Trends driven in part by social media towards retro cameras have made vintage-inspired cameras harder to find – but an upcoming modular smartphone case could soon give the iPhone that coveted look. While phone cases that look like old cameras aren’t difficult to find, the China-based brand Fotorgear is crafting a case that not only makes an iPhone look like a retro camera but function like one too.
The Fotorgear Retro Photography Kit is a case designed for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, with a version for older iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max cameras in the works. The case takes inspiration from the vintage aesthetic and wraps the smartphone in a metal-textured frame with a leather-like wrap.
But, what makes the Fotorgear Retro Photography Kit unusual is that it’s actually a modular kit that adds physical controls to the smartphone – in other words, it’s not just for looks. The base kit will give the iPhone that old-school look, but users can also slide in another grip to the bottom to give the thin iPhone a more camera-like grip.
At the top of the case, the kit can also add what the company is calling the Retro Bar, which adds physical camera controls. The bar communicates with the iPhone through Bluetooth, enabling the case to add two knobs, a physical shutter, a zoom toggle and a cold shoe slot.
Using the FotorGear Camera App, those physical controls can be customized to control different camera settings including exposure compensation and switching digital color filters.
The case’s enclosure around the iPhone camera is built with magnets, making the case compatible with FotorGear’s square filters or with 67mm circular filters using a magnetic adapter. The case is also compatible with the brand’s T-mount lenses, to add external optics, and also looks to be compatible with a magnetic ring stand.
I tried out camera-like smartphone cases several years ago as the industry shifted away from point-and-shoots and towards smartphone cameras. I wasn’t impressed with the early models at the time – beyond the Bluetooth connection introducing lag, they just didn’t feel like a camera. A case can change some of how a smartphone feels, but it isn’t going to completely change it into the feel of a dedicated camera.
The Fotorgear Retro Photography Kit hasn’t officially been launched yet, but I’m intrigued by the mix of physical controls, filter compatibility, and that retro look. I personally don’t look at the case and want to replace a compact camera, as I think there’s something to the separation between a smartphone and a real camera to record memories without distractions.
But could a case elevate those snapshots I grab with my iPhone when I can’t reach for a dedicated camera? Could a retro case be the next best thing to those pricey retro compact cameras? Without actually feeling the case's ergonomics and trying out those Bluetooth-connected controls, it’s hard to say. But the announcement has at the very least piqued my interest.
The company expects pre-orders of the FotorGear Retro Photography kit for the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max to begin shipping March 18. The kit lists for $249 (approximately £193 / AU$394) with a pre-order discount bringing the price down to $199 (£154 / AU$315.
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