Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Why I Over-Engineered The Bottom Of The BulletTrain SAFE Wallet For Durability...


Why I Over-Engineered The Bottom Of The
BulletTrain SAFE Wallet For Durability


Some customers have asked the question of whether or not, at the bottom of the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet, where the headphone jack and Lightning cable slide in, if the hole is big enough to accommodate the standard White Apple Headset with a 3.5MM jack, as well as the standard White Apple USB to Lighting cable that both come standard with every iPhone 5? The answer is yes!!!


The photo above shows the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet with the standard Apple Lightning cable and Headphones in front of a BulletTrain SAFE Wallet for iPhone 5/5s. The photo below shows the same standard Apple made cables plugged into the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet for iPhone 5/5s.



I designed the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet headphone jack and Lightning openings to perfectly accommodate the standard Apple Headphone and Lightning cable as seen in the photo above. 

I did not make the openings any larger for several important reasons. First, and foremost, I wanted to preserve and maintain as much structural integrity as possible, so that if you drop your BulletTrain SAFE Wallet, it will be as sturdy and protective as possible. Secondly, in order for the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet to work properly, the hollow-core wallet door needs to stay square, and won't work properly if the case were to easily flex. 

Thirdly, almost all third-party Lightning adapters are not Apple Certified with the "Made for iPhone" certification on their retail package. There have been numerous reports that these counterfeit Lightning adapters can cause adverse effects, like instability of current causing battery failure, or even worse, destroying and bricking an iPhone so it is beyond economical repair. This is included in Apple's troubleshooting procedures for power and charging related issues for the iPhone 5 family. Also, it has been widely reported, that imitation Lighting cables have an EXTREMELY high  failure rate, which leaves the end-user with no warranty recourse.

The BulletTrain SAFE Wallet is the only hard-shelled case made that is unibody, and seamless. This makes it much easier to install and remove your iPhone 5/5s due to the increased structural integrity the SAFE offers. This makes installing and removing your iPhone very easy and fast, and unlike many other case which flex, it does not feel like you need to use pliers to remove your iPhone.


The iPhone 5 is really skinny, so it does not leave much room for mass, when you have large openings located at the bottom. Many iPhone cases have oversized openings at the bottom, but if you drop them the wrong way, they will easily crack, and as the designer of the the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet I wanted to do everything I could to reinforce bottom.

The photo below is of a competitors product, which I will not mention by name, but they attempted to create an oversized opening on their iPhone 4 case to accommodate larger aftermarket 30 pin connectors, and this is the result. Once again, I want to reiterate this in NOT a BulletTrain product, and it perfectly illustrates why I chose to reinforce the bottom of the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet, instead of weakening it, to accommodate aftermarket jacks and cables.



3.5 MM Headphone Adapter Solutions

We are working on developing our own 3.5MM Adapter that will allow you to use ANY aftertermarket headset with the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet, but for now there are many aftermarket solutions that will help you overcome this challenge. The 3.5MM Male to 3.5MM female adapter pictured below is made by iLuv and it is called the Connect and Control, Remote Control Adapter. 


The iLuv Connect and Control, Remote Control Adapter pictured above and below works with iPad and iPod, and iPhones and not only allows you to use Headphones with a 3.5MM headphone jack, but also features a set of buttons that include Volume Up, Volume Down, Play/Pause, and can Skip Tracks backward or forward. It also allows you to press and hold the center button to hear the title of the song, as well as the name of the artist. It even allows you to switch playlists! 

I have tested the iLuv and it works perfectly with the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet, and it only costs $7 on Amazon, and it also qualifies for free 2 day Amazon Prime Shipping. It also comes in black and white. Click here to view the iLuv adapter on Amazon.



I have not had a chance to test the Belkin Headphone Adapter seen below, but I think it should also work with the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet.




This Belkin adapter is also available on Amazon for $17 with free Amazon Free Shipping. As I mentioned, I have not had a chance to test it, but when I do, I will confirm it works.

A Kickstarer supporter discovered this 3.5MM Stereo Headphone Adapter Extension which he said fits and works with the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet and only costs $4, and can be purchased through iGearUSA.

