May 29, 2011 02:00 am EDT

Reserve Power: Stand Off, Part 1

Ross Rubin contributes Reserve Power, a column focused on personal perspectives and products.

With handset screens getting larger and applications such as streaming primetime shows and video chat becoming more prevalent, it's not surprising that some handsets such as the HTC Evo 4G include a built-in kickstand. Most phones, though, suffer from LifeCall commercial syndrome -- when they've fallen, they can't get up. To offer some assistance, a whole cottage industry of pocketable products - many with inventive designs -- have appeared to let you enjoy your handset's screen without your hands in the way. But how universal are they?

I tested a variety of popular and unusually-shaped handsets -- including the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4, Droid 2, Droid X, BlackBerry Bold and BlackBerry Torch, Palm Pre, HP Veer, Samsung Captivate and the monstrous Samsung Infuse -- finding, for example, that some phones fit in some stands only when their physical keyboards were extended. Surprised at how well a few of the stands held up, I even tried them with a few tablets, including the BlackBerry PlayBook, Apple iPad and Motorola Xoom. This column will introduce the first six devices after the break, while the next Reserve Power will discuss several more, conclude with my favorites, and link to a spreadsheet detailing which devices and stands paired appropriately with one another.

Continue reading Reserve Power: Stand Off, Part 1

Reserve Power: Stand Off, Part 1 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 May 2011 22:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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