Review: Just Mobile AluCup™ For iPhone / iPad Mini

Just Mobile, a company so well known for its aluminum sculpted design objects, has recently introduced yet another simple and elegant multi-purpose stand for iPhone and iPad Mini called the AluCup™. As the name implies, this diagonally-cut aluminum cup lets you use its hollow space to put an iPhone or a similar sized cell phone, while its rubber friction allows an iPad Mini to rest on it. Available in a choice of four colours i.e red, black, yellow and blue, the AluCup™ is currently selling online at a price of $29.95.

Shipped in a traditional Just Mobile black box, the AluCup™ has been crafted from a single block of high grade aluminum with a soft silicon rubber insert in one of the four color options. The silicon insert, which can be easily removed from the aluminum cylinder, features high-friction edges that serve as a reclining pedestal for iPhone or iPad Mini, allowing you to place your device in either landscape or portrait mode. Similarly, the base of the AluCup™ has a color-matched rubber that holds it steady on smooth surfaces like glass.

The AluCup™ has four cable slots, one on each side of the cylinder, that let you pass your lightning or any charging cable in order to create a clutter-free charging setup for your handheld device. It must be noted however that the charging is only possible when resting the device on top of the AluCup™ and not while the device is standing straight inside the cup’s hollow.

While some of us may not agree declaring the AluCup™ a must have accessory, its simplicity and usefulness is surely unquestionable. In my own experience, Just Mobile’s AluCup™ has turned out to be a highly practical desktop object. It not only works as a compact iPhone / iPad Mini stand, but also serves well to accommodate random bits and pieces like coins, keys, pens and so on.