Pavel Jelic From time to time, news about a great product that appeared on Indiegogo or any other crowdfunding portal appears on the Internet, and sometimes also in our magazine. Crowdfunding as such works in a completely simple way – an individual or a group of people submits their project and then collects funds from other people through portals so that the project can be realized. If a predetermined amount of money is collected, the project is created in most cases. Unfortunately for us, most great products from crowdfunding portals do not make it to the Czech Republic. However, there are sellers who obtain goods from crowdfunding campaigns and then sell them in the Czech Republic. One of these sellers is Milica, from which we received a product called SleekStrip to review.
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Flying around the world with Apple Surely you have ever found yourself in a situation where you needed to place your iPhone on the table in some way so that you could, for example, watch a movie or a video, or you could make a video call without having to hold the device in your hand. In this case, you can lean the iPhone on something, however, the device will almost never be in the place you want it to be, in addition, the device will often fall from the makeshift holder. Not only these situations are solved by the already mentioned SleekStrip, which therefore serves as a stand and at the same time a holder for your iPhone. Let's take a closer look at SleekStrip together in this review.
Quality packaging…
If you decide to buy a SleeStrip, you must first choose in which color you actually want it. Several different colors are available, from classic black to light marble texture, which will be appreciated especially by the fairer sex. As soon as the SleekStrip arrives at your home, you can look forward to a well-made box. The front of the box is transparent, so you can immediately see the color of your SleekStrip. On the side of the box there is then branding and on the back there are illustrated situations in which the SleekStrip can be used. After opening the package, just pull out the box itself with the SleekStrip, which you simply peel off. Then don't forget to pick up the plastic carrying case, under which you will find a special tool for installing the SleekStrip on your device, alcohol wipes for cleaning the contact surface, spare adhesive, a special layer for gluing to glass and, of course, the manual.
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…and also execution
As such, the SleekStrip is made of premium materials and uses a great concept. In its "rest state", i.e. when the SleekStrip is plugged in, its thickness is only 2,9 millimeters, which is several times less than classic pop-sockets and similar gadgets. As for the materials themselves, on the surface of the "leg" itself there is high-quality and pleasant-to-the-touch silicone, the said leg is then made of steel. The body itself, which forms a kind of "home" for the leg, is then made of cast metal, on the back of this body there is then an adhesive 3M layer.
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How does it actually work?
You must be wondering how SleekStrip works. Everything is controlled with a single finger, when you just need to push the mentioned leg upwards so that the metal plate hooks onto the stick. This will bend the leg itself and create a firm hook. In this state, the SleekStrip can be used as a holder instead of a pop-socket and possibly also a stand. To reassemble the leg, you only need to press the marked points. When pushed, the SleekStrip leg returns to its resting position with a pleasant click. They warn you that for the first few minutes after installation, you'll be playing with the SleekStrip, constantly seeing how it all actually works, while enjoying that nice click sound you can hear. The whole process of extending and re-retracting the leg is really very simple and is done by sliding with a single finger.
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How to install SleekStrip?
Installing SleekStrip is really very simple. In the packaging paragraph above, I mentioned a special installation tool that allows the SleekStrip to be attached to the edge of your device, where the manufacturer says it's in the best place. Thanks to this tool, among other things, you are sure that the SleekStrip will be glued straight. Anyway, in the end, you can stick the SleekStrip practically anywhere, even in the middle of the device, which is of course not recommended, both for reasons of practicality and for preventing wireless charging. So I definitely recommend that you definitely use the installation tools. Simply hook this tool over the edge of your device, insert the SleekStrip itself into the opening with the protective adhesive layer removed and press firmly. If you are going to stick SleekStrip on glass or on a silicone surface, it is necessary to use the mentioned transparent layer as a "middle piece" before sticking. After taping, you should not use the SleekStrip for the first day to allow the adhesive to fully adhere and to avoid possible peeling. Within 20 minutes of sticking, the adhesive has 50% strength, after 24 hours 90% strength, and after three days the strength is already 100% and you can then use the SleekStrip to its fullest.
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Possible removal is not a problem either
If you decide to remove the SleekStrip from your device in the future, for example because you have purchased a new device, or if you want to stick the SleekStrip to a different case, you can use a credit card to insert it slowly and gently between the body of the device ( packaging) and the SleekStrip itself. Be sure not to use any sharp objects, such as knives or razors, to remove it - in addition to the SleekStrip, you could also damage your device. Be sure to take your time when removing with a card, ideally one you're not using, so you don't accidentally cause any damage. At the end of this paragraph, I would like to mention that SleekStrip cannot of course be glued to covers with fabric or other similar materials.
Personal experience
I personally tried the SleekStrip for a few days and I can say that it is definitely very easy to get used to. I confess that I have never glued a pop-socket or other holder to the body of my iPhone. Quite frankly, I consider it useless, which simply spoils the phone's luxurious appearance. In addition, I hate to stick anything at all to the glass back of the iPhone. But I made an exception for the SleekStrip, because I simply liked the overall concept with the idea. In addition, I found this solution elegant, both in appearance and in the materials used. Before using it for the first time, of course, according to the instructions, I waited one day for the SleekStrip to be firmly connected to the body of the device.
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During the week of wearing it, several people asked me what I actually had on the back of my iPhone, and when I brought the SleekStrip closer to them, they shared the opinion that it really is a small and simple accessory that can completely change the style of you use your smartphone - and it doesn't have to be Apple, of course. It's not said for nothing beauty in simplicity and believe me, this is doubly true with SleekStrip. The problem wasn't even when taking it off, which I wanted to try for the sake of the review. I used a plastic loyalty card to an unnamed store and within minutes the SleekStrip was down. Anyway, I used the replacement adhesive and after a while I re-glued the SleekStrip again, because I found that I got used to it and I miss it.
Summary
Nowadays, pop-socket is very popular in the field of mobile device holders. But what are we going to lie to ourselves about, this solution is definitely neither ideal nor elegant. Personally, I can't imagine having a monstrous pop-socket attached to the device and walking around with it. Overall, with such a pop-socket or a cheap stand, you will completely disrupt the perfect design of an apple phone, which probably none of us wants. So, if you are looking for a completely elegant and smart solution for a holder and a stand in one, then you have just come across the real thing - SleekStrip. This product combines quality materials with a simple but very clever idea that will definitely surprise you. If you would like to ask if I could recommend SleekStrip to you, I can tell you with complete peace of mind that I do. In addition, the price tag of 389 crowns for this product is not high at all, if we take into account the quality design and stylish packaging. I didn't trust SleekStrip at all at first, but in the end I was more than pleasantly surprised.
Great article!