Whenever I see something for the iPad at the Dollar Tree I have to check it out. So when I saw an iPad stand, I thought I'd give it a try. I can't find a picture of their Smart iStand, but it looks like a puddle of water (base) which is flowing from a faucet (part that goes against the back of the iPad or phone). It's somewhere between a gag gift and clever design. I put it together and tried it out, and it does hold up an iPad.
HOWEVER, there are some major discrepancies between what it does in real life and the pictures on the box. Like the purchasers of many yard water slide toys, I am wondering how they rearranged the laws of physics to make the pictures on the box work. First, the curved spout of the stand is shown supporting the iPad. If you attempt this, it will fall over. You must put the flat end (where the wall would be on a normal faucet) against your iPad to give it proper support.
Second, on the box the iPad is tilted. There is no way to achieve any kind of tilt with this stand. You can sit it horizontally or vertically but it is straight up. I do not see how any phone could be tilted either, because the space between the ridge that holds the device in place and the faucet is so narrow. This is not an ergonomic stand.
Lastly, this stand has two weaknesses: it wobbles and your iPad can slide from side to side. There is nothing grippy or too secure about this stand.
If you are looking for an everyday iPad stand, this is not a good first choice. It would be great to watch TV or Facetime on, but not too great if you want to do anything that requires a lot of poking. You can make do with it if you are desperate or short on cash. It could also make a funky stand for small to medium canvas board paintings, which can be hard to frame.
