If you’ve spent any time on TikTok or Instagram in the last year, you’ve probably noticed something: Rhode is everywhere. What started as Hailey Bieber’s minimalist, glossy-skin beauty brand has quickly become one of the most influential players in the skincare space—and, unexpectedly, one of the most tech-adjacent beauty brands out there. Rhode phone case

Now, to be clear: Rhode isn’t building microcurrent devices, AI skin diagnostics, or LED masks. They’re not trying to compete with beauty-tech giants like Foreo or CurrentBody. That’s not their playground.

But Rhode is doing something arguably just as interesting: they’re blending beauty with modern tech culture—the way we use our phones, the way we shop online, and the way we carry beauty with us everywhere. And nowhere is that clearer than in their viral smartphone cases.

So today, let’s unpack Rhode’s soft yet very real connection to tech—and why their phone case might actually be one of the smartest (and most misunderstood) beauty-meets-tech products of 2025.

Why Rhode Has Suddenly Become a “Tech Conversation”

You can roll your eyes and say, “It’s lip gloss. How is that tech?”
Fair question—but Rhode lives in the same cultural ecosystem as consumer tech:

• It’s a digital-first brand.
• It scaled through data-driven e-commerce.
• It taps into modern phone habits and on-the-go usage.
• It creates accessories designed around smartphones—the most important “tech device” in our daily lives.

This is what makes Rhode interesting. It’s part beauty, part lifestyle design, and part subtle tech integration.

And nowhere does this come together more clearly than with that product…

Let’s Talk About the Rhode Phone Case—Because It’s Actually Kinda Genius

If we’re being honest, the Rhode phone case is one of the most argued-about beauty products online:

• Some people call it brilliant.
• Others call it useless.
• Some say it’s impractical.
• And others say it’s the best beauty accessory they’ve ever bought.

But here’s the twist: this one little phone case quietly positioned Rhode as a lifestyle-tech-beauty hybrid brand.

Think about what it actually does:

1. It merges your phone (your most-used device) with your beauty routine.

Your phone is always with you. Your lip balm? Not always.
Rhode basically said: “Cool, let’s fix that.”

2. It solves a real-world problem in a very Gen Z/Millennial way.

Dry lips + busy day = constant search through bags and pockets.
The lip attachment solves that in the simplest, most frictionless way possible.

3. It works because of modern consumer behavior.

We check our phones hundreds of times a day.
Rhode’s logic: every time you reach for your phone, your lip product is literally attached.

It’s the kind of tiny design decision that only works in 2025 — a world where your phone is practically an extension of your hand.

4. It upgrades a beauty product into a daily utility.

Instead of being “a lip treatment,” Rhode’s Peptide Lip Treatment becomes part of your on-the-go tech kit—right next to your earbuds and MagSafe wallet.

In a world obsessed with convenience, Rhode created a micro-innovation that feels… surprisingly future-thinking.

5. It blends fashion, tech, and beauty in one object.

It’s not a tech device.
It’s not a beauty tool.
It’s not an accessory.

It’s everything at once.
And that’s exactly why it broke the internet.

Rhode has actually built a full little ecosystem around its phone cases, and each version adds something slightly different to this beauty-meets-tech moment. Instead of being one viral accessory, the Lip Case now exists in three distinct formats that all revolve around the same idea: your lip product should be as easy to reach as your phone. The lineup looks like this:

1. Lip Case
   The original Rhode design: a silicone, bubble-style phone case with a silky, soft-touch finish and a puffy back that makes gripping your phone comfortable and secure. It keeps your Peptide Lip Treatment or Tint right on hand and is compatible with select iPhone models. On November 28th, Rhode is launching a limited-edition black version for iPhone models 14 through 17, along with the classic grey version arriving for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. Price is $38.
2. Snap-On Lip Case with MagSafe 
   This is the tech-forward option. A reimagined version of the Lip Case built for the MagSafe era, it’s compact, lightweight, and snaps effortlessly on and off any MagSafe-compatible iPhone or case. You get the lip holder convenience without replacing your entire phone case—just click it on, click it off, and go. Price is $46.
3. Snap-On Lip Case with MagSafe (additional colorways) 
   A second wave of the MagSafe design is available in additional color options, offering the same snap-on functionality and compatibility with Rhode’s Peptide Lip Treatment or Tint. The price is $46.

