A week ago, if seeking a slimmer option than PopSockets magnetic phone grips, my suggestion would have been the OhSnap Snap Grip 5. Today, my recommendation returns to PopSockets, the firm that serendipitously created the phone grip in 2012 while seeking an improved method to manage Apple EarPods. The new Low-Pro model represents PopSockets thinnest grip to date. It surpasses OhSnap latest version not just in slimness but also in functionality and holding comfort.

Launching today only via Apple in four colors, with wider availability through PopSockets store and other outlets from July 29, the Low-Pro Grip carries a $39.99 price tag matching the Snap Grip 5. Long a supporter of OhSnap designs and recently upgraded to the Grip 5, after a week testing the Low-Pro I am prepared to switch.

The prior PopSockets grip I tried was last years Kick-Out Grip and Stand, which outperformed the OhSnap Grip 4 as a versatile stand for both portrait and landscape orientations. Yet at 7mm collapsed thickness, it sometimes caught when pocketing the phone. Neither the 2.5mm Snap Grip 4 nor the 3mm Grip 5 presented that issue.

PopSockets new Low-Pro measures 2.6mm, positioned between OhSnap prior two models and likened by the firm to stacked dimes or a toothpick. While undeniably slim, the height variance next to the Snap Grip 5 requires close inspection to notice. By touch alone the distinction remains undetectable.

OhSnap Snap Grip 5 relies on interlocking flexible arms linking the base to an extending disc.

PopSockets Kick-Out Grip and Stand employs a collapsing flexible cone to join the base with an extending disc.

More apparent is the feel of each grip between fingers during use. The Snap Grip 5 continues with interlocking flexible arms securing the base to its extending disc. This distinctive method has seen refinements for strength since an earlier model failure noted years ago. Durability has advanced, yet the arms still fall short on comfort. They cause no pain, but the Snap Grip 5 always felt like trading PopSockets comfort for reduced bulk.

The Low-Pro pop-out disc attaches via a flexible polymer layer that flattens when collapsed.

The Low-Pro delivers advantages from both approaches. Rather than plastic arms or the classic PopSockets squishy cone, it incorporates a one-piece polymer expansion layer between the pop-out disc and base. Resembling a tube patterned with diamond cutouts for compact folding, the soft material enhances comfort at every angle. Extended one-handed sessions with the Snap Grip 5 sometimes caused finger fatigue, an issue absent with the Low-Pro.

An outer metal ring on the Low-Pro base extends to serve as a phone stand.

The Low-Pro supports phone propping in both landscape and portrait modes.

Both function as stands, yet the Low-Pro excels here. The Snap Grip 5 tucks its disc edge into a base notch for support, though limited to one angle and more effective sideways than upright. The Low-Pro base includes a hinged metal ring that extends at varied angles for reliable use in either orientation. Its base is slightly wider, but the difference proves minor.

During removal from magnetic wireless chargers, the Low-Pro occasionally stayed attached to the charger rather than the phone.

One factor favors the Snap Grip 5. Both enable adhesion to metal surfaces, magnetic mounts, and chargers while attached, but the Snap Grip 5 magnets prove stronger. It stayed fixed to my iPhone 16 Pro during charger removal, whereas the Low-Pro often remained on the stand.

The Low-Pro offers superior comfort and allows gripping at multiple angles.

Users relying on magnetic accessories such as car mounts for navigation may find the Low-Pro left behind often. Otherwise, it stands as a strong choice. Though not the absolute thinnest grip available, PopSockets has refined key aspects of the OhSnap approach, rendering it appealing even for those prioritizing minimal phone thickness.

Photography / The Verge

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Andrew Liszewski