Williams Pelegrin
With CES 2020 right around the corner, Anker is officially getting into the flash accessory business with the iPhone LED Flash. It might seem like a regular flash accessory, but it makes one flex other accessories can’t.
To be clear, the iPhone LED Flash isn’t the first or only flash accessory available—the Lume Cube and LuMee Duo come to mind, for example. Whereas the Lume Cube connects over Bluetooth, the LuMee Duo is a case with a button to turn the flash on and off.
However, none of the pre-existing accessories integrate with Apple’s hardware and software like the iPhone LED Flash does. That’s because it’s the first Made for iPhone (MFi) camera flash accessory.
A little over a week ago, we learned Apple supposedly shared updated specs for the MFi program with various manufacturers. These specs allow for MFi-certified strobe and flash accessories, such as the iPhone LED Flash. We should see similar accessories eventually hit the market, though Anker can lay claim to being first.
According to Anker, the iPhone LED Flash features twice the range and four times the brightness of the flash on the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro. The integrated battery lets you take over 10,000 flash-enabled pictures on a single charge. Because this is an MFi accessory, the iPhone LED Flash features a Lightning port for charging.
Because the iPhone LED Flash plugs into the iPhone, it works with the stock camera app and all third-party camera apps without extra work on your part. You don’t have to use it with your iPhone if you don’t want to—the 0.25-inch ISO mount means it should fit in your camera’s hot shoe.
As a nice bonus, the iPhone LED Flash includes an attachable diffuser. With the diffuser, you can soften and spread the concentrated light from the flash accessory. The result is a more flattering light for your image’s subject.
The iPhone LED Flash launches in January for $49.99.
via The Verge
