Shiftcam Snapgrip: The Ultimate Mobile Photography Mount

Enhancing Your Mobile Shooting Experience

SnapGrip is a compact and ergonomic mobile photography grip that utilizes the iPhone MagSafe system and provides wireless charging via a built-in battery. With a simple strong magnetic snap, the Snapgrip is quick to connect and instantly brings the comfort of a full-size grip including a shutter button for index finger shooting to your phone. A minimal design with portability in mind, the magnetic system lets you quickly switch from landscape to portrait shooting or expand with lighting or mounts.

Form follows function is the main design mantra behind the SnapGrip. Without sacrificing ergonomics and functionality, the designers created an enclosure that holds the key components while minimizing the footprint for improved portability. The internal construction and assembly process became more challenging due to the compact design. The SnapGrip holds your phone in place with magnetic force, and extensive research and development went into finding the correct strength to give users a secure feeling for worry-free shooting.

The SnapGrip measures 11cm(W) x 3.5cm(D) x 8cm(H) and is made from recycled polycarbonate plastic. It features a thermoplastic polyurethane grip element and a magnetic mounting system. The grip contains two PCBs with over 50 components in total and includes a Bluetooth shutter button. The wireless charging capability is 5W and contains one lithium-ion 18650 battery cell with a total capacity of 3200 mAh. The SnapGrip also includes expanding capabilities for an industry-standard cold shoe mount.

The SnapGrip ecosystem is designed to seamlessly integrate into the content creation workflow. Just grip, snap, and shoot. The magnetic system makes the SnapGrip intuitive to use as it automatically snaps into the correct position on your phone. Additional accessories can snap magnetically to the SnapGrip, your phone, or each other. A SnapLight beautifully illuminates your subject, while the SnapPod allows you to frame your shot as a tripod or selfie stick, or simply mount a light. The SnapGrip ecosystem empowers mobile creatives at every stage of their workflow.

The SnapGrip project started in March 2021 with concepting and preliminary engineering. In May 2022, SnapGrip was launched on Kickstarter as ShiftCam's biggest product launch yet, raising over USD 840,000 with more than 6600 backers. With key project management in Hong Kong, design and engineering in the Netherlands, and assembly in China, the production of SnapGrip started in July 2022. The product will officially launch in retail in October 2022.

Reaching out to their existing customer base, the designers created focus groups to learn more about the needs of content creators and their workflow. They realized that mobile creatives are always on the go and in need of a compact, portable ad-hoc shooting system that enhances their phone. What started as just a SnapGrip rapidly evolved into an ecosystem of products that empower users' mobile creative workflow at every stage.

Designing an ecosystem of products during the COVID-19 pandemic presented its challenges. With team members spread out across the globe, effective communication and alignment between all stakeholders without meeting face-to-face became the most challenging task. However, the team overcame these obstacles and created a versatile and innovative mobile photography mount.

The Shiftcam Snapgrip has been recognized for its outstanding design and creativity. It was awarded the Bronze A' Design Award in the Camera and Photography Equipment Design category in 2023. This prestigious award is bestowed upon designs that exhibit strong technical and creative skills and contribute to quality of life improvements, making the world a better place.