I have used a number of phone cases in the past, yet they all seemed to lack something special. I’ve now realized that while they may have all had good durability, they lacked what is really important in a phone case, edibility.
This is why Mariko, a middle aged woman from Japan, decided to create a smartphone case made from rice crackers. The case is called the Survival Senbei iPhone 5 Case, and its goal is in its name. To help you survive. If you get lost in the woods or get pinned down by debris during an earthquake, you may not always have food with you. You will, however, have your phone with you. This is what drew Mariko to the rational conclusion of making the rice cracker cases.
One case costs just under $50 or 3800 yen and can be ordered online from Mariko’s website. Shipping can take up to a month due to the hand-crafted nature of the case. Mariko explains, “I can make about three good ones a day.”
Unfortunately, the case itself isn’t very durable. The website outlines the chance of the case breaking in different situations.
Before arrival: 9%
Affixing to iPhone 5: 76%
Using touch screen: 18%
Touched by friend: 81%
Turning up the volume: 50%
Connecting to PC: 54%
When the user is upset or annoyed: 65%
Putting in pocket: 89%
When dropped: 120%
While I’m still unsure as to whether Mariko and her product are serious or not, if the $50 cost for the case seems a bit steep, I suggest buying a $3 dollar pack of rice crackers and throwing a few in your pocket along with a caseless iPhone as a cheap alternative.
Several other pictures of the case can be found in this Japanese food news article.
