It may not seem like it to the average person, but we take our smartphones through some of the nastiest places: public restrooms, kitchens, airports, you name it. Luckily with the PhoneSoap 3, you can clean your phone from dirty, harmful germs even you can’t see.
Considered to be a “Smartphone Sanitizer”, the PhoneSoap 3 is the third edition of the popular UV sanitizer we previously reviewed. With most smartphones being water-resistant, yes you could run your phone under water for a second to get rid of a bit of mud or grime, but that’s not truly sanitizing your device. The PhoneSoap 3 will clean your device through its ultraviolet light, but you will still have to give it a wipe down — I suggest using a lightly damp washcloth, not rinsing the entire device underwater before adding it to the PhoneSoap’s chamber.
Some consider your smartphone to be dirtier than an average toilet seat, and the PhoneSoap 3 is made to simply insert your device in (similar to the previous models), and it will completely kill 99.99% of all harmful bacteria. Not only does it do this, but it will actually go about charging your phone while sanitizing it, a new trick that adds a lot of value.
The build quality of the PhoneSoap 3 does lack a little bit, but for $60, I honestly wasn’t expecting it to be made of some durable aluminum. The body of the PhoneSoap 3 is made to fit all a range of devices including those as large as the Pixel 3XL or iPhone XS Max, so if you have anything smaller it will certainly work. This is coming a long way from the original model that couldn’t handle my iPhone 6 Plus at the time.
What the device does lack is a physical on and off button, instead, it opts for just closure of the chamber door. If the door is not closed, the process simply will not begin. There are two ultraviolet lights on the length of the PhoneSoap 3 as well as on the top to show that it is powered on, but there’s no timer or way of showing that the device is finished (or in progress) until you wait roughly ten minutes. It’s not the most entertaining thing to watch but it’s certainly not as bad as watching paint dry.
My wife figured that if it could sanitize a phone, then it would surely be able to do the same for other items of its size like credit cards, keys, and other daily items you tend to have on your person. Now I suggest you to avoid putting a credit card (or any card) under a UV light for what could potentially demagnetize it. We tried our house keys and even though they looked essentially the same as it did when we placed it in there, we’re taking PhoneSoap’s word for it in regards to making things less filthy to touch.
One piece of advice that I learned from PhoneSoap is to take your device out of the case before you place it into the chamber. This avoids any reaction that could ruin the case, especially those leather and plastic versions. Now I guess the question you’re asking yourself is: Do you need a PhoneSoap 3? No. Could you just wash your hands when you leave the restroom and NOT bring the phone with you? Absolutely. But we know you won’t. So if you do handle your phone while in the restroom, or if you’ve ever placed it the sink, or dropped it in your dog’s food bowl, the PhoneSoap is there to get rid of the things that could typically get you sick. That alone is worth $60, but again, it’s your money to spend.
If you’re interested in the PhoneSoap 3, you can preorder it for $59.95; head over to their site for more information and to preorder.
Source: Manufacturer supplied review unit
What I Like: The peace of mind having a clean phone even when I can’t see the filthiness my device picks up
What Needs Improvement: It’s not really an improvement but it’s certainly a novelty piece that you probably won’t use as much as you should
