CES: A wallet for your phone

By Kelli B. Grant

Virtual wallets may be the be the next big thing, but until that takes off, more case-makers are adding physical wallet capabilities.

Kelli B. Grant

The CardNinja, which launched in late fall, is an adhesive sleeve that can be fixed to the back of any cellphone case, say its makers. The $20 case is capable of holding a combination of cash, cards and ID, as needed. It’s a great way to carry exactly what you need, says Odysseas Papadimitriou, chief executive of CardHub.com.

Pretty securely, too. We made CardNinja partner Sunder Jambunathan vigorously shake his phone upside down for 20 seconds of video footage. Nothing fell out. The contents slide out fairly easily when you need them to, though. The sleeve is also securely fixed to your case, with a double-sided adhesive, he says.

The bigger concern for consumers may be losing their phone, sleeve included. Mobile security firm Lookout, which tracks lost phones, reported its users worldwide lost (and recovered) some 9 million smartphones in 2011. People are more apt to have their phones out, playing with them, than they are to be fiddling with their wallet, says Papadimitriou. “The last thing you want to do is increase the risk that now you’ve not only lost your phone, but your driver’s license and credit cards as well,” he says. Consumers would need to be more mindful about phone safety.

Senior consumer reporter and “Deal of Day” columnist Kelli B. Grant travels to Las Vegas to find the best, the worst, and the most hyped gadgets at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show. Join her as she roams the exhibit floor for three days, with dispatches here and on Twitter @kelligrant.