I have been reviewing products from Just Mobile for years. The company recently released a collection of high-end cases, containers, and holders for iPhones and iPads. The designs further Just Mobile's tradition of making quality aluminum accessories designed with a sleek, Apple-inspired look. This article takes a look at three of these new products to see how well they hold up to my high expectations for the brand.
1. AluCup ($29.95)
The AluCup perplexed me at first, and it wasn't until I actually used it that I discovered what made this cup so interesting. Appearing like a high-end aluminum thermos sawed in half at an angle, the accessory props up your iDevice and has slits on each side designed to hold your power cord. The design aesthetic certainly made my smartphone look more attractive, and it was easier to see my screen as the cup propped it up on my desk.
Its base is stable without having an exaggerated weight, maintaining its sleek design while preserving its trustworthy anti-tipping functionality. As a bonus, you can use the AluCup to hold an iPad Mini, though doing so doesn't offer the nice angle of the iPhone since the iPad Mini is too large to fit in the AluCup's circumference. Instead, the rubber ring lining the top of the cup keeps the iPad Mini from slipping as it rests at a usable, though not ideal, angle. The AluCup is available in four colors: black, red, blue, and yellow.
Overall, the AluCup makes a desk with a charging iPhone or iPad look more attractive and organized compared to a desk sans cup. Using it as an iPad Mini stand is a bit of a stretch, but using it as an iPhone holder is a treat.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
![AluFrame]()
Next up is the AluFrame, Just Mobile's high-end aluminum bumper for the iPhone 5. Protecting the phone's edges while looking like a natural extension or even part of the phone itself. Available in silver or black aluminum, the AluFrame is one of the most expensive iPhone bumpers I have reviewed. Beyond offering protection against unexpected edge bumps and dings, the AluFrame uses a catch mechanism that snaps this edge-protecting case tightly around the outer edge of the iPhone 5. The package also includes screen protectors for both the front and back of the phone. This bumper is all about image and showing respect for the beautiful design of the iPhone without blotching it up with a cheap-looking bumper. From a distance, the AluFrame when properly affixed even looks like it is part of the iPhone itself. If it weren't for the fact that the AluFrame was so darn expensive, I would be recommending it to a broader number of people looking for an attractive, high-quality bumper. As it stands, my AluFrame recommendation is reserved only for those people who demand nothing less than the highest quality and will spare no expense attaining such acquisitions.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
I conclude this review round-up with a brief look at Just Mobile's aluminum HeadStand. I
favorably reviewed the original silver aluminum stand last year, and the new black HeadStand offers the exact same design in a different color. With high-end AAC audio files available from the iTunes music store, there are certain musical genres (acoustic guitar and piano pieces especially) when in-ear headsets have a hard time competing with high quality over the ear headphones. The HeadStand keeps headphones helps minimize desk clutter by keeping the headphone cable at bay while making the headphones easy to reach for and use. The black model matches the color of my headphones, making it appear that the stand came with the headphones. And like the AluCup, the HeadStand adds a touch of elegance to a desk that would look as plain as any other desk without it.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
