Sunday, September 10, 2023

BulletTrain SAFE Wallet Update for June 16, 2024


BulletTrain SAFE Wallet 


Update for June 16, 2023


Many concerned customers have been writing in asking why BulletTrain has been so slow with updated models? We were underway on the design of the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet for the iPhone 15 family, then something unexpected occurred. We moved our production from China to the U.S. several years ago, and we found a great home with a great company in the U.S. 

I had a meeting with my project manager who owned part of the manufacturing company we had been working with for years, and he sat me down and said, "After 28 years, I am leaving the company. I don't think it will be easy for you continue on with the existing management, but I wish you the best."

It would be an understatement to say I was completely traumatized to learn this, as our project manager, who owned part of the company had assured me he would not be retiring for many years to come. I have been trying to work with the existing management, but it appears like I might have to switch companies, which would slow down things even further, but I by no means have given up.

As soon as I know more, I will post another update.



Update for September 10, 2023


iPhone 15 SAFE WALLET Roadmap

We were underway on the design of the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet for the iPhone 15 family. We definitely planned to make a model for the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and maybe for the Plus, but I am leaning away from doing one for the 15 Pro and 15, as they are not selling nearly as well as the 15 Pro Max and 15 Plus. I haven't made up my mind yet, once I do I will post an update. We are moving as quickly as we can to get to market, and hope to be in production on the 15 models within 3 months.

We are also working on an enhancement to the camera area to give it even more protection—assuming that is possible. Also, we are working on an interesting solution for the new multi-function mute replacement button.

We have been working on dialing in the colors which has been far more complicated than I would like. This has slowed down things but we are on it. I am blown away with how cool the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet looks in different colors as this option adds a whole new dimension.

In the front row, on the left we see our classic BulletTrain colors of Ruby Red, Polar White, BulletTrain Blue and Stealth Black. On the right we see three new colors named Milk Chocolate, Butterscotch, and Electric Tangerine. Electric Tangerine is like a Lambo Gold color so it really pops. Behind we see two more metallic colors which include Tahitian Blue, and RainForest Green. We also see Perfect Pink and Royal Purple.

Our next step we are working on now is to create SAFE BUTTONS in all these same colors, as well as matching hollow core wallet doors. Below we see a few assembled prototype BulletTrain SAFE Wallet models.





BulletTrain SAFE Wallet 


Update for July 26, 2023


I want to share an update with you about BulletTrain in general. Several years ago we decided to move production from China to the United States. I thought doing so would be relatively easy, but as it turns out, it was pretty complicated. 

The great news is we finally completed the transfer and are moving full speed ahead in the United States, which is going well. I thought I would share the image below which shows the first BulletTrain SAFE Wallet case body production prototypes made in the U.S. in different colors.

We plan to keep producing all CLASSIC BulletTrain products the following colors:

    -Ruby Red (Pictured Above)

    -Polar White (Pictured Above)

    -BulletTrain Blue 

    -Stealth Black. 


I am experimenting with adding some fun FASHION colors, which are all pictured above:

    -Royal Purple

    -Metallic Tangerine, which is like Lambo Orange

    -Metallic Tahitian Blue

    -Metallic Rainforest Green

    -Hot Pink


All the colors above will likely be produced as an option for our SAFE BUTTONs, which include the Volume Up/Down button, as well as the Power Button and new Lanyard Quick Disconnect. I am also contemplating creating entire BulletTrain SAFE Wallet models in some of these colors.

Also, I am experimenting with creating an Italianate color combo BulletTrain SAFE Wallet designed to look like more like a traditional brown leather wallet which includes:

    -Dark Chocolate Brown

    -Toffee Tan (Pictured Above)


Over the next few months you will see many updates to BulletTrain, including an updated website and product range. Thanks for your continues patience and I am certain the best is yet to come!!!

