For today’s review I will be looking at a simple yet functional iPhone stand that looks sleek and stylish on ones desktop; especially if you own an aluminum iMac or an Apple Cinema Display. Just Mobile has designed an iPhone stand dubbed the Xtand (thank God they did not name it the iStand) that mimics the base of an aluminum iMac. It is an elegant looking device that allows any model iPhone to rest in a horizontal or vertical orientation.

It is important to note that this is just a stand as opposed to a dock. It allows the iPhone to rest on ones desk for viewing of videos or easy access for playing music. There is not charging component. If you wish to run your iPhone cables through the back of the dock it does feature a form of wire management. However, you will end up with an unsightly dock connector hanging off the edge of your iPhone which in my opinion ruins the Feng Shui of the stand.

The Xtand comes in a black box that is reminiscent of the iPhone packaging. On the front is a picture of the stand holding an iPhone and the back lists the Xtand’s features. Opening the box we see the arms of the stand mounted on a card board insert with the rest of the Xtand found underneath. The box contents include the base, two washers, a locking knob and four additional rubber grips which are designed for the original iPhone version (the EDGE model).

The Xtand is composed of solid aluminum and is a a brush silver color that matches the Apple iMac/Cinema Display aesthetic. The base has two rubberized non slip feet with the Just Mobile logo etched at the bottom. It is very apparent that Just Mobile was heavily influenced by Apple’s design. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery; hopefully Apple is flattered and does not decide to sue for design copy.

On the base section there is a circular opening designed for wire management; yet another cue taken from Apple’s designs. The four arms are covered by four rubber holders used to caress the iPhone while it is resting in the Xtand.

Specifications:
Xtand

Xtand. Stands above the rest.
Just Mobile Xtand holds the iPhone vertically or horizontally, and rotates 360º so that you have your choice of viewing angles.

Extremely solid aluminum construction, Xtand provides you to access to all iPhone’s features and helps control cable clutter while plugging in USB cable for charging and synchronization.

Features:
-All solid aluminum construction
-360 degrees rotation
-Adjustable viewing angle
-Cable management
-Non-slip feet

Once the stand is put together, just lay the iPhone into position. Viola! Now you have an elegant looking iPhone stand that mounts the iPhone for easy access and viewing. The rubber corners hold the iPhone snuggly yet allows easy removal. Tipping the stand forward does not release the iPhone unless the Xtand tilts past ninety degrees in relation to the desktop surface.

Although it is touts wire management, running the iPhone USB cable through the back of the Xtand was still far from discrete and did detract from the stands appearance.

Online reports have mentioned decreases in battery life or interference with the iPhone 2G from the aluminum Xtand, I did not see this phenomenon with the iPhone 3G version.

Here are some pictures of the Xtand near an Imac 24” highlighting the similarity in form and style of the two.

Conclusion:

The Xtand from Just Mobile is an elegant way to keep ones iPhone displayed and accessible on the desktop. With the arms that are able to rotate 360, the viewer can position the iPhone in either a landscape or portrait position depending on how they wish to use their iPhone. If you wish to watch a video or check out your music library using Coverflow then go with landscape for most other tasks portrait mode is they way to go.

In terms of cost the Xtand is one of the pricier iPhone stands but it is also the best looking version to be found.

Pros:
Fits all versions of iPhones
Elegant design
Matches aluminum iMac and Cinema Displays
Landscape or Portrait positioning

Cons:
Price

Grades:
Overall
Design
Performance