Seskimo's Crabble is a low-cost, cleverly simple phone accessory in a
world of pricey cases, complicated speakerphones and unwieldy dongles.
The Crabble concept is simple: a foldable stand that props up your
iPhone - or other smartphone or personal media player - for handsfree
viewing of movies and other media. It's small enough to fit in a wallet
when folded, sturdy enough to keep your phone aloft while you watch
YouTube videos until your battery runs out, and inexpensive at just
$5.99 shipped.
Made from polypropolyne with silicone rubber "claws" on its two
arms, Crabble won't scratch or mar your device and has decent grip for use on places like airplane or train tables. Two notches on each
side of the stand provide support for phones in both landscape and
portrait modes, and supports landscape viewing angles from 45 to 80
degrees.
I tested Crabble with an iPhone 3GS, HTC myTouch 3G, and an iPod
nano, and it performed like a champ. To be fair, there's not much for
Crabble to do but sit there and help your phone sit there, but it did
it admirably. Crabble should support your mobile YouTube habit for
longer than your battery will, and while it's not exactly
indestructable, so long as you take care of it it should last awhile.
I've only had my review sample for a week or so, so I can't vouch for
Crabble's longevity, but I'd bet five bucks on one. My one minor complaint is that when holding your phone Crabble affords very little clearance below its bottom edge, so you can't plug chargers or other cables in. But you can when your device is in landscape orientation.
Crabble's available for $4.99 plus one dollar for shipping - or free shipping on orders of $5 or more - direct from Seskimo. And, oh yeah, it
comes in black, white, and orange.