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Learn Time5 Seconds, 2 Seconds
Nearly all of the people I know have a subscription to some sort, including Netflix, PlayStation+ and Xbox Game Pass. It’s a long list. All of them aim to make it easier for everyone and help people discover new things.
You could have one for tech gadgets.
Gadget Discovery Club You can subscribe to this service for either a quarterly or an annual fee. Each year, you’ll receive 4 mystery technology boxes. With the promise that each box will have 1 to 4 gadgets inside and it contents retail at over £100, it seems like a no-brainer, doesn’t it?
Get Moving
When you initially set up your plan you are asked how tech savvy you are, giving 3 choices ranging from “not very” to “gadget geek” before selecting your payment choice. It’s that simple. Now, just sit back and wait to hear the knock at the door.
It was exciting to see what my black tech box would bring. It felt a bit like your birthday when you have that family member who takes great delight in telling you “they have just the thing for you” yet you do not know what it could possibly be.
What’s In My Box?
When I opened the box, I found 4 items. I was presented with a small wireless charger pad, a key holder, a compact speaker and a grip to hold a smartphone. Although my initial reaction was disappointment, I didn’t know the price of this type of tech. What was the value of this tech?
NativeHQ Wireless Charger
Retailing at £44.99 on the NativeHQ website, the 10W wireless charger felt very weighty, 5mm thick and was finished with a tight mesh premium look on the top. Many mobile phones can now charge at 15W, but I found the NativeHQ 10W to be sufficient for my bedside table and overnight charging. It came with a USB C2A cable that can be plugged into the USB socket.
RISE wireless speaker miniBOOM
Priced at £39.99 on the Rise Traveler website, this is certainly a very powerful and tiny Bluetooth portable speaker. This small speaker is made of black aluminium and has an impressive 3W power output. You can also use the speaker’s microphone to make calls, and it has a 300mAh lithium battery which provides up to four hours of power. You can make a stereo sound by adding a miniBOOM second speaker.
The Key Smart Compact Key Holder
With an RRP of £19.95 on the Key Smart website, this slim device was something that I had not really seen before and certainly intrigued me. This simple design allows you to keep up to 8 Yale style keys together. To do this, simply remove 2 screws from the top of the key holder and place four keys at each end. This created an essentially swiss-army knife-style tool. It was so simple, but I loved it!
MOMO STiCK Finger Grip:
On Amazon it was found for £12.90, however the official retailer in Korea did not show prices on their website. For a secure grip, the Finger Grip is an oval-shaped device that attaches to your smartphone’s back. It also has a sliding strap which allows you to place your finger in it. The principle worked well, but it was not very effective on my phone. Samsung S21 Ultra. S21 Ultra. I was constrained by the camera cluster. I discovered that my hand position when I held my phone didn’t allow the Finger Grip access to the areas I required. It did block wireless charging for me, even though it was promised it wouldn’t. I tried to adjust the position by placing it lower. Needless to mention, the Finger Grip was passed to another family member who it did not hinder.
Final Thoughts
Based on the prices that I found for each of the devices, if bought brand new, there is just over £115 of gadgets in my box. Not bad when you think that this would have cost you either £63 or £69 depending on your plan. It appears to offer a great value for your money.
However, digging deeper will reveal a more sinister world. I discovered that not all official product sites shared the exact same company details. Gadget Discovery Club. The RRP price was doubted immediately. A company’s purpose is to earn a profit. Ali-Express offers the same wireless speaker at a fraction of the cost and the opportunity to upload your logo. I couldn’t help but feel deceived by the whole setup.
The Gadget Discovery ClubThis seems like a great way to discover new technology. In my opinion, it should be probably best avoided based upon how they are deceptively not only setting the RRP’s of the products that you are making a “saving” on but also affiliated with the official retailer websites for some of the products that you receive too.
Based on the above work ethics, I regret not being able to award a Thumb culture award.
Disclosure: This review was written using a sample.
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