The new PopSockets grip is so thin you’ll forget it’s even there

The PopSockets Low-Pro Grip is 2.6mm heavy erstwhile collapsed.

If you had asked maine a week agone to urge a thinner alternate to PopSockets’ magnetic telephone grips, I would person told you to bargain the OhSnap Snap Grip 5. Ask maine present and I’ll redirect you close backmost to the institution that accidentally invented the telephone grip successful 2012 erstwhile trying to travel up with a amended mode to wrangle Apple EarPods. PopSockets’ caller Low-Pro is its slimmest telephone grip yet, and it’s not lone thinner than OhSnap’s latest, it’s besides much functional and much comfy to hold.

Available starting contiguous exclusively done Apple successful 4 colors (it volition beryllium disposable from PopSockets’ online store and different retailers starting connected July 29th), the $39.99 Low-Pro Grip is launching astatine the aforesaid terms arsenic the Snap Grip 5. I’ve been a devoted instrumentality of OhSnap’s grips for the past fewer years and precocious upgraded to the Grip 5, but aft investigating the PopSockets Low-Pro for conscionable a week, I’m acceptable to leap ship.

The past PopSockets grip I utilized was the Kick-Out Grip and Stand that debuted past year and did a amended occupation than the OhSnap Grip 4 arsenic a telephone basal that worked good successful some representation and scenery mode. But astatine 7mm heavy erstwhile collapsed, I recovered the Kick-Out Grip would occasionally get snagged erstwhile slipping my telephone into my pocket. I’ve ne'er had that occupation with either the 2.5mm-thick Snap Grip 4 oregon the 3mm-thick Grip 5.

The caller PopSockets Low-Pro falls determination betwixt OhSnap’s past 2 offerings astatine 2.6mm, which the institution compares to the thickness of a brace of dimes oregon a toothpick. It’s decidedly thin, but you person to look incredibly adjacent to spot the tallness quality erstwhile comparing the Low-Pro and Snap Grip 5 broadside by side. If you were going by interaction unsocial the quality successful thickness is imperceivable.

Far much noticeable is however the 2 grips consciousness betwixt your fingers erstwhile you’re holding your phone. The Snap Grip 5 carries guardant a plan that uses a acceptable of interlocking flexible arms that connect the basal of the grip to an extending disc. It’s a unsocial attack that OhSnap has improved and strengthened since The Verge’s Victoria Song had a Snap 3 Pro break astir 3 years ago. But portion the durability is better, the Snap Grip 5’s flexible arms inactive aren’t the astir comfortable. They’re not achy by immoderate means, but utilizing the Snap Grip 5 has ever felt to maine similar I’m sacrificing the comfortableness of a PopSockets grip for thing much svelte.

With the Low-Pro, you get the champion of some worlds. Instead of integrative arms oregon the accepted PopSockets plan that features a collapsing squishy cone, the Low-Pro uses what the institution describes arsenic a “one-piece polymer” enlargement furniture connecting a pop-out disc to the grip’s base. It looks similar a conduit that’s been sliced afloat of diamond-shaped holes to assistance it illness compactly, but it’s made retired of a squishy worldly that makes the Low-Pro consciousness softer and much comfy to clasp astatine immoderate angle. My fingers occasionally get sore during prolonged one-handed doomscrolling sessions utilizing the Snap Grip 5, but that hasn’t been an contented with the Low-Pro.

Both grips treble arsenic a telephone stand, but the Low-Pro does it better. With the Snap Grip 5 you tin tuck 1 borderline of its extending disc into a notch connected the basal and usage it to prop your telephone up. But it’s constricted to conscionable 1 angle, and it works amended with your telephone laying sideways than lasting up vertically. Surrounding the basal of the Low-Pro is simply a hinged metallic ringing that folds retired astatine immoderate angle, truthful it works arsenic a basal successful either orientation. The basal of the Low-Pro is simply a small wider than the Snap Grip 5 arsenic a result, but the size quality is negligible.

There is simply a crushed to inactive see OhSnap’s Snap Grip 5 implicit PopSockets’ Low-Pro. Both accessories let your telephone to instrumentality to metallic surfaces, magnetic mounts, and wireless chargers with the grips attached, but the magnets connected the Snap Grip 5 are stronger than those successful the Low-Pro. The Snap Grip 5 ever remained securely attached to the backmost of my iPhone 16 Pro erstwhile removing it from a magnetic wireless charging stand, but the Low-Pro consistently remained down stuck to the stand.

If you regularly equine your telephone to magnetic accessories similar this, specified arsenic relying connected a car equine to usage your telephone arsenic a GPS device, there’s a precise bully accidental the Low-Pro could get often near down and forgotten. If you don’t, past PopSockets’ caller Low-Pro Grip is simply a worthy alternative. It’s not the thinnest grip ever created, but PopSockets has improved connected OhSnap’s plan successful a fewer important areas that marque a grip a tempting accessory, adjacent if you’re trying to support your telephone arsenic bladed arsenic possible.

Photography by Andrew Liszewski / The Verge