Dockcase Selfix Phone Case: A $129 Selfie Solution That Misses the Mark

The Dockcase Selfix phone case sounds brilliant on paper: a case for the iPhone 17 Pro that adds a circular screen on the back, letting you frame selfies using your phone's superior rear cameras instead of the front-facing camera. In reality, it's a $129 lesson in why good ideas don't always make good products.

The concept makes sense. While the iPhone 17 series improved its front-facing camera, the rear cameras still deliver better low-light performance, more convincing portrait mode, and features like slow-motion video that the selfie camera can't match. The Selfix case attempts to bridge this gap with a 1.6-inch circular display that mirrors your main screen.

But the execution is deeply flawed. The most immediate problem is size — this case transforms your sleek iPhone 17 Pro into an unwieldy brick. Even accounting for the built-in microSD card slot (which does support 4K video recording to UHS-I, Class 10, U3, and V30 standard cards), the bulk feels excessive for what you're getting.

Worse, the Selfix fails at its primary job: helping you frame better selfies. The circular 1.6-inch screen crops out significant portions of your rectangular camera preview, and chunky bezels shrink the usable viewing area even further. You're essentially looking through a paper towel tube, still guessing whether your shot is properly framed — hardly an improvement over using your phone's regular screen.

The pricing structure raises additional red flags. While Kickstarter backers can snag the Selfix case for $79, the full retail price jumps to $129. That's a steep premium for a case that makes your phone bulkier while delivering questionable improvements to your selfie game. For context, you could buy a quality traditional case and invest the remaining money in photo editing apps or lighting accessories that would deliver more meaningful improvements to your self-portraits.

The iPhone 17 Pro already takes excellent selfies in good lighting conditions, and the rear camera advantages — while real — may not justify the compromises this case demands. The circular screen's limitations mean you're still doing guesswork, just with extra bulk and a significantly lighter wallet.

For a product specifically designed to improve selfies, the Selfix case introduces more problems than it solves. The poor framing experience, excessive bulk, and high price point make it difficult to recommend, even to selfie enthusiasts who might benefit from rear camera features.

Sources

• The Verge: I wish this selfie phone case was better for selfies