Introduction: Functional Apple IPhone Stand

Fellow Instructablers,

I'd like to have a discussion on building a functional iPhone stand. While, yes, all iPhone stands prop up your phone, nearly of them fail to consider "real world" usage of the device. So, before I built anything, I came up with a list of requirements that my iPhone stand had to have:

1) It must be able to hold iPhone vertically or horizontally, although I prefer a vertical-orientation at work.

2) It must be able to connect iPhone to computer using data/charge cable.

3) It must be able to pick up iPhone to answer a call without having to disconnect from cable.

4) It must not put unnecessary strain on data/charge cable (i.e., no sharp bends).

5) It must be able to accommodate any size case .

With those requirements in mind, I came up with an “easel” design that has a split back to accommodate picking up the iPhone without having to disconnect. For materials, I picked up a piece of thick wire from HomeDepot, which cost around $3.00. To make the bends, I just used a pliers and ‘guestamated’ the dimensions. You're looking at my second version because the first one was too short (thus bent the cable too much).

I really like the design as it meets all of my requirements. It is a little 'top heavy', so I may make a small base for it. But, it doesn't get knocked around, so that's not a top priority. Besides, I'm interested in seeing how others can improve upon this design.

If you think you can improve upon this while still adhering to the above requirements, please post your creation. Try to use the key word "Functional iPhone Stand", so it's easy to find.

Best!