The camera controls on the new iPhone 16 range are Apple's attempt to improve the ergonomics of smartphone photography, but they don't solve the problem of securely gripping those smooth rectangular slabs when framing a shot. Similar to accessories we've seen from companies like Xiaomi, the Snappy adds the grip and buttons of a dedicated camera and offers more device compatibility with its extendable clamp.
Buddiesman, a Chinese tripod and tripod head manufacturer, developed the Snappy and is attempting to crowdfund the smartphone grip via Kickstarter. Retail price is expected to be $149, but early backers can pre-order it for $89.
While Buddiesman may have experience designing and manufacturing camera equipment, its current offerings do not appear to offer any electronic features, so this may be new territory for the company, which could make it difficult to pull off a crowdfunding project.
The more robust grip has its own shutter release button as well as a scroll wheel that can be used to control the zoom of a compatible camera app like Blackmagic's via Bluetooth. The grip can even be removed and used further away from the phone as a wireless remote control.
The Snappy's motorized clamp works with an accelerometer to compensate for unwanted movement, but only offers one degree of rotational stabilization, so it's definitely not an alternative to larger gimbals like DJI's Osmo range. It also allows the smartphone to be switched between portrait and landscape modes at the touch of a button.
Given the Snappy's Bluetooth functionality, motorized suspension, adjustable ring of LED lights, and relatively compact size, our other question besides delivery is what the battery life will be like when the devices become available in November.