In my new series, “Mini Reviews,” I will quickly review several cool tech items I’ve acquired that perhaps don’t warrant full reviews. Today’s first installment will include the iPhone 13, Dbrand Grip case, Spigen Thin Fit case, Smartish Gripmunk case, Govee Glide RGB light bars, and several of the parts I used to build my keyboard: NicePBT Beach Day keycaps, DZ60RGB V2 PCB, Tofu 60 case, Gateron Yellow switches, and finally, my Matrix Keyboards Diamond Blue coiled aviator cable.
We’ll begin with the Govee Glide RGBIC Smart Wall Light, a cheaper alternative to the $200 NanoLeaf panels. The Glide is a set of six long rectangular light bars that mount to the wall, along with a connector piece that also lights up. The easy installation of the light bars is nice: simply apply the adhesive and click together the light bars to each other, but the thing that really puts these lights over the edge is the software. You can use your phone’s Bluetooth and the Govee Home app to quickly turn on and off the lights, and choose between dozens of pre-made effects. You can choose themed color schemes in the Effects Lab and even set timers that are visually represented on the light bars. My only gripe with the Govee Glide is that because the bars are straight and only come with one direction-changing connector piece, you are limited to mounting them in a V shape, upside-down V shape, or an L shape, unless you get more than one set.
Most of you probably came for my review of the iPhone 13. Before I give you my opinion, let me tell you exactly what I’m working with. I have the standard iPhone 13, featuring the (PRODUCT)Red colorway (which means they donate some of the proceeds to fight AIDS) and 256GB of storage. With that out of the way, I love my iPhone 13. Yes, I’m a bit biased. I’ve always loved iPhones and I’ve never owned an Android. The battery life is simply ridiculous. I had a Smart Battery Case on my iPhone XR. Apple doesn’t make these cases anymore, instead opting for the less than perfect MagSafe Battery Pack, but they don’t need to. I get over eight hours easily on my new phone, and I can go a whole day without charging. I don’t mind the notch or the lightning port, the phone is the perfect size for my hands, it’s genuinely strong even without a case, the A15 Bionic is fast, the camera is sharp, the OLED screen is beautiful, and the copying and pasting text in photos feature is nifty. Oh, and I forgot that it supports 5G, which is an upgrade I’ve actually noticed quite a bit and is about six times faster than 4G LTE according to the Speedtest app. Most people underappreciate how awesome it is that you can now transfer data to your new phone just by placing it near your old one. Super convenient! I definitely wish there was Touch ID, since I can’t use Face ID with a mask on and the passcode can be annoying, but I still can’t ever see myself switching to Android when iPhones are this easy to use.
Can you use the iPhone 13 without a case? Yes. Would I recommend using any phone without a case? No. I ordered the Dbrand Grip soon after I got my iPhone 13, but they were closed around Christmas so I had to get a temporary case while I waited for the Grip to arrive. I went to my local Best Buy, and I found the Spigen Thin Fit for $19. It retails for $25 on Spigen’s website, and it’s a simple and affordable polycarbonate plastic case. The Thin Fit is lightweight, thin, and stealthy. It comes in black, tan, navy, and red. I got the black version because that’s what was at my local Best Buy. The case is not very slippery, and it’s a very comfortable material to hold. It’s also very easy to take on and off, unlike some other cases (foreshadowing). Spigen claims the Thin Fit is “compatible with wireless charging,” but does not boast official MagSafe compatibility. So which one is it, Spigen? It seems they may have verified their claim with some Qi charging pads that are not made by Apple, or they never applied for MagSafe compatibility, or they were rejected by Apple. Nevertheless, I tested it, and it turns out that Apple’s MagSafe Charger works with the case, but only kind of. It’s quite slippery both with and without the sticker that comes attached to the inside of the case , so I would not recommend using MagSafe with the case, especially accessories like the MagSafe Battery Pack. Spigen doesn’t make any outlandish claims about drop protection, which was probably a good move since the case doesn’t feature shock absorption bumpers in the corners of the case.
Dbrand is one of my favorite companies because they have their own personality and brand identity. They are all about humor, from funny packaging and interactions with Linus Tech Tips, to literally insulting their own customers in witty ways in their marketing. I picked up the $45 Dbrand Grip case because it did extremely well in EverythingApplePro’s drop test, and I wanted a grippy phone case. From what I can tell, the Grip delivers in both areas. I have dropped it multiple times and my phone is undamaged, although I also have a really cheap screen protector. The Grip always has black sides, but the back can either be red carbon, matte black, white marble, black swarm, sky blue, or other colors and designs. Unlike the Thin Fit, it is strongly MagSafe compatible, although it is harder to take on and off of the phone. It fits very well though. The buttons are top-tier and clicky, as noted by the website. The side of the case features shock absorbers, grip tape, and thousands of small textured dots that make it impossible for it to slide around too much in your pocket. I love the grip strips, but I’m somewhat lukewarm on the texture overall. You will get used to it after a few weeks, however, as it gets a little dull. Most people purchase the Grip for its superb drop protection and shocking grippiness.
My mom’s phone case, the Smartish Gripmunk, also claims to be grippy, but it’s not as grippy as the Dbrand case. The case has a MagSafe version for $20 and a normal version for just $15. The case is nice and lightweight, and it has grippy curved ridges on the sides of the case, towards the bottom. I personally don’t like the curved ridge method, but it works for the most part. It also has textured dots like the Grip case, and they actually feel nicer. Smartish claims to have air pocket corners on the case that make it have better drop protection, but it feels less protective than the Dbrand Grip. It is $15, after all. The non-MagSafe version has just two colors, but the MagSafe version has five options, although there is notably no red or green option. Unfortunately, the buttons on the case are extremely mushy and not tactile at all. The design of the Gripmunk, aside from the curves, is very sleek, and if you need a really cheap case, it’s not bad. It’s one of those products that’s not great, but rather good value.
