Akiba Spill] "PhoneSoap," a charging case that sterilizes smartphones, is now on sale.

Akiba Koho" is an irregular column introducing PC parts and digital gadgets that the Akiba Research Institute staff found interesting during interviews.

PhoneSoap, " a case that sterilizes smartphones, is now on sale at the Jan-gle Akihabara flagship store.

PhoneSoap" uses two UV lights mounted inside the case to sterilize smartphones. It can also be used to sterilize music players and smartwatches, as long as they can fit inside the case.

The UV light used is a short-wavelength type called UV-C, which has strong power to destroy nucleic acids in cells and sterilizes bacteria by cutting their DNA. The sterilization time is about 5 minutes.

T he case also has a USB port, which can be charged while sterilizing by using the included micro USB cable or the Lightning cable (sold separately). Power is supplied by the included AC adapter.

Smartphones are carried around with you all the time, and you may be surprised at how dirty they get without you noticing. If you have ever accidentally taken your smartphone into the bathroom to play games or send e-mails (I have too...), you may want to consider purchasing this product.

The price is 15,984 yen (tax included).