Two members of George Mason University’s Innovation Lab have created a smartphone case designed as a sleeve to wear on the arm in which the phone attaches to the sleeve magnetically.
OnYou is a smartphone case designed by Scott Bauer, a Masters student at Mason, and his business partner Jimmy Rogers. Bauer and Rogers developed the concept for OnYou after Rogers needed an efficient way to carry his phone while riding his bicycle.
“It originated as a homemade solution to an ongoing problem, he glued a magnet to his existing phone case and then we went from there,” Bauer said.
The design of the OnYou phone case differs in many ways from cases already on the market. According to Bauer, there are two things that set this case apart from the rest.
“Accessibility and comfort make the OnYou case more beneficial than other cases. Other cases require the phone to be taken out of the case to use, whereas the magnet on this case allows the phone to easily pull off the sleeve,” Bauer said.
The design is useful for athletes as it provides a convenient and comfortable way to keep the smartphone accessible. Bauer said the compression sleeve design is similar to what NBA players wear.
“The fabric allows it to move with you, with no pressure points. It is breathable which is good for those who carry their smartphone while running or working out,” Bauer said.
Student athletes at Mason have expressed an interest in the phone case as the design provides a way to keep their smartphone with them while working out.
“I think that the OnYou phone case is a great idea for using your smartphone while working out,” said Mason lacrosse player Bre Gillespie. “It keeps your phone in a secure spot while still being able to get to it.”
The accessibility that Gillespie is a fan of is what distinguishes the OnYou case from other similarly designed cases already on the market.
When I work out, I usually have an arm band that I keep my phone in, but it tends to be hard to get to because it is concealed in the case,” Gillespie said.
According to Bauer, the magnet in the case is strong enough to hold the phone, without worrying about it falling off while exercising.
Suzanne Abribat, who runs long distance on the Mason Track team, feels that the magnetic approach of the OnYou phone case is a good idea but only for certain activities.
“The case is a good idea, but I would be afraid of my phone falling off while running. Unless the magnet is very strong and proven not to come apart, I would be weary of using it while running,” said Abribat.
According to Bauer, the magnet is highly tested with 48 pounds of pull and proven to be able to withstand essentially all activities, running included.
Paul Adam, a member of Mason’s Cross-Country team, thinks the phone case should be equipped to withstand the rigorous workouts of a Division One athlete.
“I hope the product will be suitable for the workout of a serious athlete as well as the general, every day workout, I am curious to see how well OnYou works especially for athletes who could be working out hours at a time,” Adam said.
Bauer expects the product to be very well received on the market. At time of publication, the OnYou case’s Kick Starter campaign is completely funded and expected to be available for purchase in March.
Featured image courtesy of MattsMacintoch. Creative Commons License.
