iPhone 3GS and 4 Accessory Review: Xtand from JustMobile

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Do I really need the Xtand so my iPhone looks like a micro-iMac? Nope.

Now that I have been using the Xtand from JustMobile for a few weeks to I see a purpose for it? You bet!

Would I recommend it to others? Indeed I would.

Let me explain why…

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From IntoMobile:

The iconic iPhone stand:

Just Mobile Xtand™ is the elegant way to show off your iPhone 4 and 3GS.

Crafted from high-grade aluminium, the Xtand desktop stand allows you to effortlessly switch between landscape mode and portrait mode for video viewing or caressing your album artwork with Cover?ow.

The die-cut hole in the stand allows you to keep your USB and audio cables in check, while non-slip feet keep the whole thing ?rmly in place. It’s the perfect way to transform the world’s coolest smartphone into the world’s smallest desktop computer.

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Features:

Solid aluminium construction

360-degree rotation

Adjustable viewing angle

Cable management

Non-slip feet

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The Xtand is made from aluminum and comes in two main pieces. The base, which looks like a miniature version of the iMac”s stand, and the X that holds the iPhone in place. (Hence the name Xtand… get it??) The X connects to the base with a metal screw which can be tightened to told position or loosened so the iPhone can be held in either landscape or portrait.

Like the iMac there is a hole in the back brace of the stand which allows cables to pass through and be held in place.

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Four rubber “bumpers” hold the iPhone in the X. The Xtand ships with two sets of bumpers, one for the iPhone 3G/GS and one for the iPhone 4. That way the iPhone is held snuggly regardless of which device you are using. To switch bumpers you simply pull up on them one at a time.

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It is worth noting that the Xtand is intended for naked or skinned iPhone rather than iPhones in any sort of case. Without a case the iPhone is held quite tightly. I have, however, found that I can use the stand just fine when the iPhone is in a case. It just isn’t held entirely between the four prongs.

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As noted previously, the Xtand holds the iPhone in landscape or portrait just fine and, thanks to the thumb-tightening screw beneath it, loosening and tightening the X is simple.

“So what is the point?” you might still be wondering. Well the point is this- prior to getting the Xtand I would normally just lay my iPhone on my desk when I sat down to work. At times it would get covered by papers, or get pushed around and then, when the time came and I needed it, I often had to search for it. In addition, if I am watching anything on my iPhone the Xtand holds it at just the right angle for hands-free viewing. Moreover, now that the iPhone has Bluetooth keyboard support the Xtand is a great way to do a good bit of typing on the device when need be. This is especially neat since many people I know are, like me, keeping a Bluetooth keyboard around for their iPad. Now if you don’t have your iPad with you you can still type just as quickly on the min-iPad… errr iPhone. And finally, I think it look kind of cool. Is “cool” a reason to get it in and of itself? Nope. But refer to reasons one through three.

The Xtand is available from a number of different eTailors.

MSRP: $39.95.

What I Like: Good construction and finish; Works with both iPhone 3GS and 4; holds the device securely in both landscape and portrait; Far more useful than I initially thought

What Needs Improvement: Works less well when there is a case on the iPhone and does not hold it in pace at all in such instances

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About the Author

Dan Cohen
Having a father who was heavily involved in early laser and fiber-optical research, Dan grew up surrounded by technology and gadgets. Dan’s father brought home one of the very first video games when he was young and Dan remembers seeing a “pre-release” touchtone phone. (When he asked his father what the “#” and “*” buttons were his dad said, “Some day, far in the future, we’ll have some use for them.”) Technology seemed to be in Dan’s blood but at some point he took a different path and ended up in the clergy. His passion for technology and gadgets never left him. Dan is married to Raina Goldberg who is also an avid user of Apple products. They live in New Jersey with their golden doodle Nava.

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