Review: Hands-On With The Torso Charging Cable

We’ve posted about Torso here on Techaeris before, and I’ve been lucky enough to get some serious hands on time with a pre-production model of the Kickstarter funded charging cable. This pocket sized, bendable cable redefines what a charge and sync cable can be. Keep reading to see how it handles some day-to-day duties.

I’ve had the Torso in my hands for about a week now, and I’ve found it does quite a lot very well! The construction is solid, and the legs stay in place when bent. I found that it wasn’t quite as easy to get the legs into the exact shape needed as the Kickstarter video made it seem, but I’ve also only just started playing with the Torso. I’m much better with it now than I was initially, so I’m sure there’s just a bit of a learning curve for the devices you’ll use with Torso.

I was able to re-create all of the different “positions” described on Kickstarter pretty easily, some with a few small adjustments. Here are a few highlights:

– Ultra-portable mode: I adapted this mode for the USB drive on my work desktop. The legs provided a stronger base, and my Nexus 5 was held quite securely.

The only problem I had with this setup was with my old Galaxy Nexus (I had to break it out to take some of these pictures). Since the micro-usb port faces the other way, it would be quite a bit more difficult to interact with that phone in this setup.

– Tripod mode: I was honestly a bit leery about Tripod mode at first. I wasn’t sure how stable it could be while holding a phone. Some of that had more to do with my initial bending issues; though even after getting the Torso bent in a stable manner, I’m not sure how long I’d want to leave my phone propped up this way. It’s fine for a quick shot or when you’ll be in the immediate vicinity, but I definitely wouldn’t use tripod mode outdoors, or in any high-traffic areas.

– Widescreen mode: I was quite happy with Widescreen mode. It works very well as a phone stand, though with some slight modifications from the Kickstarter video. I found that I had to bend the tips of the legs up slightly or else my phone would slide right off. After that small change, Widescreen mode worked like a champ.

I even managed to come up with one that is not seen on the Kickstarter video. I’ve taken to calling it Quick-Stash Mode: Kind of nerdy, yeah…but the Torso does slip nicely onto your shirt if necessary. I don’t really ever foresee myself using Quick-Stash Mode again, but it’s nice to know it’s there if you need it! Alternate title – Torso-Torso.

Overall, I’m a fan of the Torso charging cable, and I’m glad that I backed them on Kickstarter! I’ve found that it can take some time to get the legs back to their neutral position after bending, but that’s hardly a deal-breaker. The Torso is still a small, portable, charging, syncing, shape-shifting, phone-stand dynamo. I’m sure there are still uses and positions out there that people are yet to discover.

For anybody that’s interested, there’s still 9 days left to back them and get a Torso. They’re already fully funded, so the last days of the Kickstarter won’t induce any anxiety or panic to worried backers. Just click on over and pledge today!

Torso will be available in Micro-usb (as tested here, $17), as well as 30-pin Apple (for iPod and older iPhones, $19) and Lightning connectors ($23 for early-bird – only a few left – or $25).

[kickstarter url=http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1171859847/torso-amazing-ultra-portable-cables-for-iphone-and width=480]