A new Silicon Valley startup has developed a smartphone case that's similar to strapping an Amazon Kindle to your iPhone. The company is called Popslate, and its new case is called Popslate for iPhone 6.

It's no secret that people use their smartphones a lot throughout the day, and in doing so, they rapidly drain battery life. The $129 Popslate case for iPhone 6 (and soon iPhone 6 Plus) aims to change all that while also reducing the number of times you wake your smartphone for information. The case, which is available in either white or black, essentially slaps on E Ink display on the back of your iPhone.

An E Ink display is a specific proprietary type of electronic paper, which among other things, enables you to read in a variety of lighting conditions. It is also capable of lasting long periods of time without needing to be recharged. Amazon's series of Kindle e-book readers sometimes feature E Ink displays, for instance, and they are widely known (and renowned) for their impressive battery life.

Popslate for iPhone 6 is like a second screen in that it features an E Ink plastic screen that can display everything from images to apps on the back of your iPhone. It communicates via Bluetooth in order present data pulled from the photo gallery on your iPhone or even Instagram. You can display things like your favourite pictures, a boarding pass, a daily schedule, or even a to-do list.

Popslate has describe its case as shatter- and crack-proof and always-on, so you'll be able to glance at your phone at any time of day, whether in the office or while hiking, in order to quickly get access to information without putting your smartphone at risk or draining battery life. That last bit is key. Viewing those things would typically require waking your iPhone, but Popslate fixes that.

Popslate won’t drain your phone battery because it uses no power to hold an image and very little power to change an image. It also draws what little power it requires from an on-board battery (not the phone's battery), which that lasts up to a week on a single charge. The only downside to Popslate is that it will only store up to eight images at a time, and you have to manually cycle through them.

popslate is a new phone case that adds a kindle like second screen to your iphone 6 image 2
Popslate

Popslate is promising to expand functionality over time via over-the-air updates. If any of that interests you, Popslate for iPhone 6 can be ordered through the Popslate website for $129.