Thursday, February 9, 2023

First Review of BulletTrain SAFE Wallet for iPhone 14 Pro Max


The first BulletTrain customer to receive a production prototype of our BulletTrain SAFE Wallet for iPhone 14 Pro Max loves it and wrote this:





BulletTrain's SAFE Wallet for iPhone 14 Pro Max is both a work of art and an essential daily carry I can't live without, now that I have it! I've used previous-generation SAFE Wallets over many years and BulletTrain has clearly evolved the design in subtle yet brilliant ways. 

The materials just feel nicer than ever, great in your hand, and the protection level has increased to the point where I have zero concerns if I drop my phone (embarrassing disclosure: yes, I'm a "dropper," and I need this peace of mind). The addition of the SAFE Leash is a great touch, crucial  for taking extreme sports photography or to ensure one doesn't lose an overboard iPhone while on a boat. 

The ability to extend and retract the SAFE Leash's attachment point is clever and I don't recall anything like this ingenuity in an iPhone accessory until now. The door's ability to act as a stand, and the ability to hold multiple plastic cards in a stealthy manner, are several of the features I've always loved about the SAFE Wallet. I'm so glad I have the new generation SAFE Wallet and look forward to seeing other BulletTrain fans using them out in the wild!

- Matthew Tower


Thursday, January 12, 2023

SAFE WALLET for iPhone 14, 13 & 12 Models Future Roadmap



January 12, 2023 Update


SAFE WALLET  


for iPhone 14 Models


This is a major update filled with a great deal of fascinating new information! We recently completed the first production prototypes for the SAFE WALLET family for ALL iPhone 14 models, which include the iPhone 14, 14 PRO, 14 Plus and 14 PRO MAX, and in the first photo below we see the SAFE WALLET for 14, 14 PRO and 14 PLUS.



The 1st generation injection-molded production prototypes came out almost perfect in every way. We have some small tweaks to make, but they all fit and function perfectly.

SAFE WALLET 14, 14 PRO, 14 PLUS & 14 PRO MAX Production Prototypes pictured above.

So what does this mean, and most importantly when will you be able to buy one? 

If you are interested in our early adopter program you MIGHT be able to purchase a SAFE WALLET 14 production prototype model NOW!!! We don't have many, and they are being offered on a first-come-first-served basis. 

Just send an email to Help @ BulletTrain.com, and tell us which model you want. We will respond and let you know if they are available. The production prototypes are almost identical to the final production models, and both will cost $149, which includes free domestic shipping. 

We expect to begin offering the regular production SAFE WALLET models for iPhone 12, 13 and 14 on BulletTrain.com late in February 2023, available for immediate delivery in black only.

$149 makes the SAFE WALLET one of the most expensive iPhone cases available today and there are many reason why, including the fact that SAFE WALLETs are now being made in the United States, and also you get what you pay for. 

In my experience, the SAFE WALLET is unequivocally the best smart phone case made on earth. The new 4th Generation SAFE WALLET models are literally indestructible as they are made entirely from TPU and come with a LIFETIME WARRANTY against manufacturing defects. In other words, they are built-to-last.

If you look at our competition, there really is not any. Why? This is due to our Patented design and Utility Patent. 

Think about this: Many manufactures offer a zillion different cases. They make a wallet case, a case with a stand. A case that is highly protective. A case with a lanyard. You get the idea. At BulletTrain we ONLY make one case, which has EVERY FEATURE most users could ever desire, including a wallet that can hold up to 6 credit cards!

Below is a photo that shows the Botton of the the SAFE WALLET 14 models pictured above.




The new 4th Generation SAFE WALLET models are revolutionary in many ways (4th Generation includes all iPhone 12, 13 and 14 models). First and foremost, they are now made entirely from TPU, which means they are indestructible, and will come standard with a lifetime warranty against manufacture defects. Since they are all TPU now, the can't crack or be broken. Also, they features a revolutionary new feature I have been working on for developing for ten years, named "THE SAFE LEASH Quick Disconnect" which is pictured below. 




Essentially, the SAFE LEASH Quick Disconnect, when not in use is completely flush with he back of the case as seen in the two photos above. 

