WW4M: Rokform "Rugged" Phone Case

I got an orange case so this is easier to see in a bag or whatnot.

"WW4M" reviews are periodic reviews of "what works for me". Today I take a look at a phone case. 

I recently got a brand new phone. My first one in many years, since generally I get Mrs. Guitar Ted's hand-me-down phones. This time we both upgraded. Anyway, that necessitated a brand new phone case. Not a very "cool" accessory, but if you lead an active lifestyle, and you want your phone to survive, you'd probably better get a good, protective phone case.

Background: Mrs. Guitar Ted and I have been through various phone cases. I have tried Lifeproof, Mophie, and some others in the murky, distant past I cannot recall at this point. Most of them did their job. The Lifeproof was very good at warding off the elements, but it made using the phone a chore. The Mophie barely held it together for me, but then again, I was sweating on it constantly, putting it through bumpy gravel rides, and exposing it to copious amounts of dust. Frankly, I cannot believe I never broke the screen on my old iPhone. Anyway.....

The point is that I am hard on phones/phone cases. So, going in I knew I needed something better and I mentioned to Mrs. Guitar Ted that I had seen a company called Rokform and that they had a cool product, or at least I thought so. Now there is one thing I need to make perfectly clear and that is that Mrs. Guitar Ted has to sign off on anything "techy" I get and she isn't easy to impress. So when she said she liked what she was seeing, we ordered up a case for myself, (and one for her as well), and not long afterward we got a package delivered with the cases from Rokform.

The case I got is the "Rugged" case for an iPhone 8s, (I think the 8s is what I have. I don't keep track of that stuff.) So...... I actually installed the phone into its case which was easy, but a couple of things to note here. Check out the image to the left here and note the "cross" looking circular deal. That is a plug I opted for, (sold separately), which if you don't get, allows you the option of locking the case into a few accessory mounts Rokform sells. It kind of works like a Garmin mount, so it's pretty secure, but I didn't want to go that route. Then there is the black patch below that. Okay, in there is a circular magnet which looks like a puck. I got the optional magnet which allows for cordless charging. A neat feature which makes charging the phone from a dock possible. Anyway, that magnet also can be used as a mount, and Rokform has a few accessory items that work off that as well.

The case fits over the edges of the phone like a tire on a rim, leaving the face exposed.

The magnet thing is safe, so you don't have to worry about degaussing your data or anything like that. Plus, it helps keep your phone stabilized on metal surfaces which attract a magnet. Like say, a tool box, which comes in handy at work, because I cannot easily knock my phone off my tool box now. Anyway, that might prove to be handy in other ways at some point.

The accessory item Mrs. Guitar Ted got looks like an aluminum kickstand and attaches via magnetism to the back. That bit props the phone up so you can use it like a mini-computer, which, it is, actually. That also has a bottle opener on it, for those so inclined to have a frosty beverage while checking social media. There is also a magnetic gizmo that mounts to your dashboard vent in a car that you can use with this case as well. Mrs. Guitar Ted got that little thing also.

So, as you can see to the left here the face of your phone is wide open to use as usual. Of course, there is a screen protector on there, but you aren't going to want to be dropping anything on that side, obviously. Still, I'd rather have it that way than have another layer of armor to fight with to make the little device work. Plus, the case seals up around the edges with a perfect fit. It's almost like mounting a tire to a rim, the case fits that snugly on the phone. I cannot say it is waterproof, but I bet it keeps out 90% of anything you expose the phone to. The edges are a hard rubbery deal which are very beefy on the corners. I've no doubt that if I drop this on a hard surface that the case will help prevent damage.

And so far it has. I've been using this as I would during cycling, activities outdoors, and during daily life. The mounting possibilities are many, and I think I'm going to end up with a sticky puck for my truck's dash to mount my Rockform case to. (The vents on my truck are too weak to hold up the vent mount) That'll be handy when I use my phone as a navigation device in strange areas.

The "Rugged" case is just what I had hoped for and I think it is going to work out fine with my gravel cycling and whatnot throughout the year and beyond. I will update this if anything else of note comes up.

NOTICE: Guitar Ted spent his own damn money on the Rokform "Rugged" iPhone case and was not paid, nor bribed, for this post. So there!

WW4M: Rokform "Rugged" Phone Case

I got an orange case so this is easier to see in a bag or whatnot.

"WW4M" reviews are periodic reviews of "what works for me". Today I take a look at a phone case. 

I recently got a brand new phone. My first one in many years, since generally I get Mrs. Guitar Ted's hand-me-down phones. This time we both upgraded. Anyway, that necessitated a brand new phone case. Not a very "cool" accessory, but if you lead an active lifestyle, and you want your phone to survive, you'd probably better get a good, protective phone case.

Background: Mrs. Guitar Ted and I have been through various phone cases. I have tried Lifeproof, Mophie, and some others in the murky, distant past I cannot recall at this point. Most of them did their job. The Lifeproof was very good at warding off the elements, but it made using the phone a chore. The Mophie barely held it together for me, but then again, I was sweating on it constantly, putting it through bumpy gravel rides, and exposing it to copious amounts of dust. Frankly, I cannot believe I never broke the screen on my old iPhone. Anyway.....

