Recently, I’ve seen several conversations on Twitter and Facebook discussing tripod mounts for an iPhone.
The Glif is a simple iPhone 4 accessory with two primary functions: mounting your iPhone onto a tripod and propping up your iPhone at various angles. It’s been out for a while and we’ve featured it in the past here on the blog, but have never reviewed it, until now.
For most uses, the Glif is an inexpensive and practical option to carrying around bigger, bulkier and more expensive tripod mounts.
The Glif is simple gadget that easily clips to a corner of your iPhone 4. It has a standard 1/4″ thread for mounting on tripods. When not in use, it’s small and lightweight and easily slips into a pocket, purse or backpack.
It’s made of rubberized plastic. For a small device, it’s pretty durable. It’ll stuff into a pocket without breaking. The iPhone slides easily and securely into it. The plastic grips it well. I definitely wouldn’t take it on a roller coaster or fling it around — your phone will come out in that case — but the Glif provides a secure grip for most uses. It attaches to any corner of the iPhone and has a recessed slot inside so it doesn’t press the phone’s volume buttons if you attach it to that corner — a nice touch and well-thought design. It works on any iPhone 4 — GSM or CDMA.
If you use a screen protector on your iPhone, it’s possible to slide the phone into the Glif without peeling it up. Some users, however, have reported problems using the Glif with a screen guard.
The Glif also doubles as handy iPhone stand for watching video, reading, surfing and FaceTime. The notch on the bottom of the device clips on the phone and supports it at a comfortable viewing angle. Because the Glif is so small, lightweight and portable, it’s easy to tote around. Because it’s so small and clips to the back of the phone when used as a stand, it doesn’t get in the way if you have to use your iPhone as a … phone.
I do not like a caseless iPhone. I think the iPhone needs a case to recess the lens a little bit to prevent scratching. Unfortunately, the Glif cannot be used on an iPhone in a case or a bumper. This can be a little bit of a hassle to remove your phone and keep track of the case when using the Glif. Also, it’s iPhone 4 only. Owners of older iPhones (and future iPhones if Apple makes any changes to the device’s case) are out of luck.
Other than that, the Glif is an inexpensive, well-designed gadget. It works great as a tripod mount in normal situations and has the added bonus of being a pretty cool iPhone stand as well. The tripod mount is great for video, shooting selfies, or for shooting slow shutter iPhoneography. Then you can clip the Glif to the back of your phone to review what you just shot. If you’re looking for a tripod mount, the Glif is worth a look. I bought mine when it was a KickStarter project and I like it a lot.
The Glif is $20.00 and is available from theglif.com. International shipping available.
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