If you grab it and pull it away from the SAFE WALLET it will extend out like a drawer handle to the open position where you can easily attach our SAFE LEASH which you would use for attaching your SAFE WALLET to many things including your wrist, or waistband or belt loop.

For instance, if you were taking photos from a precarious position, like dangling off the Golden Gate Bridge, you could use our optional SAFE LEASH pictured above to take that perfect photo. I took the photo below in Hawaii, with my phone dangling off the 30th floor, where if I had dropped it I would for certain have lost and destroyed my phone, but since I had the SAFE LEASH it make me 100% confident I could not drop or lose it.



I also use my BulletTrain SAFE LEASH when I go snowboarding—on the chairlift, attached to my parka—so if I were to drop my phone by mistake it would prevent me from losing it…and you can also attach the opposite end of the SAFE LEASH to a belt loop or waistband to make it pick-pocket proof, which is ideal when traveling. 



Last, but not least, our new quick disconnect can accommodate our upcoming SAFE PURSE Strap for women. In the photos below you can see a customer testing a SAFE PURSE Strap prototype, which have also been tested thoroughly by many SAFE WALLET beta testers and early adopters to critical acclaim. The SAFE PURSE allows a woman to conveniently wear her SAFE WALLET next to her hip, so she can leave the house without a physical purse. 



Having a SAFE WALLET attached to adjustable SAFE PURSE Stop keeps your phone at your side at all time, which makes it really easy to text, take photos or talk on the phone—without having to remove the cross body purse strap. 



The SAFE PURSE Strap will come standard with a quick disconnect accessory for attaching your car or house keys as seen above and below.



In the photos below you can see me testing SAFE PURSE prototypes. If you look closely at the photo on the left you can see the included Key Quick Disconnect accessory. Once we formally launch this product there will be much more information, but we plan to offer multiple styles of SAFE PURSE and SAFE LEASH for $29 with free domestic shipping in the United States.



If all goes as planned, we hope to begin offering all four of our iPhone 14 SAFE WALLET models (only in black color) for sale on BulletTrain.com in February of 2023, and we might offer a pre-order option beginning in a several weeks.



How To Get A 


SAFE WALLET  


iPhone 12, 13 or 14 Model


As Soon As Possible


Pictured above from left to right, 1st Production Prototypes for 

BulletTrain SAFE WALLET 13 Mini, SAFE WALLET 12 PRO, 

SAFE WALLET 13 Pro & SAFE WALLET 13 PRO MAX.


Many customers have been writing-in, asking when they will be able to purchase a SAFE WALLET for their iPhone 12, 13 for 14 models?

We have been selling customers injection-molded Stealth Black production prototypes of our upcoming BulletTrain SAFE Wallet models for the entire iPhone 12 and 13 family of models, and so far they absolutely LOVE them!!!! These prototypes are extremely similar to what the final production models will be like in every way.

If you are interested in purchasing one (while supplies last) the price is $129. When we launch the production models on BulletTrain.com in a few weeks, the price will jump up to $149 which will include free domestic shipping.

This $129 price includes free domestic shipping via USPS, and the only color we are currently offering is Stealth Black with your choice of Ruby Red, Polar White, BulletTrain Blue or Stealth Black SAFE BUTTONS.

The all-new BulletTrain SAFE Wallet 4th Generation models are amazing in so many ways, including the fact they are completely indestructible and can’t be broken!

If you are interested in obtaining a SAFE WALLET for and iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Plus or iPhone 14 PRO MAX, please send us an email and let us know which model you seek and we will let you know if they are available.


U.S. Orders

If you are located in the United States and are interested in obtaining a BulletTrain SAFE WALLET for your iPhone 12 or iPhone 13 sooner than later please follow these instructions:

Step 1: Send $129 via PayPal to Sales@BulletTrain.com.