And because Rhode knows how people love a good bundle moment, you can pair any Lip Case with a Peptide Lip Treatment or Tint and save 10%. Three versions, three different ways to carry your lip product, and one idea: beauty should fit seamlessly into the tech we already use every day.

Rhode’s Phone Case Is a Perfect Snapshot of the New “Soft Tech” Beauty Trend

Beauty-tech has traditionally meant hardware: LED masks, microcurrent wands, smart mirrors, apps, AI skin scans. Heavy stuff.

Rhode’s approach is different:

It’s “soft tech” — lifestyle tech, design tech, everyday tech.

No circuits.
No Bluetooth.
No AI.

Just pure, clever integration with the object we use more than anything else: our phone.

This kind of beauty-meets-tech design is becoming a real trend. Think:

• Glossier phone grips
• K-beauty cushion compacts with built-in mirrors and chargers
• Skincare lines that design products specifically for the “work from phone” lifestyle
• Makeup brands building AR try-on tools for social apps

Rhode isn’t trying to be a tech company—but it is responding to tech-driven behaviors.

Rhode Is Also a Digital-First Beauty Brand—and That Counts as Tech Too

Beyond the phone case, Rhode succeeds because it understands digital consumer culture.

Rhode scales through data.

After joining the e.l.f. Beauty group, the brand leaned heavily into digital insights, trend analytics, community behavior, and personalization.
It’s not flashy tech—but it’s very real backend tech that fuels growth.

Rhode is built for the social era.

Minimalism, glossy aesthetics, perfect textures, viral packaging—it’s all “made for the feed.”

This is modern, tech-influenced brand building.

Rhode’s drops and launches use tech-style hype cycles.

They operate like a gadget brand:

• waitlists
• timed drops
• limited colors
• rapid iteration
• community-driven feedback loops

It’s giving “iPhone launch energy,” but for skin glaze.

Even the formulations are science-driven.

No, it’s not biotech.
But Rhode leans heavily into:

• clinical claims
• dermatologist partnerships
• ingredient science
• measurable results

In the modern beauty landscape, “science-backed” is its own version of tech credibility.

So… Is Rhode a Tech Brand? No. But Is It Playing in Tech Culture? Absolutely.

Rhode sits in a really interesting space between beauty, lifestyle, and tech:

• It uses digital culture to scale.
• It designs products around smartphone habits.
• It taps into convenience and mobility—two major tech-world values.
• It treats beauty products like lifestyle gadgets.
• And the phone case? That’s basically a beauty accessory built on tech infrastructure.

In a world where the lines between categories are blurring—fashion, tech, beauty, lifestyle, wellness—Rhode feels perfectly tuned to the moment.

Why This Matters (and Why Rhode’s Case Is More Than Just a Case)

Rhode’s phone case is important because it highlights a shift happening across beauty:

Beauty is becoming portable, integrated, and device-adjacent.

Instead of at-home machines, consumers want:

• tiny conveniences
• frictionless design
• tech-friendly accessories
• products that fit into the lifestyle they already live

Rhode understood that early.
That’s why the case wasn’t a gimmick—it was a signal.

Final Thoughts: Rhode Is the Future of Beauty’s Soft-Tech Moment

The beauty world usually changes slowly.
But the tech world? It moves fast.

Rhode sits somewhere in the middle—borrowing the speed, agility, and digital thinking of tech to create a beauty brand that feels modern, minimal, and culturally plugged-in.

And yes, the phone case is the star of that story.

It’s simple.
It’s cute.
It’s practical.
It’s viral.

And most importantly:
It’s the clearest example of how beauty brands can meet consumers exactly where they already are—phone in hand, lip balm ready, life on the move.