TurtleCell, a new protective iPhone case containing retractable earbuds, will be available for pre-order starting next Tuesday, the company has announced.
The product, which debuted at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, allows users to extend the earbuds to their desired length, and then click a button to retract them when they’re finished listening — no unplugging or coiling involved.
Plus, it has a protective case, with a “subtle texture combined with a sleek pattern [to] provid[e] an enhanced grip without sacrificing pocketability,” according to a press release.
The company, based in Ann Arbor, Mich., was founded by grads of the University of Michigan and Michigan State University. Cofounder Paul Schrems got the idea for TurtleCell when he found himself spending his entire walks between classes attempting to untangle his earbud headphones.
“As a group of audiophiles, we were challenged to meet our own expectations for both sound and aesthetics. After years of development we have something that is truly unique, functional and sexy,” Mr. Schrems said in the release.
We’re not sure if we’d use the word “sexy” to describe anything named TurtleCell, but we have to admit, using retractable headphones sounds a lot more appealing than attempting to extract a wadded-up mat of wires from the bottom of your purse.
Unfortunately, they still kinda suck for people like us, whose ears for some reason are too shallow to properly harbor earbuds. We still have to wear the cheap over-the-head plastic ones, like they gave you on airplanes in 1996.
Pre-orders for TurtleCell will be available for $39.95 — $10 off the full retail price — on the company’s website. They’ll be delivered to customers in October.
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