delivers without sacrifices– the screen works, all the buttons work, the headphone jack works, and it’s easy to use. Plus you can get your iPhone in and out of the case in three seconds,” said Hitcase creator and CEO Brooks Bergreen, an avid adventurer and filmmaker who has worked in the camera business and with pro action sports athletes for almost a decade. “We’ve really made Hitcase Pro for ourselves and for people like us. We all had iPhones and didn’t want to always carry around another camera out on the trail, but we needed something that was rugged and had a wide angle view that would do our adventures justice.”
Bergreen came up with the initial concept for Hitcase and fine-tuned the features and design with help from his friends in the pro freeride mountain biking circuit, who emphasized the need for a rugged, easy-to-use solution. He then enlisted a plastics manufacturer that had worked with NASA to create the ShockSeal and other key design elements of the product.
Patent-Pending ShockSeal Design
Hitcase’s resulting ShockSeal design is both simple and rugged. The seal removes easily, so you can strip your case to give it a good cleaning. The back of the iPhone is cradled by a waveform Shockpad that keeps everything in place and secure, protecting your device from drops while tightly pressing it against the protective screen to maintain full texting and touchscreen functionality. The iPhone headphone jack is accessible through the case by simply removing the port plug and plugging in your Apple® headphones. The port plug can be re-inserted to deliver waterproof protection up to 33 feet or 10 meters.
Railslide™ Mount System
The patent-pending Railslide Mount System makes it super easy to mount Hitcase to just about anything with its auto-lock and one-button trigger release. The Railslide slides onto the case, locks into place and attaches to accessories that come with Hitcase including the tripod adapter and 360 StickR mount, a mount anywhere solution that can be affixed to helmets, boards and more. The Railslide also works with all current GoPro® mounting solutions. Several other new Hitcase mounts will be available for purchase in the coming months including heavy-duty motorbike mounts, suction cup mounts, bicycle mounts and more.
Hitcase Pro’s Wide Angle, Two Element Lens
Hitcase Pro’s custom designed, two-element glass lens allows you to capture stunning pictures and videos. The high quality glass optic doubles the effective view of the iPhone lens. Cushioned with foam against your iPhone, the wide angle lens converts to a macro lens for close-up shots underwater or above. The lens is also removable, making it a snap to clean.
Vidometer App
Vidometer, Hitcase’s free iPhone app, records HD video with graphical overlay. Vidometer displays your speed, altitude, G-Force and more on your videos so your friends know it really went down that way. You can watch the live camera feed or play the video back later, export the video with or without the data overlay, and export videos to your iPhone camera roll. The app was downloaded more than two thousand times in less than 24 hours when it launched on iTunes. Check out this video of Vidometer being used on trail in Vancouver’s North Shore Mountains.
The Hitcase and Hitcase Pro for iPhone 4/4s are available now at Hitcase.com for $89.99 and $129.99, respectively, and ship in 30 days. Hitcase and Hitcase Pro for iPhone 5 will be available for purchase in mid-December just in time for the holidays.