Step 2Send an email to Help@BulletTrain.com confirming you sent the $129 via PayPal. Include your iPhone Model choice, NAME, shipping address, your SAFE BUTTON color preference of Ruby Red, Polar White, BulletTrain Blue or Stealth Black.

Upon receiving your email and payment we will respond to confirm your order. All sales of Production Prototypes are final and are NOT returnable.



ALL INTERNATIONAL Orders

If you are located outside of the United States and are interested in obtaining a BulletTrain SAFE WALLET for your iPhone 12 or iPhone 13 sooner than later please follow these instructions:

Step 1Send $199 via PayPal to ($129 for the SAFE WALLET and $70 for International shipping via DHL) to Sales@BulletTrain.com.

Note: For International orders we only ship via DHL which usually takes around 5 days to reach all international destinations, and we charge $70 for this service.

Step 2Send an email to Help@BulletTrain.com confirming you sent the $199 via PayPal. Include your iPhone Model choice, NAME, shipping address, your SAFE BUTTON color preference of Ruby Red, Polar White, BulletTrain Blue or Stealth Black.

Upon receiving your email and payment we will respond to confirm your order. All sales of Production Prototypes are final and are NOT returnable.


Future Ordering on BulletTrain.com

If all goes as planned, we plan to have production models available for sale for the entire iPhone 12 and 13 SAFE WALLET models on BulletTrain.com available for immediate deliver (Only in Black) on around the beginning of September. We plan to offer them in all colors, probably around November, 2022.

Cheers!

Jake :-)

 

----------End of September 6, 2022 Update----------


UPDATED Future Roadmap 






We recently finalized our SAFE WALLET for iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 production model plan and in the graphic below we show the four all-new 4th Generation "BulletProof Series" SAFE WALLET Models we intend to release, along with their release dates:





• SAFE WALLET 13 Pro Max model will be 100% backwards compatible with the iPhone 12 Pro Max

• SAFE WALLET 13 Pro model will fit and be 100% compatible with the iPhone 13.

• SAFE WALLET 13 MINI model will be 100% backwards compatible with the iPhone 12 MINI

• SAFE WALLET 12 Pro model will perfectly fit and work with the iPhone 12.
 
We are not accepting pre-orders, but if you have purchased a BulletTrain product in the past or if you signed up for our mailing list you will be the first to know when we release the new models. If you have not signed up for our email list you can do so by scrolling down to the bottom of our homepage.




First Customer Reviews

We have been testing SAFE WALLET 12 & 13 production prototypes with some long time loyal customers and they are ALL madly in LOVE with their 4th generation BulletTrain SAFE Wallets!

Here are several early reviews:

This first review is from Donald L. who lives in Tennessee. He sent in a photo (seen below) and said:


        "I was working from a ladder on my sons lifted truck using the iPhone flashlight- it dropped down through the engine bay onto the concrete.  I was comforted by the soft sound of the impact and when I crawled underneath & retrieved it, sure enough, the Safe Wallet had protected it. No cracks & no marks whatsoever. Thanks for creating this thing. I love it!"

Next up is from Matthew Taylor who is one of the first BulletTrain customers from back in 2010. Matthew is VERY picky, and equally clumsy which makes him a superb beta tester. Matthew said:

        "Congratulations on the development of this 4th generation BulletTrain SAFE Wallet, which is AMAZING!!!! You now have the best smartphone case money can buy, and I am so happy as I never have to worry about damaging my iPhone 13 Pro Max, and since this next generation SAFE WALLET is so indestructible, I never have to worry about damaging it either!! I LOVE THIS THING, and I am certain everybody else will as well. I am really glad you stuck it out and brought this perfect design to life!"

Next we hear from Angie H., who lives in Utah who is also a long-time user of BulletTrain SAFE Wallets. Angie said:
 
        "Just thought I would check in with ya, I am loving this case so very much it’s amazing!!!  Best design for a wallet case ever!"


Last up is a quote from our plastic engineer who has been using SAFE WALLETS from Day 1.
 
