X is a hip letter. It’s a better letter than you’ll ever be. Add the letter X to most anything and it will get better, cooler, and faster. Men become X-men. Files become X-Files. Terrestrials become Extr—ok, that one doesn’t count.
But what about iPhone stands? Surely they’re just supposed to stay on a desk and look mediocre while they hold things up.

Well, not X-actly. Just Mobile’s Xtand takes your iPhone and raises it to new heights (well, by two inches) and changes the way you look at the iPhone on your desk. Hit the pic for JAMM-tastic pics and the full review.

Xcellent!

Let me just put it this way, shall I? The day I got my Xtand was the day my old iPhone dock was put into storage and forgotten. 

Obviously that’s a bold, fan-boyish statement, so let me straighten things out a bit. The Xtand really is like the monitor stands for iMacs, and as such, is just a piece of aluminum with a rotating hinge. It stands idly on your desk, it’s got rubber feet for grip, and it’s got no syncing powers of its own. That’s what that little hole in the back of the neck is for. You thread your iPhone cable (only the USB side will fit) through it and leave the iPhone connector at the base of the stand until it’s needed.

In terms of appearances I haven’t seen anything else on the market that touches the cool factor of the Xtand. The default iPhone 2G dock only let me poke at the iPhone screen in a very “see see no touch” manner, whereas the Xtand lets me wrap my whole hand around the phone while it’s syncing. It even holds my iPhone 2G with a Sena Leatherskin case on it – something I didn’t expect at all.

It’s like an aluminum desk butler who is constantly holding up a tray for those rare moments you’re not using your iPhone. This particular butler is also very flexible, as he can swivel 360 degrees and take the iPhone along for the ride. The horizontal mode is great for videos, but I usually end up using my monitor for movie screenings when I’m at my desk.

I’m not getting that syncing feeling

I’ve found the Xtand perfect for my needs, but it’s obviously not ideal for every iPhone user out there. You’re going to have to get used to manually attaching and removing the cable every time you want to sync or charge at your desk. It’s not rocket science, but it’s not as simple as coming home and plopping the iPhone into the default 2G dock and moving onto other things. I can see this becoming a bit of a pain for users who change music sets often or rely on USB power to charge their phones up.

Needs more base!

Well, maybe not more base, but I wouldn’t mind some more mass at the bottom of the stand to make it feel more solid. The Xtand won’t topple over on its own, but it can wobble a bit when I insert or remove the iPhone. The default iPhone dock actually feels a lot heftier at 1/8 the size. This isn’t really a flaw so much as it’s a preference, though.

 Conclusion

It’s pretty simple, really. If you want a different way to display your iPhone and don’t always need to sync, then the Xtand is an easy purchase to recommend. I’d say the biggest barrier to purchases might be the $40 asking price. I love the product, but I find that price just a little steep. You’ll have to decide whether you think the Xtand is a worthwhile accessory or a bit of an Xcessory.

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You can pick up your own Xtand for your iPhone 2G/3G at Just Mobile’s website, which will present different store links depending on your country. The average price seems to be around $40.

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