We all know what they say about a fool and his money. Of course most of us that use Android phones are aware that our friends and neighbors who use Apple devices are giving money to company with the highest profit margins in the consumer electronics industry. But it is always good to be reminded that the naive and wealthy come in all shapes and sizes, and if these products are any indication, there are a few fools out there sporting Android phones.
10. iSuper Helicopter
Yes, flying a remote control helicopter with your phone is pretty awesome, and I am personally a fan of RC helicopters. But we do need to keep in mind that this is a $100 helicopter that happens to be able to communicate with your Android phone.
What happens if you get a call while your $100 helicopter is in the air? What happens if your phone stutters while you are trying to land? These are the types of questions you should ask yourself before you spend your hard earned cash on this device. Although at least if you buy this you will have something cool, so this isn’t the most wasteful way to spend your money on this list.
Buy from: Wireless Input – $129.00 | Amazon – $62.99
9. Just Mobile AluPen Pro
At first glance this product might not seem like a bad idea. A stylus for your device on one end and a ball point pen on the other. But let us actually think this through. Forget for a moment that this is a $40 product that is nothing more than a 99 cent pen strapped to a 99 cent stylus.
Think about the first time you scratch the screen of your $500 phone with the pen end of this thing. Then think about how many pieces of paper you will tear with the rubber nub on the other end. The AluPen Pro is a disaster waiting to happen. If you really need to switch between a pen and a stylus this quickly, put a pen and a stylus in your shirt pocket and call it a day.
Buy from: Just Mobile – $39.95 | Amazon – 34.99
8. Motorola HD Station
This would fall under the category of “Putting HD in the Name Doesn’t Make it Cool”. I am going to tell myself that this device is a relic from the dark time before Google purchased Motorola. Seriously? $99 for a pretty standard dock for your phone? This is a dock that should cost around twenty bucks, no more. For this kind of money I’d expect a dock that can make me a sandwich and fix my relationship with my girlfriend. This is a perfect example of why you should comparison shop, this is the age of the internet, there is no excuse not to.
Buy from: Amazon – $29.99
7. Universal Car Holder Desktop Bed Office Bracket Mobile Stand
Here is a piece of advice: if you are poking around online looking to purchase a product, and the seller hasn’t taken the time to edit the title of said product for grammar and capitalization, you probably shouldn’t expect top notch customer service.
This actually looks like a pretty neat design for a smart phone dock, except that it costs about $2,000 more than it should. I’m not sure if someone thinks this is actually worth it, if the price is a typo, or if this is some government experiment designed to identify people who should be removed from the gene pool. Either way, it is safe to assume that this “mobile Stand for All cellphone” is a tad overpriced.
Buy from: Amazon – $2008.94
6. 3Bays – GSA PRO for Android Mobile Phones and Tablets
I will not pretend that I am an expert in the game of golf, although I have been playing off and on for the past several years. I realize that there are a million overpriced accessories for any golf player out there. The pro shop at your local golf course would love for you to buy a hundred dollar pair of gloves and a driver that costs more than the GDP of most small African countries. But I cannot help but question the wisdom of purchasing a $200 device that may or may not help analyze your golf swing. Even assuming that it does, how long will it be before you slip up and smack this thing a hundred yards down the fairway?
If you decide to buy one of these you should probably just go ahead and get a dozen, because if this product really has enough sensor that are sensitive enough to detect minute variances in your golf swing, it will most certainly cease to operate once you have smacked it with an iron club moving at 70 mph. As if enough obscenities weren’t already being hurled around at golf courses…
Buy from: 3Bays – $199.99 | Amazon – $199.00
5. Orange Hard 2-PC Plastic Case + LCD Screen Protector for MOTOROLA DROID X
What do you think a plastic case for a Motorola Droid X should run you? Did you answer “around $13,000”? Then I have got the perfect product for you, as well as several great opportunities for investment. Yes, folks this is a pretty standard, although somewhat ugly case for an obsolete phone that someone seems to think you should pay thirteen grand to buy. I’m not sure what the plan is on the part of the seller, but I think it is safe to assume that you could write this purchase off of your tax liability because this counts as an act of charity.
Buy from: Amazon – $12995.00
4. Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 Portfolio fit Letter,A4 Size Spiral Notebook & Regular Notepad
The Galaxy Tab 2 is a great product. In fact it might be one of the best Android tablets on the market right now.
This product, on the other hand, begs so many questions I’m not sure where to start. First of all, this contraption is huge. The advantage of using a tablet, especially one as thin as the Galaxy Tab 2 is that it is slim and portable. This case takes a tablet a few millimeters thick and makes it into something the size of a dictionary. But the real question is why would you need a pad of paper, if you have a tablet right next to it? Isn’t the whole point of the computer age to replace pens and paper?
It simply boggles the mind… it really does…
Buy from: Amazon – $158.00
3. IRISNotes 1 Digital Pen for Smartphones
I had no idea a technology this pointless existed, but now my eyes have been opened. This is a pen that will connect with any Bluetooth enabled device including smart phones and tablets. As you write this pen with transcribe what you are writing into text on the screen. I’ll give you a second to let that sink in. Since when is writing with a pen faster than typing away at the keyboard on your phone? Even if it isn’t, maybe for someone older or someone who isn’t quick with their thumbs, why would you pay$120 for a pen that does this, instead of paying $20 for a Bluetooth keyboard??
This has got to be an example of a company that was strait up out of ideas for new products. What kind of madness would motivate the production of something like this? How many more rhetorical questions can I jam into this article? Will the madness ever stop?
Buy from: I.R.I.S. – $129.00 | Amazon – $272.39
2. Premium Leather Case Holster For HTC One
First of all, just by eyeballing this case I can tell you that it won’t fit the HTC One that came out this year. This is a case designed for a size of smart phone that no one is making anymore. I can’t say that this case is any worse or better than any other leather case out there that clips to someone’s belt. However it is safe to say that $395 is a tad expensive for something that should cost around $10.
I’m assuming that someone crunched the numbers and figured out that if you put something out there on Amazon, eventually someone will buy it no matter what the product at what the price. Maybe they are right, maybe the joke is on us…
Buy from: Amazon – $395.00
1. Edifier Tick Tock Bluetooth Clock
I saved this product for #1 not because it is the most expensive product on this list, because it isn’t. This product had to go in the #1 place on this list because it is simply the most baffling product I have ever seen. This isn’t anything special. All this thing does is tell you the time, and when your phone tells it to, it sets off an alarm to wake you up in the morning. You know what else does that?? YOUR SMART PHONE!!
I understand that some of us are heavy sleepers, but if the speaker on your phone isn’t loud enough to wake you up, either you need a new phone or you need to see a doctor because you might be slipping into a coma every night. Why would you pay $80 to buy something that replicates features that your phone already has? Why? Your smart phone tells the time, your smart phone has an alarm, your smart phone can be set to play whatever music you want when it goes off. I just don’t get it. I really don’t. For the sake of humanity I hope no one has ever purchased a Bluetooth clock.
Buy from: Edifier – $79.99 | Amazon – $65.24