Absolute Technology says the Linkase can bolster Wi-Fi reception by 50 percent.Cellphone cases are designed to provide protection, but Absolute Technology thinks they should offer something more: better Wi-Fi reception.
The company recently introduced Linkase, a $50 cellphone case for the iPhone 5 that uses electromagnetic waveguide technology to enhance the Wi-Fi signal.
When a smartphone is being used, the hand blocks the phone's internal antenna, restricting its capacity. Absolute claims that the sliding antenna in the Linkase resonates with the device's antenna to bolster Wi-Fi reception up to 50 percent.
The Wi-Fi network at my office is surprisingly weak, so I thought it would make a good testing ground. Arriving at the office on a Friday, I slipped the case on my iPhone and extended the antenna. After a moment, the bars on the Wi-Fi icon jumped to four from three. Internet radio worked well and posting photos on Facebook was quick, but when I tried streaming video, the service was spotty.
So I downloaded an app from Speedtest that checks the strength of Wi-Fi and cellular networks. The app recorded a significant improvement in the upload and download speeds of the network in the office, but nowhere near the 50 percent increase that Absolute boasts. Thinking heavy traffic during the work week might affect the results, I returned on a Sunday morning to try again, but the numbers were about the same.
The Linkase comes in five colors, but the simple design is a little bland when you consider other options on the market. I used a white case, but it started to turn ashy after picking up too many smudges. The case is made of a durable polycarbonate material that felt stiff and cheap and made it difficult to access the phone's buttons.
The Linkase does increase Wi-Fi reception, but it seems as though Absolute paid a lot of attention to the technology and not enough to the design.
A version of this article appeared in print on 05/16/2013, on page B11 of the NewYork edition with the headline: A Cellphone Case Designed to Help With Wi-Fi Reception.