A case maker company called Mophie is promising to make your iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus into a modular phone through a new product called Hold Force. This means that, through the accessory, the handset can be transformed into a more powerful device or one that has additional capabilities.
The idea is somewhat akin to what people have seen in Android phones such as the LG G5 or the more recent Moto Mods. It works through a magnet outfitted into the case, which allows additional module to be attached to the iPhone's rear. For example, there is the case of the PowerStation Plus Mini battery, which can charge the phone through a dedicated switch-tip connector.
There are also modules that change the phone into a folio or into one capable of holding credit cards. The list is bound to expand as Mophie is said to be in the process of building new modules such as a car mount.
There is no word yet if Hold Force will be able to support more sophisticated modules such as the addition of a headphone jack, with the absence of this feature leaving a great number of iPhone 7 owners dissatisfied. This, however, might be difficult to achieve because Mophie is not using a slot system. A separate connector dongle such as the one that comes with the battery pack would solve this issue but it will not make the experience as seamless as one would probably like.
Mophie could perhaps take inspiration from the Fuze Case to get around the challenge. The case is plugged in directly into the iPhone 7's lightning port and the user could then have 3.5 mm audio and Lightning ports so one can charge and listen to music at the same time.
The limitations of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus seem to be spawning new businesses that seek to build on products that address them. Aside from Mophie and Fuze, for example, there is also a dongle called iLDock, which allows users to plug a headphone jack and the charging cable at the same time. Otterbox's uniVERSE case system is also offering similar value proposition with its own snap-in modules. The product has beaten Hand Force's entry to the market and could, therefore, boast of a longer list of modules. For example, there are available memory expansion and camera lens modules for Universe.
The base Hand Force case system retails for $40 while available modules range from $20 to $60.