The point is that I am hard on phones/phone cases. So, going in I knew I needed something better and I mentioned to Mrs. Guitar Ted that I had seen a company called Rokform and that they had a cool product, or at least I thought so. Now there is one thing I need to make perfectly clear and that is that Mrs. Guitar Ted has to sign off on anything "techy" I get and she isn't easy to impress. So when she said she liked what she was seeing, we ordered up a case for myself, (and one for her as well), and not long afterward we got a package delivered with the cases from Rokform.

The case I got is the "Rugged" case for an iPhone 8s, (I think the 8s is what I have. I don't keep track of that stuff.) So...... I actually installed the phone into its case which was easy, but a couple of things to note here. Check out the image to the left here and note the "cross" looking circular deal. That is a plug I opted for, (sold separately), which if you don't get, allows you the option of locking the case into a few accessory mounts Rokform sells. It kind of works like a Garmin mount, so it's pretty secure, but I didn't want to go that route. Then there is the black patch below that. Okay, in there is a circular magnet which looks like a puck. I got the optional magnet which allows for cordless charging. A neat feature which makes charging the phone from a dock possible. Anyway, that magnet also can be used as a mount, and Rokform has a few accessory items that work off that as well.

The case fits over the edges of the phone like a tire on a rim, leaving the face exposed.

The magnet thing is safe, so you don't have to worry about degaussing your data or anything like that. Plus, it helps keep your phone stabilized on metal surfaces which attract a magnet. Like say, a tool box, which comes in handy at work, because I cannot easily knock my phone off my tool box now. Anyway, that might prove to be handy in other ways at some point.

The accessory item Mrs. Guitar Ted got looks like an aluminum kickstand and attaches via magnetism to the back. That bit props the phone up so you can use it like a mini-computer, which, it is, actually. That also has a bottle opener on it, for those so inclined to have a frosty beverage while checking social media. There is also a magnetic gizmo that mounts to your dashboard vent in a car that you can use with this case as well. Mrs. Guitar Ted got that little thing also.

So, as you can see to the left here the face of your phone is wide open to use as usual. Of course, there is a screen protector on there, but you aren't going to want to be dropping anything on that side, obviously. Still, I'd rather have it that way than have another layer of armor to fight with to make the little device work. Plus, the case seals up around the edges with a perfect fit. It's almost like mounting a tire to a rim, the case fits that snugly on the phone. I cannot say it is waterproof, but I bet it keeps out 90% of anything you expose the phone to. The edges are a hard rubbery deal which are very beefy on the corners. I've no doubt that if I drop this on a hard surface that the case will help prevent damage.

And so far it has. I've been using this as I would during cycling, activities outdoors, and during daily life. The mounting possibilities are many, and I think I'm going to end up with a sticky puck for my truck's dash to mount my Rockform case to. (The vents on my truck are too weak to hold up the vent mount) That'll be handy when I use my phone as a navigation device in strange areas.

The "Rugged" case is just what I had hoped for and I think it is going to work out fine with my gravel cycling and whatnot throughout the year and beyond. I will update this if anything else of note comes up.

NOTICE: Guitar Ted spent his own damn money on the Rokform "Rugged" iPhone case and was not paid, nor bribed, for this post. So there!

A Cyclists Cell Phone

Not quite there....

Cell phones- love them or hate on them, they have become a "must have" gadget on the order of an automobile. Take away the car, and the "smart phone', and who are you? What can you do? Life for most folks without these devices is meaningless, or so you would think. Anyway....

Cell phones are the devil, but where cycling is concerned, they can be useful tools, or heck, even a life saver. I can totally see where a cell phone is a good back up for a cyclist, and why loved ones want us cyclists to carry one. I even understand that cell phones can become cycling computers. Tools to navigate by even. Yeah...aps and all that. 

But cell phones weren't made for cycling. In fact, they aren't made for much of anything practical. Those tiny buttons, the user interfaces, and they don't always work as advertised. Cycling, (at least the kind that I do), is really hard on cell phones. Dust, dirt, bouncing around, and just the rough and tumble of daily commuting is not what most cell phones, "dumb" or "smart", were designed for. What were they designed for? Silk purses? You'd think so by the prices on some of them!

What Would You Do? So I have been thinking. Yeah......the iPhone is cool, but it is fragile, and you have to get a case, and a holder, and ........No!  It is wrong if you have to "band aid" the thing to work for cycling. It isn't a cycling cell phone. It just isn't. Other cell phones don't measure up either. So.....what is a cyclists cell phone?

Solutions:  I am dreaming, and this will probably go nowhere fast, but I wanted to explore what it might be that would make a good cell phone for active cyclists that could go mountain biking, bike-packing, touring, or just do the daily commute grind without being babied and put in a zip-loc bag.

Here's my bucket list, feel free to comment on this, or add your own submissions. Again, I have zero hope this will change anything, but it might be a fun exercise in brain storming. Here goes....

