Looking for gift ideas this Holiday Season? Consider the F1 Walnut iPhone stand for that person who seems to already have everything.
Instead of mass-produced, ubiquitously available gear, there are times that I want antique, uncommon, one-of-a-kind and unique. Whether you have a mantle, night-stand, desk or shelf, many of us look for eye-catching conversation pieces. I had previously found such a device, in the visually appealing pedestal for my MacBook Pro from Yohann. The B1 Walnut stand added quite a bit of pizzaz to my standup Nook Desk, and I was truly excited to discover that my iPhone could also get first class service. More than wooden display stands, the Yohann saga caught my eye. Harvested from a single piece of sustainably grown wood, each block was molded by the skilled hands and machined craftsmanship of multiple family businesses in Northern Italy and Germany. Beyond simply using local labor, the company utilized differently abled people in their distribution. Beautiful in construction, sanded, naturally oiled, and uniquely grained, each device brings its own story.
My YOHANN F1 Walnut iPhone stand arrived nestled within a 6 13/16 inches wide by 9 7/16 inches long by 2 7/8 inches thick white box. The cover, top, bottom, back and side panels were clean and devoid of cluttered imagery/content. Located along the bottom of the cover and draped over the bottom panel, I found a 2 3/4 inches wide by 4 1/8 inches long white sticker. Yohann intelligently used a thin-black typed font, which provided enough contrast against the background to capture my gaze. From the sticker, I was able to learn the company name “YOHANN” and the F1 Walnut for iPhone product title. Lifting the lid from the box, I was pleased to find a vibrant 6 1/4 inches diameter by 1 1/2 inches tall wooden phone stand. The amazing walnut colored iPhone stand arrived plastic wrapped to a thin cardboard sheet. In addition to the cradled stand, I found a six panel German/English instruction manual, a rubber stopper, and four plastic anti-slip feet. To use the stand, insert the lighting cable into the bottom. I added the rubber stopper into the pre-cut opening and then pulled the cable snugly out of the bottom of the case. I then secured the cable within the serpentine groove and turned the case back over. Before you place the cable into the groove, make sure that you orient the lighting cable to the preferred position. If you decide that you want the phone to rest at a different angle in relation to the cable, remove the cable from the track, rotate the lighting end and then reinsert the cable into the grooves. Plug the USB A end of the cable into a charging port and then affix your iPhone to the lighting cable.
With small children and a small dog running around, I did not think I would be able to trust my expensive iPhone XS Max to hover, using the lighting port only. I was afraid that the lightning port would break and that the wooden stand would freely slide atop my desk. Luckily, the company included four rubberized feet. I added the anti-slip feet to the pre-marked spots on the base and firmly pressed the sticky end to the wood. Once attached, the rubberized posts significantly increased the friction between the stand and table and reduced sliding. With my iPhone resting solely upon the lighting cable, I would not recommend using the device without the four feet. I tested the device over the last two weeks and found that it worked easily and I had no issues charging my phone. I am a fan of multipurpose gear, and the Yohann F1 did not disappoint in that regard. In addition to a standup phone charger, the lower rim doubled as a catch-all shelf. If desired, you could store your watch, your wedding ring, a small key ring, some change, etc. Turning the stand over, I appreciated the Swiss designed pre-routed cable grooves. The device had a single serpentine groove with central 15/16 inches diameter hole. Oddly, this image did not match the double-cable track listed within the instruction manual. I initially thought that this was an oversight. Having worked regularly with scroll saws, I suspected the design might have changed and was not carried over to the manual. However, after perusing the website, I found that there was a second device called the iPhone and Apple Watch Charging Stand. Despite all of the positives, I found it odd that the instruction manual did not match my device. As noted, the images seemed to be a mixture of the iPhone and Apple Watch Charging Stand and the F1 iPhone Charging stand. If you do not have an Apple Watch, this device would likely serve you well. If you do, get both, one for the office and one for your bedside table.
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