Based upon the success of their original Gorillamobile product, the tripod for cameras, Joby has continued to expand it’s product line to other hand held products. This particular product comes with the traditional Gorillamobile tripod stand and an iPhone case that fits both the iPhone 3G and 3GS. In the case of Joby, the traditional refers to their unusual tripod stand.
Gorillamobile and iPhone Attached to a Baby Carriage
Each of the three legs are 5.9 inches long and are composed of multiple round knobby things that allow you to bend and shape each leg to meet your needs.
Composition of Gorillamobile Tripod Legs
The iPhone case has a nice suede feel to it that makes it easy to grip. It snaps over the back of the phone.
iPhone 3G/3Gs Case Is Included
The product is only available in black. The MSRP is $39.95. I used the Snap Tell app on my iPhone to compare prices and found that most every place was charging the MSRP, except for those that were charging up to $50 or more. Watch out for them.
Using The Product
While this product has numerous benefits I discovered a couple of limitations. The limitations are clearly stated on the web site as well. Most important is that you have to have an object of substance to wrap the legs around so that it will remain firmly held. An example is the baby carriage in the first image in the review. I tried it on the steering wheel of my car, and several other round objects of similar girth. It is impossible to expect it to hold steady around a thin pole of any kind. It is not designed for that use.
A second limitation to just consider is that 5.9 inch legs are not going to put your phone at eye level. That may or may not be a problem for you. I have a two tiered desk and it was perfect when I placed it the second tier, legs straight and watched a movie.
This is a sturdy, well built product. I never for a moment felt that by twisting the legs I was in danger of breaking them. I left the product, containing the case and iPhone wrapped around the stirring wheel of my car for 4 hours and it never moved a inch from where I placed it. There are just so many ways to take advantage of the flexibility it offers.
Do I recommend it?
I do. It is a very good value when you consider you are getting a quality hard-shell case along with the tripod stand. It offers a variety of ways to meet the needs of people who really need their hands free as much as possible. In fact, when I return the iPhone 3GS that I borrowed to test this and give my friend the review unit as a thank you, I am going to turn around and order a Gorillamobile for my iPhone 4. By-the-way, when you visit the Joby web site you can register your e-mail address and get a coupon for $5.00 which you can use immediately.