BulletTrain SAFE Wallet Compatible Headphones
These Headphones Do NOT Require An Adapter

Below is a list of all headphones we know of that fit and work with the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet, and do NOT require an adapter. This list is compiled from our own examination as well as from customers who have written in to help us improve this list.

• Apple Standard White Earbuds
• Any Wireless Bluetooth Headphones
• Beats Headphones by Dr. Dre
• Sennheiser MX980
• Skull Headphones
• Sony MDR-10RNC
• Yurbuds




10 comments:

  1. What you think about beautiful phone with attractive Earmuff Headphones. Just visit powermuff.com and choose matching with your mobile colors.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi. What about Lightning to 30-pin adapter? I think that won't fit because it is slightly bigger than normal Lightning connector.

    Is the case sturdy enought that I can shave little extra around the connector base to have it fit with Lightning to 30-pin adapter?

    Reason to use that is because it's only way to use iPhone5 in the car.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi GNIC,

    I understand your challenge. I believe you are correct in your assumption, and I will look into it to learn how much larger the Lightning to 30 pin adapter is.

    I think you likely could shave off extra material, but doing so would not only void your warranty, but also weaken the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet.

    Can't you use bluetooth to connect your iPhone 5 to your car stereo?

    Cheers!!!
    Jake

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi. (it's GNLC :))

    Yes I can use bluetooth but I because I have fixed mount on my car it would be better for me.
    Luckily I can change the cable to normal Lightning cable so I can keep charging phone.

    I'm using this: Brodit Holder for Cable Attachment

    Btw if I order now when I could expect you to ship the case?
    And what about the Series 2 case? Would that come this year or should I just get the Series 1 version?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Jake,
    Will an adhesive screen protector affect the iPhone fit within the case?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi. I just purchased one of the 3.5MM Stereo Headphone Adapter Extensions that you mentioned. I can confirm that it does technically fit into the headphone jack. However, it has to be forced in and out. The hole is just a hair too small. It adds a visible bump to the top of the case above the headphone jack. YMMV but I don't feel comfortable using this adapter.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hmm. I don't much care about the headphone jack, but the opening for the lightning cable might be a deal breaker for me.

    I have a tendency not to keep up with one cable if I take it several places. As such, I have three cables - one stays at home, one stays in the car, and one goes to work with me in my bag.

    Apple's white cables are very expensive. I also find that Apple's cables are easily damaged in a purse or my work bag (I had my iPhone barely four months before I replaced the first Apple lightning cable). So, two of my cables are aftermarket cables, which will not fit into that opening.

    It looks to me as though making that opening a rectangle, rather than an oval, would give you the ability to make the opening bigger. But I'm guessing that these cases are already in production and it's too late for such changes for now.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Christy,

    The best thing about Apple's cables is that they are covered by a year limited hardware warranty, and are DESIGNED by Apple to work with your iPhone 5/5s. The power regulating chip in the Lightning cable is a specifically designed chip, and third-party manufacturers have had great difficulty replicating this chip. That's why you may have heard about a limited number of iPhone batteries exploding since the iPhone 5 came out :)

    Apple really does make the best option, and at $19 for a 1m cable and $29 for a 2m cable, it's really quite competitive in price when you consider the warranty and the fact that Apple designed it to function with the iPhone 5/5s perfectly.

    Thanks!
    -Alex

    ReplyDelete
  9. Need some assistance and a recommendation for a 3.5mm Headphone Adapter jack that will work. My noise cancelling Bose headset wont fit into the BulletTrain Safewallet as you know. So I purchased the adapter you recommend on your site above but now the Bose head set wont work because the adapter you recommend has a volume control that trumps the built in controls on the Bose headset - which also means the answering of phone calls now does not work using the Bose headset. SO I NEED AN ADAPTER THAT FITS your case and DOES NOT have any volume or controls on it - just a straight adapter. I have purchased 2 I THOUGHT would fit but yet again they are to fat to fit in the hole on the Safewallet. Need a recommendation before I waste an more money

    ReplyDelete
  10. I would have bought one of these cases by now if it would work with my third party lightning power adapters. But having to buy expensive Apple adapters for all the many places I like to charge my phone would be a problem for me. If you ever find a way to make the case strong enough while also accommodating third party power adapters, I'd be interested.

    ReplyDelete

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