Cell phone accessories blog

An iPhone sleeve that looks like bacon.

(Credit: Antje)

Do you like bacon? Do you like your iPhone? Would you want to dress your iPhone in bacon? Well now you can...sort of.

A German accessory company called Antje has created this delicious-looking iPhone sleeve out of a decidedly nonmeaty felt (Or at least it looks like felt from the pictures). It's only around 25 euros (or $31), so you can go and show off your bacon and iPhone love to the world. But make sure you don't accidentally stick your iPhone in the frying pan, OK?

(Via Engadget Mobile)

C'mon, give us a hug!

(Credit: SourcingMap)

As a general rule, I am morally opposed to pink gadgets, but I might have to make an exception for the Big Hug Adhesive Cell Phone Holder.

This little dose of silliness cradles the phone in its giant pink/purple rubber palms and could prove quite handy (pun apologetically intended) for those of us who fritter away too much time hunting down our misplaced phones. The plastic holder has an adhesive backing that can stick to any surface (windshield, dashboard, desk, wall, back, forehead), and it promises to protect your phone from scratches while it's keeping it in your sights.

The gadget sells online for $3.99, with a $5 shipping fee, weighs just less than 3 ounces, and measures about 3.9 inches by 1.5 inches by three-quarters of an inch. Alas, that means some thicker phones, like PDAs and smartphones, will have to look for affection elsewhere.

(Via Coolest Gadgets)

(Credit: Sony Ericsson)

She's been known to design her own tennis outfits and has been reportedly involved in the production of her Prince tennis racket. Now, the Russian tennis star is working with Sony Ericsson to launch a collection of four mobile phone accessories for women. These include a Courtside Case (IDC-31), Exercise Case (IDC-32), Party Bag (IDC-33), and Travel Wallet (IDC-34). See photos of them here.

Unveiled at an exclusive fashion show in London, the Maria Sharapova Design Collection is the first collaboration campaign between the Russian tennis star and Sony Ericsson since the mobile phone company signed a four-year agreement with her as its global ambassador in January. The Sharapova-inspired accessories are expected to be launched in the third quarter of this year.

(Source: Crave Asia)

(Credit: Luxurylaunches)

New iPhone accessories seem to come out daily, if not hourly, but the timing of this particular case seems a bit odd because it's made by Christian Dior. The venerable design house unveiled its own mobile handset only weeks ago, making a fair splash with a high-end model that will go for an estimated $26,000.

That type of fearless (read: insane) pricing probably helps explain why this rather plain-looking pouch--pardon us, the "Dior Homme iPhone Holder"--is listed at $450, according to Luxurylaunches. It's a good thing that the iPhone needs only one case, unlike the "My Dior" handset and its "Mini-Me" companion.

(Credit: Vat19)

As weird as this may seem--and make no mistake, it is weird--it will probably be appreciated by anyone whose pockets have been weighed down, or worn through, by too many gadgets. The "FreeHand" is a pouch that can be worn like a fingerless glove, a "flexible mesh pocket" that can stow everything from keys to a mobile phone.

Coolest-Gadgets says it looks like an RSI brace, though we think it could pass for a high-tech bowling glove. Either way, it gets dangerously close to date-repellant territory. Unless you can convince people that you're slowly morphing into Iron Man.

(Credit: Oakley)

We're starting to get a little worried about the folks over at Oakley. Maybe we should have been tipped off when they started adding camouflage gear to their line of MP3 sunglasses, just one example of what seems to be a direction with a distinctly survivalist bent.

Following its bizarre post-apocalyptic headgear, the company has now come out with an industrial-strength rubberized iPhone case that looks perfectly appropriate for the Mad Max generation, as seen on CrunchGear.

As is often the case with Oakley's offerings of late, information is little to none on this item--we suspect that they may be too busy building a series of bunkers to write product descriptions. But we do know that $30 case would be the perfect accessory for that "Medusa Hat" and its matching goggles.

(Credit: Crave Asia)

Accessorizing gadgets is an addiction, and it can sometimes be a chore as well. Finding the right bag, sleeve, case, or even screen protector for your music player or notebook can be a harder decision than choosing the device being protected. Here's another company that may complicate the decision even further: Fabrix, a made-in-Singapore brand of cases for tech products.

Fabrix seems to have its focus on design. For example, all its iPod cases are slip cases, which mean you have to remove the player to view a video or to change the volume--a no-no for people who'd rather not ever have to fiddle with their protective gear. And if your notebook--say, a ThinkPad X300--isn't listed as one of its laptop case sizes, you can just key in your model and corresponding dimensions and Fabrix will make one for you that'll fit.

If you are one of those fashionistas who would rather die than be caught wearing the same piece of clothing as someone else, this company's limited run of notebook and iPod cases might just tickle your fancy. Fabrix will be collaborating with some Singapore-based artists to create this batch of cases and should be available in the coming months.

(Source: Crave Asia)

Inside the AT&T Experience store. Click on the photo for a full slide show.