The KBDFans Tofu60 is probably the most ubiquitous custom keyboard case of all time. It’s versatile, because it’s cheaper than the Tofu65 and still allows for arrow keys. It has wide compatibility with an array of 60% PCBs from KBDFans and others. It comes in tons of color options, and unlike other keyboard parts, it is always readily available. It’s fully aluminum, and it’s really heavy. You will never again experience deck flex with the Tofu60. It comes with four tiny rubber feet that can be attached to the bottom of the case, although I can’t find where mine went. The case’s standoffs are high enough that it is easy to screw in the PCB using the tray mount method, and there is lots of space for case foam under the PCB. The cable cutout only allows for USB-C or micro-USB, which is fine since all modern PCBs use USB-C. The Tofu60 is basically the best value keyboard case you can get, and I’d recommend it for anyone’s first build.
My lubed and filmed Gateron Yellows are great, but they’re so ubiquitous that they’re almost boring. Don’t get me wrong, they feel and sound better than any other keyboard I’ve typed on except my cousin’s insane keyboard with Red Samurais and Tangerines. But for the same price, there are other phenomenal options. All the different colors of housings are basically the same switch, just to clear up any confusion you may have (I got the KS-8 version I believe, which has clear housing). Gateron Yellows, which are linear and quiet, have a nice 50-gram actuation force, which along with their Gateron reliability makes them a joy to type on. Stock, they’re not great, but lubed, they’re up there with the best switches. They fit all Cherry profile keycaps, and they are mounted to the PCB with a 3-pin or 5-pin layout. 5-pin switches are used for extra stability when you don’t want to use a plate, but most PCBs support both types of switches. You can always cut off the plastic on 5-pin switches to get them to fit in 3-pin PCBs, while 3-pin switches usually fit in 5-pin PCBs. Gateron Yellows are renowned for being cheap, at around $16 for a pack of 70 switches. However, there are several new contenders that many claim are better or similar at the same price when lubed, but especially stock. For example, Akko CS Rose Reds ($20 for 90 switches) or Cherry MX Blacks ($25 for 70 retooled switches). There are also higher-end linears like JWK Lavenders or great tactiles like Holy Pandas. Gateron Yellows are extremely smooth and they sound great when lubed. The switches are easy to open and lube with a switch opener. I would like to be a little more adventurous with my switch choice in the future, but the Gateron Yellows are a great starting point.
Much like the Tofu 60, the KBDFans DZ60RGB V2 is extremely well-known. In fact, it is commonly used with the Tofu 60. It is a hot-swappable RGB PCB featuring USB-C and a north-facing switch layout. It comes in at $55, and case foam and PCB foam can be added for $10 each. The VIA software can be used to control the per-key RGB LEDs in the board, and the RGB can also be turned off. Several screw-in and PCB-Mount stabilizers are compatible with the PCB, and I used standard Cherry screw-in stabilizers that came with my Tofu 60 build kit. I’m not sure if this is an issue with the switches, plate, or PCB, but the switches were remarkably hard to insert into the PCB. I think the plate was causing interference with the plastic clips on the sides of the switches. Because the DZ60 is always in stock in both ANSI and ISO layouts (I of course got ISO), I would recommend buying this purely functional piece of keyboard gear.
There aren’t many reviews out there about the NicePBT Beach Day keycaps. They’re not as popular as other NicePBT sets. NicePBT is a CannonKeys brand that sells keycaps from $60-$85. The Beach Day set, like all CannonKeys keycaps, is Cherry Profile and is made of dye-sublimated PBT plastic. The set comes with cool beach-themed accent keys, and it features a blue, orange, and tan colorway. Included are many spacebars and shift key sizes for various boards. Of course, the set gives you enough keycaps for a full-sized board. The set comes with caps in many different shades of blue, as well as some orange and beige caps, so you don’t even need to use orange if you want. The packaging for the set is a showpiece, and it’s absolutely beautiful. The keycaps themselves come encased in a plastic cutout, and they’re nicely organized. My only complaint with these phenomenal and underrated keycaps is that the spacing between them can be slightly inconsistent and gaps can be seen. This could be either the fault of the keycaps or the PCB, but it’s an issue that is pretty common.
Matrix Keyboards is a purveyor of the infamous Clix Keyboard, but they sell keyboards, keycaps, cables, mousepads, and more. I picked up their Diamond Blue coiled cable for my build, and I’m pretty happy with it for just $35. Why spend $70 on a Space Cables cable? The cable is coiled pretty tightly, although if you’re not careful it will come undone a little. It features a white Matrix-branded USB-A on one side, and a white USB-C on the other. The cables are attached with a glossy silver aviator connector, as is the case with many coiled keyboard cables. The sleeving is clearly high-quality and it feels great to the touch. I’ve had no connection issues or disconnects with the cable so far. Matrix sells a bunch of colored coiled cables for $35-$40, which is on the budget side. Keychron makes $15 coiled aviator cables, but I didn’t get one because it seems too good to be true (it’s also USB-C to USB-C). The Matrix cable has six inches of coils and is six feet long overall, which is a good length for most setups.
The first installment of Mini Reviews featured lots of amazing products that I reviewed positively, but I’ll eventually find something I hate to include. Let me know if you like this new series!
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