1. Buttons: My ideal cell phone would have one single button on the outer case (weather-proof, of course), that you would push to answer a call. Hold it down a few seconds to power up-off. Every other button would be inside the flip case. This eliminates potential damage, noises from supposed "locked keypads", and eliminates false calls, or other unwanted digital mayhem.
2. Case: As I stated above, the case would have one button, a grill for the mouthpiece/microphone, and a grill for the earpiece. It would otherwise be smooth, with no sharp edges, perhaps be covered in a grippy, durable coating, and be able to withstand being run over by a Peterbuilt. It would flip open to reveal a keypad. (See next)
3. Inner Keypad: This would be revealed by flipping open the case and would be made up of buttons you could operate without removing your cycling gloves. (Full fingered cycling gloves people!) I am not sold on having to have a "qwerty" keypad, but if it could be done, and I can operate it with my full fingered gloves, so be it. A very small display for alphanumeric symbols only would be the only visual display. 

That's it. No camera. Why? I carry one that blows any cell phone camera away. I don't want my phone to be a camera. No music. Why? I don't listen to music when I ride, but if I did, I would use an iPod or like device. No cyclo-computer/nav system. Why? Because I can get a Garmin 800. BAM!

I don't want a "smart phone" that is a jack of all trades- master of none. I don't want a smart phone that eats up my battery trying to run radios to hook up to cell towers, GPS satellites, and WiFi. I don't want some namby-pamby glass covered exercise in modern art that falls apart on a granite rock. I want a freakin' rock solid, reliable phone that does phone and texting really well and has a battery that lasts two weeks on a charge.

Do that and I'll sign a contract for life. Thanks. Now it's your turn.....

A Cyclists Cell Phone

Not quite there....

Cell phones- love them or hate on them, they have become a "must have" gadget on the order of an automobile. Take away the car, and the "smart phone', and who are you? What can you do? Life for most folks without these devices is meaningless, or so you would think. Anyway....

Cell phones are the devil, but where cycling is concerned, they can be useful tools, or heck, even a life saver. I can totally see where a cell phone is a good back up for a cyclist, and why loved ones want us cyclists to carry one. I even understand that cell phones can become cycling computers. Tools to navigate by even. Yeah...aps and all that. 

But cell phones weren't made for cycling. In fact, they aren't made for much of anything practical. Those tiny buttons, the user interfaces, and they don't always work as advertised. Cycling, (at least the kind that I do), is really hard on cell phones. Dust, dirt, bouncing around, and just the rough and tumble of daily commuting is not what most cell phones, "dumb" or "smart", were designed for. What were they designed for? Silk purses? You'd think so by the prices on some of them!

What Would You Do? So I have been thinking. Yeah......the iPhone is cool, but it is fragile, and you have to get a case, and a holder, and ........No!  It is wrong if you have to "band aid" the thing to work for cycling. It isn't a cycling cell phone. It just isn't. Other cell phones don't measure up either. So.....what is a cyclists cell phone?

Solutions:  I am dreaming, and this will probably go nowhere fast, but I wanted to explore what it might be that would make a good cell phone for active cyclists that could go mountain biking, bike-packing, touring, or just do the daily commute grind without being babied and put in a zip-loc bag.

Here's my bucket list, feel free to comment on this, or add your own submissions. Again, I have zero hope this will change anything, but it might be a fun exercise in brain storming. Here goes....

1. Buttons: My ideal cell phone would have one single button on the outer case (weather-proof, of course), that you would push to answer a call. Hold it down a few seconds to power up-off. Every other button would be inside the flip case. This eliminates potential damage, noises from supposed "locked keypads", and eliminates false calls, or other unwanted digital mayhem.
2. Case: As I stated above, the case would have one button, a grill for the mouthpiece/microphone, and a grill for the earpiece. It would otherwise be smooth, with no sharp edges, perhaps be covered in a grippy, durable coating, and be able to withstand being run over by a Peterbuilt. It would flip open to reveal a keypad. (See next)
3. Inner Keypad: This would be revealed by flipping open the case and would be made up of buttons you could operate without removing your cycling gloves. (Full fingered cycling gloves people!) I am not sold on having to have a "qwerty" keypad, but if it could be done, and I can operate it with my full fingered gloves, so be it. A very small display for alphanumeric symbols only would be the only visual display. 

That's it. No camera. Why? I carry one that blows any cell phone camera away. I don't want my phone to be a camera. No music. Why? I don't listen to music when I ride, but if I did, I would use an iPod or like device. No cyclo-computer/nav system. Why? Because I can get a Garmin 800. BAM!

I don't want a "smart phone" that is a jack of all trades- master of none. I don't want a smart phone that eats up my battery trying to run radios to hook up to cell towers, GPS satellites, and WiFi. I don't want some namby-pamby glass covered exercise in modern art that falls apart on a granite rock. I want a freakin' rock solid, reliable phone that does phone and texting really well and has a battery that lasts two weeks on a charge.

Do that and I'll sign a contract for life. Thanks. Now it's your turn.....