Review: Apple accessories

Apple has quite a long list of premium accessories on offer for its devices. Matching Apple products in look and feel, though, is no easy feat, as the fan boys have some high expectations. I recently had the opportunity to play with three accessories from the iStore - a Griffin Stylus, the Griffin Beacon universal remote and a pair of Urbanears Plattan Headphones. Here's what I thought.

The stylus has been making a comeback. What was once considered a relic of a bygone tech era is now actually inching its way back to usefulness - and relevance. As the displays of our devices have gotten bigger, and the uses of our phones and tablets have broadened, suddenly using a stylus starts to make (some) sense again.

The Griffin Stylus is built for use on any capacitive touch-screen, and I test drove one with both an iPad and an iPhone. One immediately noticeable - yet lesser punted - advantage to using a stylus is that it solves the problem of leaving a trail of greasy fingerprints all over the screen.

On a more practical level, when it comes to photo editing and activities that require more precision than your fingers are willing to provide, the Griffin Stylus is great. By its design, you wouldn't think it could be as precise as it is. The rounded (and squishy) rubber tip is said to be “custom designed to mimic your finger” - although I had my doubts.

The only type of writing tool I've ever used that had a rounded tip like the one on the Griffin Stylus were the blunt crayons I used back in prep school - and back then, accuracy was hardly the goal.

Griffin says the stylus is able to adapt to your handwriting style. I was pleasantly surprised that, when I used the pen to write on the iPhone or iPad, the result resembled my actual handwriting (and not a toddler's scrawl - there are some subtle differences). Of course, it's not as accurate as pen on paper, but it's accurate enough for making quick notes. It was also useful for playing games and I really enjoyed attempting to be artistic in some of the drawing apps.

The problem is that, due to the rounded tip, you can't be totally sure where the point of contact with the screen is - but again, it's still more accurate than you would expect from something resembling a wax crayon.

Overall, the Griffin Stylus fits nicely in one's hand and can be very useful when you need to be a bit more precise (and when your fingers are dirty and you don't want to mess up your precious screen). It retails for R249, and I would recommend it to anyone who uses their iPad for photo editing, sketching or just those people who wish styluses had never gone out of fashion.

I happened to test out the Griffin Beacon at the same time that I was reviewing a TV and Blu-ray home entertainment system, so I had a pile of remotes sitting on my coffee table. The prospect of being able to control the review TV, my own TV, my DStv decoder and the home entertainment system via my iPhone was quite appealing.

The device itself is simple and unassuming. On your coffee table, it could pass for a decorative stone or some equally random, yet unobtrusive, decorative element. Setting it up is easy enough. The Beacon takes four standard AA batteries and the app you need to use it (Dijit) is available for free from the App Store. After pairing the Beacon with your device via Bluetooth, you can then set about linking it to your appliances.

I was really impressed by the sheer scope of devices the Beacon is compatible with (more than 200 000). It took me less than two minutes to set up the controls for my TV and Blu-ray DVD player.

However, it took more effort to set up the DStv controls, as the preset remotes for DStv decoders did not work. In such cases though, the Dijit app for the Beacon allows you to set up a custom remote for your device. This is done by using the actual remote control to let the Beacon 'learn' the different buttons. This took about 15 minutes.

Once the process was completed, I could simply select the TV or device I wanted to control, and the appropriate remote would appear on my iPhone screen. The Beacon then converts one's actions on the phone (or iPad/iPod) into infrared signals the other devices can understand. Easy as that.

The Beacon has been hailed as one of the best iPhone universal remotes available, and I can see why. It's simple, very user-friendly and can be really useful - especially if you're constantly struggling to find the right remote for the right gadget. At R899, it's not exactly dirt-cheap, so you may need to weigh up just how badly you need it - or just how much you dislike your standard remotes.

The Plattan Headphones by Urbanears have a distinct aura of 'cool' - without even trying. Their design is minimalist and has even been called 'Apple-esque' - so they make sense in the context of the iStore. These headphones retail for R599 - and they are pretty good value for money.

The range comes in 14 different colours (yes, I actually said 14), including the likes of 'grape', 'army', 'ocean', and even the creatively named shade of green - 'salad'. With such retro colours and a sleek design, these headphones are definitely targeted at the younger market and can't help but scream: “Hey! Look at me! I'm listening to awesome music!”

A key feature of the headphones is the 'Zound Plug', which allows users to share what they're listening to with a friend, who can plug any set of headphones directly into the user's. (Although, if you're using the Plattan Headphones in an effort to bask in the reflected 'coolness' of your headgear, you may want to keep your friend's unattractive earpieces away from yours).

While the headphones don't come with a carry case, they do have the ability to fold down to the size of your fist (the earpieces can swivel 180 degrees). The material finish of the headband is also a nice touch, and makes for a comfortable fit.

The ear cups themselves are softly padded (maybe could have done with some more) and measure 2.5 inches in diameter, so they cover your ears quite comfortably. After prolonged use though, they did start to feel a bit tight and put a bit too much pressure on my ears. While at first I thought this may just be a symptom of having a rather large head - other (equally big-headed) reviewers seem to have picked up on the same thing.

As for the sound quality - I'm no expert. All I know is whether the music I enjoy sounds good or not, and for the most part with these headphones, it did. I have tried some higher-end headphones before though, and on that basis, the Plattan Headphones fell somewhat short, with some of the sounds being less clear and crisp. But if you're not willing to pay the big bucks, you can't really expect anything above a decent sound experience - which these offer.

At this price point, you're also not going to get features like noise cancellation, but by virtue of their design, the Plattan Headphones do a pretty good job of blocking out the rest of the world, so you can enjoy 'secluded sound'. I genuinely enjoyed using these in the office, as they blocked out the hum of the computers (and mumbling of co-workers).

The headphones have a single cloth cable (that extends from the left earpiece), which is both durable and tangle-resistant. I put the 'tangle resistance' to the test by placing the headphones in the messy abyss that is my handbag and was always impressed when I could pull them out without having to undo ridiculously complicated knots. On the cable is also a built-in mic and remote that is compatible with most phones and allows you to answer phone calls by pressing a button.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend these to anyone who wants a durable, yet great-looking pair of headphones for everyday use without having to break the bank.