A few years ago, a startup called Alice Camera promised to put the power of a dedicated camera in the palm of your hand with the everyday convenience of a smartphone. Delays happened, the world changed and the project disappeared into the ether; but the same minds are back with something even better: Caira. Camera Intelligence’s new device attaches to your iPhone like a trusty sidekick and has a Micro Four Thirds sensor four times the size of the one in the current iPhone 17 Pro.
Vishal Kumar, the CEO of Camera Intelligence, knows that solo content creators and small businesses churn out social posts while juggling a dozen other responsibilities. Traditional gear has a steep learning curve that scares off newbies, and editing apps split your attention across screens. Caira is a bridge, clamping onto the back of an iPhone via MagSafe and giving you instant control through a simple app. The shutter is a single button on the body, easy as can be. Underneath that grip is a 5,000mAh battery that promises a full day of use and a mount that works with any Micro Four Thirds lens from Olympus or Panasonic.
- Triple 100W USB-C Ports for Multi-Device: Designed for multitaskers, featuring three USB-C ports each delivering up to 100W, allowing you to power a...
- 25,000mAh for Long-Haul Power: Set off on extended journeys with a huge 25,000mAh capacity that supports your devices through multiple uses, complete...
- Dual Built-In Cables for On-the-Go Use: Equipped with two USB-C cables, one extendable up to 2.3 ft for over 20,000 retractions, and another at 0.98...
For now, the sensor resolution and autofocus speed are unknown, but the real magic is what Caira does with what it captures. It’s powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and Google’s Edge AI accelerator, enabling it to run Nano Banana, a variant of the AI that lives on the device. Speak a command into the app, and watch the magic happen: change daylight to dusk on a city skyline, swap the color of a jacket from corduroy brown to deep maroon or add a necklace to a waterfront portrait, all without any awkward seams.
Kumar calls this “generative editing” – the transition from capture to active reshaping. No more dragging files to the desktop for hours of fussing; simple prompts handle color adjustments, style overhauls and sky replacements seconds after the shot. Voice commands make it even easier – tell Nano Banana to change a hairdo or add delicate jewelry and it does it in one pass, keeping features and forms intact. The effects blend seamlessly, bringing up possibilities you never thought of otherwise.
Caira goes live on Kickstarter October 30th, early birds can get in for $695 with a $50 deposit – full retail is $995 in January 2026. Sign up on their website but as with all crowdfunding: do your research, not all promises are kept.
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