BACKBONE One Mobile Gaming Controller for Android and iPhone...

Please note: This review’s 2 star rating is based on the original Amazon listing when I bought and received my backbone that made no indication of a subscription service necessary to use the advertised features. It has since been updated on or about Dec 3, 2021 to indicate there is a subscription service to access the app that is only free for the first year. The listing does a poor job of conveying the fact that the app is required to use any of the features achieved through the app and makes no mention of the annual cost of $49.99. The controller has been around since late 2020 and all app functions were available free until they announced their new backbone as a paid service to any NEW users after October 22. This was made public on their website but no mention on the Amazon listing until early December, For all these reasons listed above I still feel this deserves a 2 star rating. However, minus the poor choice to implement a subscription plan, the controller is actually an awesome controller that deserves a 4 or 5 star rating minus a few complaints.I’ll start by what the controller does right:-Build quality is remarkably good for such a small device from a (I think?) new company on what appears to be their first version. There is little to no slop or creaky plastic- It just feels SOLID!. The slider is especially impressively free of slop. Granted I have only had it a little over a week so not sure on the durability but since I will be returning it I won’t get to test that.-Charge port and wired headphone access on the bottom of the handgrips are well designed and aid in a more relaxed gameplay. They are countersunk with large cutouts for larger connector shrouds to still fit and really are non obtrusive even when playing using them. They are hardware connected via the same lightning connector into the phone that allows the hardware connection for the controller. Very well thought out.-The hardware buttons that interact with the app and the software itself is really nice especially when wanting to just jump into a game quickly when you just have a few minutes to burn. Just pop the phone in, push the launcher button and then start using the controller to select a game in your library and the app even enables a game mode that silences obtrusive notifications while playing. There’s also a record button that can be used to start recording video or take a screen shot when pressed. SLICK! Just a great implementation of hardware and software working together. Note: because of what is mentioned above, the app and its features are no longer available without the subscription plan so three of the hardware buttons having to do with app functions I found to not be usable unless I installed the app (they can’t even be reprogrammed in other apps) and two of those continually prompt an app download every time they are pressed.-All other hardware buttons feel responsive and well built- no complaints on their feel.-The mechanism to put the phone in is simple and quick to implement. Care must be taken to put the phone in on the left side first then insert the lightning port side and uninstall in reverse or damage to the controller or phone may result. But after a few times its second nature to do it that way anyway.-The designers have added support to use the controller hardwired to other devices- Macs, iPads, PC’s, etc. At the time I purchased it there was no mention on Amazon of this feature and its cool they added it – however, this is another case where the subscription is required to use. I also have not used this function as I feel in those cases for me, I’ll just use an xbox controller.Things I think the controller could improve on:-If your phone is in a case, it doesn’t matter how thin it is, you’ll have to take it off. This is my BIGGEST GRIPE OF THE HARDWARE design of the controller as it adds another step and to some I’m sure removing there case is not that easy or desirable (I know its not for me)-Small grips, I can cut some slack here as the design choice may have preferred a more compact form factor over larger grip comfort. If you are used to an Xbox controller this will be uncomfortable at first and will likely never be as enjoyable as a larger controller-Small joysticks- they’re very short making them that much more sensitive on a controller that is somewhat small to hold to begin with. This again is excusable because it helps maintain a lower profile, compact form factor. The larger these sticks become the more susceptible they are to damage in transport, or rough use.-No case, due to its slider design the controller without a phone is thinner and less tall, BUT wider than an xbox controller! For this reason I feel it needs a case to be carried around as I don’t trust it safe form damage otherwise, and for the price I wouldn’t want to risk it and feel it maybe should have been included.-Probably don’t need to mention it again but, REMOVE the need for a subscription to use the app!-Ability to fold or slide to a smaller form factor to make it more likely to want to be carried around.Some things that aren’t great, but no fault of backbone:-xbox cloud gaming is hit and miss, if you haven’t tried it before, don’t assume its as enjoyable as local gaming or gaming on the xbox. It works sometimes and other times stutters bad regardless of connection. Also, this cannot be accessed through backbones game launcher but that is due to a fight between Apple’s app store and Microsoft. It must be loaded as a safari app (easy and backbone walks you through it) xbox cloud gaming was a big draw for me (using it on the phone, not the free month access they supply). I already have it and had used it on the xbox but felt I would get more use out of the phone using it- I found out, I don’t like its performance on the phone.-To conclude this overly lengthy review, I don’t think this controller at the current price and app subscription plan is worth the purchase. I think a version 2 with even just a few improvements, notably for me, its ability to use phones inside their case and a removal of the subscription requirement for most features would provide a better value proposition. As is, I am returning mine primarily for the failure to advertise the need for the subscription for all advertised features..Attached are photos of the app prompts when its not installed and either the photo or launcher button is pressed and another of the subscription service that is added when setting up the app. Also pictures showing its size next to an xbox controller.