(Credit: Kent German)

Going to a cell phone store can be like going to the DMV. Typically you have to wait a long time to be helped, and there's seldom a place to sit while you kill time. The lack of chairs in carrier stores has always baffled me, but then a sales rep at the AT&T in Pasadena, Calif., told my mom that they removed the chairs because some klutz fell off one of them and sued. Who says baseball is the American pastime?

But seriously, buying a cell phone can be a trying experience, particularly if you're not a cell phone geek. While many store representatives mean well, I've found that getting basic information often comes with a sales pitch for services you don't need. That's a disservice to customers who just want to grab their new phone and go.

The AT&T Surface.

(Credit: Kent German/CNET Networks)

But I have to give credit to AT&T, as the carrier is making a push to redefine the cell phone shopping experience. The carrier recently opened five AT&T Experience stores across the country. Two are in New York City, one is San Antonio, one is in Atlanta, and one is in San Bruno, Calif., which is just outside San Francisco. The Experience stores are meant to be a destination of sorts. AT&T said it plans to open more in major markets.

I recently visited the San Bruno store to experience (sorry) what the new AT&T stores has to offer. While my expectations were low, I came away quite satisfied (check out the slide show for a full gallery of photos). Not only is the store bright, clean, and spacious, but also it's very welcoming to harried shoppers. The staff was polite, the displays are plentiful and shiny (including a dedicated iPhone section) and there's a comfortable lounge where you can view AT&T programming. But the best thing about the store is the new AT&T Surface displays. They really do make shopping fun again.

The surface provides a variety of useful information.

(Credit: Kent German/CNET Networks)

Developed by Microsoft, the AT&T surface is an interactive display that resembles one of those old tabletop videos games. Using the surface you can access a variety of information to help you make your purchasing decision. You can research available service plans, scan coverage maps, and check out a selection of phones. The coverage maps are especially cool; you can start with nationwide maps before zooming into your region or neighborhood. In a city like San Francisco, where geography plays such a big role in cell phone reception, it was helpful to see how coverage changed block by block. If you're looking for 3G service, you can research that coverage as well.

Just below the surface are a few AT&T phones on display. Each handset has a sensor sticker on its back for interacting with the surface. When you place a phone on the surface, it recognizes the handset and offers you a variety of options. You can see the features, the specifications, the applicable plans, and the available colors. The surface also lets you compare two handsets by showing their feature lists side by side. At present, only eights models can interact with the surface. While that selection includes AT&T's most popular models, such as the RIM BlackBerry Curve and the Samsung SGH-A737, according to AT&T, it will add more models soon.

AT&T's phone selection.

(Credit: Kent German/CNET Networks)

The surface is entirely touch sensitive so its quite easy to use. What's more, it even has some elements of the iPhone. By pinching your fingers together you can zoom in on the coverage maps while the opposite motion will zoom you out. Also, you can move multiple windows around the screen by dragging them.

What makes the AT&T surface so cool is that you can get en enormous amount of information on your own. Everything is right there in front of you in an unedited, unabridged format free of any sales pitches. But even better, the surfaces have an exceedingly easy-to-use design and interface. As a result, you can arm yourself with everything you need to know before you to talk to a sales representative. I can imagine everyone one from cell phone old-timers to cell phone newbies having a pleasant shopping experience. The San Bruno store has six surfaces in the store, so if you live nearby and you're AT&T customer, be sure to check it out.

The cursed Nokia 6131

(Credit: Nokia`)

The Nokia 6131 always seemed liked a decent cell phone. I never got the chance to actually review it, but when I examined its AT&T cousin, the 6126, I gave it a "very good" rating.

So last week, when I was waiting to receive a new phone that I had ordered, I dusted off a spare 6126 that we had around the office. Unless I'm on vacation, I'm one of those people who has a hard time going without a cell phone.

My broken button.

(Credit: Kent German/CNET Networks)

For the first few days, the 6126 worked fine. Though it's not the fanciest handset around, it delivered on call quality and battery life. But that all came to a crushing end two days ago when I dropped the 6126 (as I tend to do). It bounced off my shoe and hit a concrete floor. While it continues to make and receive calls as normal, the flip phone will not stay closed. Each time I try to close it, it just pops back open. That means I have to carry it around in the open position, which needless to say is more than inconvenient. The problem seems to be with the small button on the hinge that you can use to open the phone. The button is stuck in the "pressed" position and I've been unable to pry it free.

Both the Nokia 6133 and the 6126 also feature the hinge button. Have any Crave readers encountered the same problem? I doubt I'm alone but even if I am, that button and the spring-loaded hinge seem to be design flaws.

Update: In response to the naysayers below, I'm quite responsible for my own actions. But a phone's hinge should not break after one drop, even after bouncing off my shoe onto a concrete floor. I've seen the iPhone drop on a sidewalk and come with just a few scratches. And if a button is designed so that it can interfere with the phone staying closed, then that is a design flaw.