        "I love the new generation of SAFE WALLETS. They are perfect now in every way. Also, when we originally engineered the SAFE WALLET the goal was to have it comfortably hold the thickness of 5 credit cards, but since most credit cards no longer have the raised brail numbers I can fit 6 cards. This thing is awesome!!!"






Inside Story

About a year and a half ago I made the decision to move production from China to the U.S.A. which was something I wanted to do for a long time—for many different reasons.

We are now just starting to produce the first BulletTrain products in the United States and it is going well. It's not easy, but much better.

We started working on the fourth generation SAFE WALLET several years ago and the goal was to take the SAFE WALLET to the next level by making it literally indestructible. The great news is we figured out how to do so. The challenge is mass-producing them and building the tools is very complicated, expensive and time-consuming. 

Trust me when I tell you there is a definite reason why nobody has ever figured out what we did, and that is how to make one model of wallet case that is unequivocally the best smartphone case ever made! The reality is: good things take time...

The first model we made production tooling for was the SAFE WALLET 12 Pro Max, and just when we were close to having it complete Apple announced the iPhone 13 family!?!!

The photos below show our first injection molded production prototype for our SAFE WALLET 12 Pro Max and it is some kind of wonderful!






Since there are many similarities between the iPhone 12 & iPhone 13 models we figured out how to create hybrid SAFE WALLETS that can accommodate both which I outline below.





SAFE WALLET 

13 PRO MAX

Our SAFE WALLET 13 Pro Max will perfectly fit and work with the iPhone 12 Pro Max as illustrated below. 




The only difference is since the camera base turret on the 13 PRO MAX is larger (left), there will be a little extra space around the camera if you put a 12 Pro Max (right) in our 13 Pro Max case as seen in the photo below. Just to be crystal-clear the photos below are of a 3D printed version of our SAFE WALLET 13 PRO MAX case with both the 13 PRO MAX and 12 PRO MAX installed. 


It is worth noting Apple increased not only the height and width of the camera turret base, but also the depth, not to mention they also increased the height of the cameras. In response, we beefed up the camera corner bumper protection on ALL four new models listed above and below...





SAFE WALLET 

13 MINI

Same thing with our SAFE WALLET 13 MINI model. If you put in an iPhone 12 MINI it will fit and work perfectly, but it will have some extra space around the camera turret as seen below on the right.




We were able to create hybrid SAFE WALLET models for both cases mentioned above since all the buttons have not moved very much. The renders below show our original design for our SAFE WALLET 12 MNI, which has now been modified to accommodate the larger iPhone 13 MINI camera turret base, but this gives you an idea of what to expect.






Upcoming SAFE WALLET 13 & 12 Mini pictured above and below

 






SAFE WALLET 

13 PRO

With the iPhone 13 and 13 Pro models Apple significantly moved the buttons (from the iPhone 12 Models) and made larger camera turrets. Thus, we will offer our SAFE WALLET 13 Pro (left) model which will fit and work with the iPhone 13 as seen below on the right. Since the iPhone 13 camera turret is smaller, like with the other models mentioned above there will be extra space around the camera. 




Below we see our 13 PRO SAFE WALLET on the left with an iPhone 13 installed, and on the right we see it with a standard iPhone 13.







SAFE WALLET 

12 PRO

We will be offering a dedicated SAFE WALLET 12 Pro case which will perfectly fit the iPhone 12 as both of these models share identical dimensions as seen below. 



The photo below shows an iPhone 12 PRO installed in our BulletTrain SAFE WALLET 13 PRO Wallet Case and we see that Apple significantly lowered the position of the Volume UP and Volume Down buttons as well as the Mute switch, which explains why we can't make a hybrid case the way we can with the 13 PRO MAX and 13 MINI.


As delineated on the ETA Timeframe graphic located near the top of this story we will have ALL models initially offered in Black, then a few months later will offer them in many different colors.

Regarding the iPhone 11 family of models we are still on the fence and have not committed to bringing them to market. I would say we likely will NOT make 11 models since we are so late to market, but who knows.

