We take a closer look at the dotty counterpart to one of the most anticipated smartphones of the year. Meet the HTC Dot View case.
Designing a smarter phone case has become a focus of many key manufacturers when it comes to laying on accessories to adorn their latest top-tier smartphones.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 and LG G2 each had their own take on a case or cover which would protect your phone’s screen, but still allow you to view content. HTC’s approach is slightly different and arguably cooler too.
The Dot View case snaps on to the back of the company’s latest flagship Android smartphone, the HTC One (M8) with a plastic back plate and a rubberised front cover that protects the phone’s display. The kicker is that the front cover is permeated by hundreds of tiny holes (1572 to be exact, we counted), which let light from the phone’s display pass through, even thought it’s covered.
Just like Samsung’s S View covers and LG’s QuickWindow cases, this means that the phone can relay important information such as a caller ID or clock whilst the case protects the entire phone.
The added bonus is that unlike the other two, the Dot View case lets you interact with the whole touch screen area, through the rubberised cover. This means you can pull off various gestures, allowing you the ability to interact with phone calls and voice commands.
As you can see in these pictures, it’s apparent as to some of the functionality the Dot View case gives. You can double tap anywhere on the front to wake the screen, which will relay a retro, 80’s style clock and the current weather on the display. Incoming calls can be rejected by swiping down, or answered by swiping up, and as the front cover is filled with holes, you don’t even need to open it up to take the call.
Calendar reminders appear with start and end times and can be dismissed by swiping down and using the same gesture whilst the screen is off activates voice dialling instead.
Here’s hoping HTC opens up compatibility to the Dot View case beyond messages, emails, calls and calendar entries. We’d love to see what third party could do with this distinctive case; Dot View Snake anyone?
Like the Dot View case? It can be pre-ordered directly from HTC for £34.99 and will come in a range of punchy colour options: Warm Black, Imperial Blue, Orange Popsicle, Atlantis and Baton Rouge.
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