Poppy is an iPhone accessory that looks like a cross between a set of binoculars and the View-Master toys designed for children. Poppy morphs the iPhone into a 3D image viewer and camera, which can be used to capture 3D videos and photos.

The device itself functions similarly to a View-Master, with two eyepieces to look through and a top slot where the iPhone is inserted. When the iPhone is firmly in place, Poppy can be used to record 3D photos and videos and view the 3D content that others have created via YouTube.

poppy
Poppy is capable of viewing YouTube's entire catalog of 3D content, and according to the creators, 3D content on Poppy looks much better than with traditional 3D glasses.

There are no electronics inside Poppy, which instead uses a system of mirrors to record two stereoscopic images through the iPhone's camera, which are then combined into one 3D image or video.

Poppy works with iPhone 4, 4S, iPhone 5 and the fifth generation iPod Touch. You put your phone in and Poppy's mirrors capture two stereographic images using your iPhone's single camera.

When you look in the viewfinder, Poppy's lenses combine the two video streams into a single, crisp, 3D video. It's beautiful, and really hard to describe or show in two dimensions.

It doesn’t need batteries and there are no electronics. It's just optics and your iPhone's camera and screen, so we can keep the price low without sacrificing quality.


While Poppy will come with a dedicated iOS app, any standard camera or video app (including Vine) will work with Poppy. Interested backers can get a single Poppy for $49, while a $59 Poppy Plus set provides a neck strap and a microfiber bag. Poppy is estimated to ship in December 2013.

Top Rated Comments

tommyminahan Avatar
163 months ago
Reminds me of one of these things
Image (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xqxoJYtQB48/UYbKnDj05hI/AAAAAAAABus/G3HwYvSFBaA/s200/view+master.jpg)

Hence the VERY FIRST SENTENCE...
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
boshii Avatar
163 months ago
Reminds me of one of these things
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
0098386 Avatar
163 months ago
Even though the 3DS cameras are very low res, I find myself looking more through my 3DS photos than my iPhoto or SLR ones (once processed). Maybe I'm a sucker for 3D.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nagromme Avatar
163 months ago
3D is cool.

3D recording and playback for $49? Even better.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
claud9999 Avatar
163 months ago
Heard of the Hasbro My3D?

Available from Amazon for < $8US (but note that I don't believe the iPhone 5 fits in the My3D). But nice that they have optics for taking pics/videos.

http://www.hasbro.com/hasbromy3d/en_US/
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
apfeljonas Avatar
163 months ago
And best of all, you can look like an utter moron for just $49!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
Photos App Icon Liquid Glass

John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief

Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs. On his blog Daring Fireball,...
ive and altman

Jony Ive's OpenAI Device Barred From Using 'io' Name

Friday December 5, 2025 6:22 am PST by
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports. iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Release Candidates to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
iphone air camera

iPhone Air's Resale Value Has Dropped Dramatically, Data Shows

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:27 am PST by
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch. According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air....
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

iPhone 17 Pro Lost a Camera Feature Pro Models Have Had Since 2020

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:18 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020. If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to...
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...