On a really positive note, I have been testing production prototypes of our BulletTrain SAFE WALLET for iPhone 12 Pro Max as have some BulletTrain Beta testers and so far they are nothing shorts of AMAZING! As the designer I realize it is a pain to have to wait so long, but I am certain when we come out with the new models you will LOVE them!!! 



The Best iPhone Wallet Case

Is About To Get Even Better


So why name the 4th generation of SAFE WALLET 'The BulletProof Series'? In the past, the first 3 generations of SAFE WALLET were made with Polycarbonate which is hard plastic. The first and third generation (current) SAFE WALLET models featured TPU bumper systems. TPU is the acronym for Thermoplastic PolyUrethane.  

We are making the 4th Generation SAFE WALLET entirely from a proprietary TPU material we developed in-house which offers the following advantages:

  • Increased comfort and rubber-like grip with soft-touch feel coupled with increased abrasion resistance.
  • Superb impact strength which is completely SHATTERPROOF.
  • Unaffected by oil and grease and other solvents (examples: hand oils, moisturizers, sunblock)
  • Highly scratch resistant self-healing surface.

The BulletProof series features ribbing on both sides which makes the SAFE WALLET even more grippy and slip-proof, while giving it a sportier vibe.

In the photo below we see the BulletTrain SAFE WALLET for iPhone 12 Pro Max standing upright in portrait with its built-in 'MagicStand' portrait dock feature which allows you to charge the phone using a MagSafe charger (Not pictured). The new hollow-core wallet door design now features dual tapered ramps for making installing your cards super-easy and smooth. Also, we made the BulletTrain SAFE WALLET logo and the Made In U.S.A. branding on the face of the door super low-key so it is almost invisible, as we believe our iconic design personifies and embodies our trademark BulletTrain brand...



In the two photos below we see the BulletTrain SAFE WALLET 12 Pro Max standing up on a flat surface in landscape video watching mode which is ultra-stable.



The fourth-generation SAFE WALLET features a MagicStand locking cleat channel that allows the user to stand-up the case in 2 different landscape positions for watching video content using any kind of card that fits in the hollow-core wallet door. In the example below we see a credit card locked in landscape. If the user were to rotate the card 90 degrees from landscape to portrait it would increase the slant angle, which would be ideal if viewing from a lower trajectory. This design characteristic allows the SAFE WALLET to stand-up on any flat surface in an ultra stable manner.



BulletTrain invented and patented the high-capacity stealth iPhone wallet case category and have always been the best wallet case. With the advent of the fourth generation SAFE WALLET we now make unequivocally the best smartphone case on earth!!!

This is the result of many thousands of hours of passionate research, design, engineering and listening carefully to invaluable customer-feedback. When you look at all the top-selling iPhone case brands, they make something like 50 different cases for each iPhone model!?!! At BulletTrain we only make ONE model that has ALL the best features a user could want!



Go Keyless

Tesla recently showed off their all-new refreshed 2021 Model S and X, which feature a wireless phone key which utilizes Bluetooth to unlock/lock and start the vehicle. 



I recently published a super-detailed review of the new Tesla Model S on TeslaMagazine.org which I highly recommend checking out. The image below shows the radically simplified interior of the new Model S Tesla.



My absolute favorite new James-Bond-like-feature in the new Model S and X is the incorporation of the keyless/fobless entry and driving by simply using your bluetooth enabled smartphone or a physical key card to drive. In the image below we see the PHONE KEY option running in the Tesla app on an iPhone in progress. That's right, just walk up to the car, open the door, sit down, and violà!!! Drive as if you have a key fob, or key card in your pocket with ONLY your smartphone...It could not be any easier or more friction-free than this...




The Tesla phone key not only allows you to unlock the doors, but also to drive the car!!! If you have a keyless front door lock on your home and at work you can now fulfill the dream of leaving home with ONLY a SAFE WALLET as your everyday carry. Talk about radically simplifying your life!!!


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