STM Goods MagArm
Summary
STM Goods MagArm is a solid accessory that puts the iPhone in a convenient location for just finding it and for video conferences that use it as the camera. It looks a little awkward and adds some weight for travel, even if detached, but utility overcomes those concerns.
STM Goods MagArm Review
MagSafe is everywhere, but synergy is hard to find. STM Goods delivers synergy with their $49.95 STM Goods MagArm, a suction-based attachment for MacBooks to leverage Apple’s FaceTime feature that turns a connected iPhone into the laptop’s camera. Of course, the MagArm can be just a place to store a phone while working. It even handles layers of MagSafe, taking on a MagSafe charger in between the phone and the MagSafe.
Pros
- Strong suction seems to keep the phone stand and phone in place.
- A more integrated FaceTime Camera solution than an iPhone on a tripod next to the Mac.
- Adjusts for portrait and landscape camera orientation.
- The manual is on the box.
So this isn’t a hard product to master. Place the sitcky black suction cup on the rear of a MacBook screen, take a deep breath, turn the handle on the suction cup mount and let out your breath as the MagArm doesn’t fall to the tabletop. Now, first time users, take another deep breath and gingerly attach the iPhone via the MagSafe mount. It too, remains aloft.
I can attest that the MagArm will stay adhered to the back of a MacBook Pro for at least 3 hours even if you don’t follow the mounting instructions. I do not recommend that you just stick it on and sort of twist the suction cup mount and hope for the best, but that’s what I did the first time I used it, and I lost neither the phone nor the mount during a family FaceTime dinner.
A hinge supports backward and forward camera tilts. Two buttons on the hinge facilitate the shift from portrait to landscape mode.
Removing the MagArm reverses the suction cup mounting procedure, along with a firm twist and tug to separate the sticky cup from the MacBook’s top panel.
The MagArm isn’t a complex mechanism, but it isn’t an overtly simple one either. Do take some time to place it correctly and follow the instructions.
With that said, as I look at my iPhone Pro dangling in mid-air, I still worry. So far, however, the MagArm has given me nothing to worry about.
Cons
- Adds weight to the back of the MacBook display/top panel.
- A more permanent protector for the sticky suction cup would be welcomed.
- Doesn’t work with multi-monitors like Xebec’s Tri-Screen display because there isn’t any place to adhere the cup.
- Blister pack is not labeled for recycling, and there is too much “retail” packaging and plastic.
- Not clear what happens long-term when using an acrylic shell on a MacBook.
I have to say, I was skeptical. I have had too many suction cups fail, from squeegees in the shower to stuffed animals stuck to the inside of a car window. None of which, mind you, are anywhere near as heavy as this stand and the accompanying iPhone. Add a MagSafe charger, and it gets even heavier.
I’m not sure what happens to the MacBook hinge over time including the housing and display components. Probably nothing. But I know Apple’s very thin top panel wasn’t designed with off-center weight in its specifications. If you worry, as I do, and for the convenience of packing and carrying, I recommend removing the MagArm when not in use.
This brings up another issue, keeping the suction cup in prime shape so that it adheres when called upon. I suggest you don’t throw away the circular plastic cover that protected the suction cup during shipping. Reusing that cover or storing the MagArm suction cup down in its original blister pack, or as I do, both will ensure that the suction cup remains primed for use.
I did have some difficulty getting the MagArm off the MacBook the first time, though that might have been related to my not putting it on right in the first place. Subsequent removal efforts proved easier, but, again, perhaps thankfully, not too easy.
While the MagArm packaging gets points for integrating the manual on the box, it isn’t a very sustainable solution from a materials standpoint. The entire box came in a plastic bag, a clear plastic window exposes the MagArm from the cardboard retail overwrap, and the blister insert holding the MagArm isn’t labeled for recycling. I have traditionally been a fan of STM Good’s product design, so I would love to see them focus on more ecologically sensitive packaging designs.
STM Goods MagArm: The bottom line
The STM Good MagArm is a worthy companion to those with a MacBook who want to keep their iPhone close. Its real value comes when the iPhone becomes the high-resolution camera for FaceTime and other video conferencing, which my video conferencing audiences and friends report improves video quality significantly, even over the modern MacBook’s HD camera.
It may take a little getting used to, you know, having an iPhone hanging off the top panel of a MacBook, but once you get there, you certainly won’t have to ask where you put your phone. And if you do still ask, well…
STM provided the Goods MagArm for review. Images courtesy of STM unless otherwise noted.
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