This crazy case makes your iPhone feel like a OnePlus 2, but it also holds a secret

By Andy Boxall December 1, 2015

Tired of the same smooth-feeling rear panel on your iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S? Do you enviously caress the sandpapery textured OnePlus 2 whenever one happens to be nearby? If that’s you, then OnePlus has the solution — an official OnePlus Sandstone Case for Apple’s regular sized iPhone.

For just $20/£16 the startup smartphone manufacturer will sell you a case that gives your iPhone that same sandpaper cover made popular — sort of — by the OnePlus One and OnePlus 2. Made from polycarbonate, it adds texture, grip, and protection to the delicate iPhone, along with a cheeky OnePlus logo right in the center.

Recommended Videos

Why has OnePlus decided to start making cases for other phones? Like many of the company’s crazier ideas, it’s all a fun marketing ploy. This time, hidden inside the box is an invitation to buy the new OnePlus X, its latest smartphone that ironically abandons the sandpaper body for one constructed entirely from glass and metal.

While some will jump on the case just hearing this news, there’s another reason to be even more excited about it; because there’s a chance the invite will be for the limited edition OnePlus X Ceramic. Inside it may be the same as the OnePlus X Onyx, but outside the Ceramic’s panel are made from a different material, making the phone standout alongside the standard glass Onyx model. There are only 10,000 being made, so it’s truly limited. Finally, the invite may even offer a very select few a OnePlus X for free.

If all that’s worth splashing out $20 for, regardless of whether you own an iPhone or not, you’ll need to be quick. OnePlus only has a limited amount of cases for sale and once they’re gone, we doubt it’ll be bringing them back anytime soon. The Sandstone case is listed as in stock and ready for delivery over at OnePlus’s website right now.

Topics

Senior Mobile Writer

Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…

Mobile

I’ll be furious if the iPhone 15 Pro doesn’t get this one feature

A black iPhone 14 Pro lying on a table.

It’s peak summer season, but that also means we’re getting closer to Apple’s fall event in September. This is typically when we expect the next generation of iPhones and Apple Watches.

This year, we’re expecting the iPhone 15 lineup, which should include the standard iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max. On top of that, it’s safe to say that we should also see the Apple Watch Series 9, but whether we’re getting a second-generation Apple Watch Ultra is still up in the air. And new AirPods? Who knows! Regardless, it will be exciting and jam-packed with a ton of new products.

Mobile

This $600 Android phone has one big advantage over the iPhone

Two people holding the Fairphone 4 showing off the phone's rear side.

After nearly two years of wondering if it'll ever be sold officially in the U.S., the Fairphone 4 — a smartphone that hangs its hat on its repairable design — has finally launched in North America. With the evergrowing issue of e-waste, it's nice to see a company that's focused on following sustainable practices that allow users to fix their phones themselves instead of the all-too-common problem of having to throw out your iPhone and buy a new one when small issues occur.

Take note that the U.S. release of the Fairphone 4 is actually a variant called the Murena Fairphone 4, which differs from the base device with its Android-based operating system /e/OS.

Mobile

I’ve used an iPhone for 14 years. The Pixel Fold made me want to stop

Google Pixel Fold in Obsidian open on Pixar Pier portrait mode.

When Steve Jobs took the stage on January 9, 2007, to unveil the original iPhone, everyone was amazed at the little piece of technology he held in his hand. Then in June 2007, people could buy and get their hands on the very first iPhone — and the scope of the cell phone industry changed forever.

I personally didn't get the original iPhone on launch day, believe it or not. Instead, I received it as a birthday present in 2008 (my very first Apple product), but my clumsy self eventually dropped it on cement four months later, and the screen shattered. But instead of getting it fixed, I figured I might as well just get the iPhone 3G since it was just a few weeks away from release.