iKKO MindOne Snap-In Case Turns a Card-Sized Phone into a Pocket Writer - Yanko Design

"Typing long messages on glass feels clumsy, juggling Bluetooth earbuds means pairing headaches and dead batteries, and using wired headphones now requires a tiny USB-C dongle you will lose three times before accepting defeat. Phones have become powerful but strangely less tactile, and that clashes with people who write a lot, listen a lot, and still like the certainty of a cable and the click of a real key under their thumb."

"The card-sized iKKO is a small AI-centric smartphone built for always-on connectivity and lightweight productivity. The MindOne Snap-In Case is where it changes character, a snap-on expansion shell that adds a physical QWERTY keyboard, a proper 3.5 mm headphone jack, a dedicated DAC, and a small backup battery in one compact piece, turning the minimal phone into a tiny writing and listening machine."

"The case adds a 3.5 mm headphone jack backed by a Cirrus Logic CS43198 DAC, the kind of chip usually found in dedicated portable players. It supports Hi-Res audio with 32-bit/384 kHz PCM and DSD256, low-noise playback, and enough dynamic range to make lossless playlists and long podcasts feel crisp and detailed without worrying about pairing or battery levels in wireless earbuds that will die halfway through the flight."

Touchscreen typing and wireless-earbud management create friction for heavy communicators and listeners who prefer tactile controls and cables. The card-sized MindOne becomes a focused productivity device when paired with a snap-in case that adds a physical QWERTY keyboard, 3.5 mm headphone jack, dedicated DAC, and a small backup battery. Raised, separated keys with a slight slope enable deliberate thumb typing for drafting, idea capture, and editing while on-device AI summarizes and organizes. The Cirrus Logic CS43198 DAC provides Hi-Res support up to 32-bit/384 kHz PCM and DSD256 for low-noise, high-dynamic playback. The 500 mAh backup battery offsets accessory draw and extends comfortable use without adding substantial bulk.

Read at Yanko Design - Modern Industrial Design News