Ask HN: Why don't form-fitting Faraday iPhone cases exist?

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Summary

I've been researching privacy tech and noticed something odd:Camera slider cases exist (Spy-Fy, etc.) - they block physical camera access but offer no signal protection.Faraday bags exist (SLNT, Mission Darkness, etc.) - they block all RF signals but you have to remove your phone from its case and put it in a pouch.But nobody makes a form-fitting iPhone case that integrates both - a case you leave on your phone with a deployable Faraday shield you can toggle on/off without removing the device.I spent some time doing market research and built out a full concept deck I'd be happy to share. The competitive gap seems real: - Current privacy case market: $30-40 camera sliders - Current Faraday bag market: $60-100 pouches - Integrated dual-mode case: Would sit at $149-249The use case seems obvious: people who want on-demand full privacy (cameras + signals) without the friction of removing their phone from a case and putting it in a bag.So my question for the HN community:Why doesn't this exist?Is it: - Engineering impossible? (Can't get proper RF seal with a deployable mechanism?) - Market too niche? (Demand overlap between camera privacy and signal blocking too small?) - Someone tried and failed? - Legal/regulatory issues? - I'm just missing something obvious?I'm not looking to build this (no hardware experience), just genuinely curious why this white space exists.Happy to share the full concept deck and market analysis if anyone's interested in tearing it apart.Thanks!

First seen: 2026-01-31 00:39

Last seen: 2026-01-31 03:39