iPhone cases have gotten better over time. It’s now easy to find a good, protective case at a reasonable price, from one of many case companies. That being said, it also seems like innovation in cases has come to a grinding halt, as if modern co-molded designs are nearly impossible to improve upon. That may be true for now, but we’re still glad to see anything different when it comes to cases, which is why we appreciate NEBO’s CaseBrite ($40) for iPhone 6 Plus/iPhone 6s Plus. NEBO isn’t an iPhone case company, or even an iOS accessory company — the company is mostly known for its flashlights and tools.
Which hints at the purpose of CaseBrite — it’s a protective case with a powerful built-in flashlight on the back. The flashlight is recharged separately from the case via micro-USB, and CaseBrite comes with a micro-USB Cable. NEBO also makes a 6/6s version of CaseBrite for the same price.
CaseBrite works as a protective case, offering responsive button coverage for the volume and sleep/wake controls, but it’s a bit thicker than most, due to the flashlight. A textured feel on the back of the plastic case gives it added grip.
NEBO claims that CaseBrite’s large, yellow, circular flashlight is “up to 12x brighter than a smart phone light,” and while there’s no way for us to quantify that, we can say the light is much brighter and stronger with a wider coverage area than the iPhone 6s Plus flashlight. It works well to illuminate a dark room, or a small area outdoors — it’s not a narrow, focused beam.
The flashlight is turned on using a power button on the back of the case, which is easy to access and use. Press once to turn on the bright light, or hold it in to dim the light — it can be decreased to 10 percent power. (Once the power bottoms out, holding the button back in will increase the power once more.) A quick double tap initiates strobe light mode. NEBO claims CaseBrite’s flashlight will last for 3 to 24 hours depending on use, and the light should recharge in 3 hours.
While most users may not have an urgent need for a more powerful flashlight at all times, we personally find ourselves using the iPhone’s flashlight quite often, and having a stronger, better, more versatile light is a worthwhile addition to a case. The added bulk probably won’t make CaseBrite a reasonable everyday case for most users, but some may certainly be intrigued.
