OhSnap unveils customisable magnetic wallet with a card-fanning lever
OhSnap has released a magnetic lever-action wallet designed to attach to phones using a modular, toolless system. The wallet features a springy lever that fans out cards when pulled, and can be customised to hold three, five, or seven cards, with swappable magnetic plates for accessories like ID holders, work badges, money clips or elastic bands.
The wallet employs a clever compliant mechanism where plastic arms act like springs, preventing cards from falling out accidentally unless the wallet is dropped. The base three-card model costs $61 on Kickstarter or $76 at retail, with the seven-card version adding 127 grams to phone weight. Additional accessories such as ID covers or money clips each cost $35, and the reviewer praised the engineering but concluded the price and weight made it impractical for daily use.
- OhSnap's modular wallet uses clever spring mechanism to secure cards without tools.
- Three-card version costs $61 Kickstarter/$76 retail; seven-card adds 127g to phone.
- Reviewer impressed by design but deterred by price and added weight.
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OhSnap is a company that makes phone accessories. The firm has released a new wallet designed to attach to your phone using magnets, rather than sitting separately in your pocket. When you pull a lever on the wallet, it fans out your cards so you can easily pick the one you need.
The wallet uses a spring system made of plastic arms that keep your cards secure, so they won't spill out unless you drop the phone. You can choose how many cards you want to carry, with versions holding three, five, or seven cards, and you can swap out the magnetic panels to add extras like ID covers, badge holders or money clips.
Phone-attached wallets are becoming more popular as an alternative to carrying separate purses or card holders. OhSnap's lever-action system represents one approach to making these attachments both functional and secure, allowing users to customise the wallet to their specific needs.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
This wallet represents genuine innovation in phone attachment design with its cleverly engineered compliant mechanism and modular customisation system. For users seeking to consolidate their pocket carry or integrate storage directly with their phone, the engineering quality and durability justify the investment, and the flexibility to choose three, five, or seven cards suits different carry philosophies. The precision of the design suggests this is a premium product built to last, making the initial cost reasonable for those who genuinely value innovative carry solutions.
The case against
Whilst the engineering is undeniably clever, the practical realities render this unsuitable for most daily users. At £61-76 for the base model before accessories, it represents a substantial investment for a phone attachment, and adding 127 grams to a device people carry constantly creates noticeable fatigue and ergonomic strain. Most users already possess functional wallets; this product solves no pressing problem urgently enough to justify both the cost and the tangible weight penalty most people would find inconvenient in everyday use.
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Originally published by The Verge as “This toolless modular lever-action wallet is the coolest I’ve stuck to my phone”.