Smartphone stands are typically pretty standard fare — simply set your phone on top of it and you’re all set. Sure you can easily see your notifications and access your other smartphone functions, but what if you’re after something a little more fun? Our App Dudes Smartphone Stand review takes a look at a pair of fun smartphone stands that will definitely give your desk or nightstand a touch of Marvel personality.
Specifications
The App Dudes Smartphone Stand has the following features and specifications:
- The App Dudes Smartphone Stand & Free App bring Marvel’s Captain America and Iron Man to life
- Wake up with Captain America or Iron Man using the Alarm Clock feature included in the free App Dudes app
- 50 Animated Phrases including Random, Tilting, Interactive and Alarm Clock Phrases
- Access for charging cable to charge smartphone while it is in the stand
- Compatible with iPhone 7, 6/6S, 5/5S, SE and Samsung Galaxy S5, S6, 6 Edge smartphone models
- Dimensions: roughly 3 x 7 x 8.5 inches
What’s in the box
- App Dudes Smartphone Stand (Captain America or Iron Man)
- Accessory clip for iPhone 5/5S/SE
Design
The App Dudes Smartphone Stands are basically a plastic shell for your smartphone. Each stands roughly 8.5″ high — of which 6″ is the smartphone/face area — and with the arms are about 7″ wide and 3″ in depth. There is a half inch slit in the top to slide your smartphone in, and there is a back channel which allows you to connect your charging cable so you can charge your phone while in use.
When sliding your smartphone into the App Dude, a couple of clips on the back depress slightly and hold your phone snugly in place. There’s no mistaking that these are Iron Man and Captain America smartphone stands, and there is a bit more detail on Captain America due to the overall red colour scheme of Iron Man. The smartphone access area for Iron Man is much larger and most of your smartphone screen will be visible. Captain America, on the other hand, features a much smaller area as the eyes are separated by the bottom of his mask. While it looks cool when your smartphone is being used with it, you might find a bit more difficulty in accessing some of the buttons on Captain America due to the smaller open area.
There’s also an accessory clip for smaller phones like the iPhone 5/5S/SE, and even though the packaging indicates it’s compatible with iPhone 7, 6/6S, 5/5S, SE and Samsung Galaxy S5, S6, 6 Edge smartphone models, it worked with the Moto Z, Moto Z Play, Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X, and the Nexus 5 in our testing. Depending on your smartphone and case, the stand can be pretty tight and tough to slide in and out. The Nexus 6P for example barely fit without any case on it and wouldn’t fit enclosed in my case.
Ease of Use
These smartphone stands couldn’t be easier to use. Simply download the App Dudes app from the App Store or Google Play, start the app, and place your smartphone inside the Iron Man or Captain America stand.
To remove your smartphone, the easiest way is to slide your finger into the back channel and slowly push your phone up. I’d recommend care on this step as when the majority of your smartphone gets past the clips, they tend to quickly eject the smartphone and it’s entirely possible to send your smartphone flying across the room.
Software
The App Dudes software is very straightforward and easy to use. Upon first launching the app, you’re asked to select Iron Man or Captain America (you’ll obviously want to choose the one that matches your stand). Next, you can dive straight into full mode, sleep mode, or set alarms. I would recommend putting your smartphone into the stand at this screen, pressing the settings button, and adjusting the screen. This setting allows you to move Iron Man or Captain America’s face up, down, left, right, and make it larger or smaller.
You can also set the app to say random phrases, set the frequency (15s, 30s, 1m, 2m, 5m, 10m, 30m, or 1 hour), and volume.
Performance
Once you’ve set it up, you’re ready to go. Based on your settings, Iron Man or Captain America will spit out a random phrase from their library of 50 different phrases. Touching the screen on your phone will activate facial animations and a phrase, as does tilting the smartphone stand while your phone is in it. The alarm works as expected, with both characters having a few different “wake up” phrases to get you motivated to get your butt out of bed.
One thing to note. When using the smartphone stand, your phone will stay on the entire time, even in sleep mode — albeit with a dimmed screen. It’s not a huge issue, and it’s obviously intended given the purpose of the smartphone stand, but you’ll probably want to keep it plugged in and charging while using the stand for any length of time.
Given that you are using the app while in the App Dudes Smartphone Stand, it should go without saying that you’re limited to the app itself and won’t be able to access your notification shade or other apps while your phone is in the stand.
Price/Value
Priced at $19.99USD, these are fairly priced for what you get. While it’s really only a plastic shell for your smartphone, the free app adds value as well with its 50 phrases, alarm function, and other capabilities.
Wrap-up
The App Dudes Smartphone Stand will arguably be a bigger hit for kids, but they’re also a fun accessory for any Marvel fun.
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