Agentless Backup is Not a Myth
Buttoned up
If there is one minor complaint, it's that the shoulder buttons on the rear of the unit are placed too low. It's difficult to see where else they could be placed, with the top of the controller inaccessible when clamped onto a smartphone, but if raised just a few centimetres higher, then they would be within more comfortable reach. Conversely, when used without the clamps, for pairing with a tablet, say, the exposed clamping rods – three on each side – mean the iControlPad isn't quite as ergonomic as you'd hope.
A tad inelegant, but available for a few quid less without the sidebars
The only other drawback is price. Although understandable given the iControlPad is not mass produced, at £38 for the gamepad alone, and nearly £47 when bundled with the side clamps, no doubt many will consider it to be too expensive.
Verdict
The iControlPad is a nifty little device that almost perfectly solves the touchscreen game control conundrum, albeit a bit of a faff for iOS users. With news of developers working on wrappers to simulate touchscreen presses and motion senses, it also looks ideally placed to bring improved controls to mainstream App Store and Market games. ®
iOS and Android – Reg Hardware's resident game guru, Andrew Bailey, will be making his pick from all the key mobile gaming platforms every month.
iControlPad
COMMENTS
Wii Classic?!
I'm not going to carry around a Wii Classic controller and a Wiimote (both bigger than the phone itself) in order to play games. What would you hold the phone with?
Charges your phone, too
@dotdavid - The iControlPad has a built-in 1350maH battery for charging your phone while you play, so you don't have to worry about draining your batteries. Although, you have to track down the cable for your specific phone. I think they have instructions on their wiki for what type of USB cable you need.
@Tim Walker - I'm not sure about SIP, but I do know it supports SPP and several HID modes. If in doubt, I would say post on their forums and I'm sure they'll get back to you.
Also, they're about to start giving out rubber sides for using the iCP without the clamps. They're just asking for S&H (which if you're in the US like me, is still a pretty penny)
In case you can't tell, I've been following the iCP for some time now, and I picked one up when I started taking the train downtown. It's worked great so far. Although, as the review said, don't expect to pick it up and start playing games right away, you gotta do some legwork for most phones.
Wii Classic.
This does not seem worth the money. Wii classic controllers are about £20 and apparently work a treat on Android and jail broken iOS.
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