Technology1 min read

How I learned to love an obnoxious phone grip

By · Via The Verge · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Unwieldy hardware dimensions have made magnetic attachments essential for handling large devices such as the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Designers are answering this demand with playful formats, including PopSockets shaped like butter or hot dogs and bright cases that double as lip gloss holders. Los Angeles designer Bailey Hikawa has leveraged user feedback to build unconventional grips, resulting in an official MagSafe collaboration with Apple. While these magnetic accessories offer effortless personalization, their removable designs carry a slight risk of being misplaced.

Key points

  • Consumers are adopting playful, colorful accessories to counteract the standard muted ton…: Consumers are adopting playful, colorful accessories to counteract the standard muted tones of modern smartphone designs.
  • Magnetic attachments provide practical ergonomic support for oversized smartphones withou…: Magnetic attachments provide practical ergonomic support for oversized smartphones without requiring users to install permanent cases.
  • Detachable phone grips deliver quick customization options, though their modular nature m…: Detachable phone grips deliver quick customization options, though their modular nature makes them prone to being lost.

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Much like a great recipe, it started with a stick of butter.

How I learned to love an obnoxious phone grip

Making the case for a loud smartphone accessory.

Making the case for a loud smartphone accessory.

This wasn’t real butter; it was a friend’s new phone grip, complemented by a phone case with bold stripes. Butter is in vogue now, or at least that’s what a 12-year-old told me a few months ago. This stick of butter was labeled “unsalty” and committed to the bit by including the appropriate tablespoon markings, just like the real thing. I was enamored. “Where did you get that?” I asked. It was a PopSocket-branded combo, and I found it so irresistible I ordered an equally eye-catching grip a few weeks later. After years of carrying buttoned-up, minimalist tech, I finally said, “To hell with it. I’m gonna have some fun.” I have zero regrets, and it seems I’m not alone in this journey.

Over the past few years I’ve been a vocal, occasionally regretful, member of Team No Phone Case. A case adds…

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