Gadgin Premium Selfie Remote Control Camera Shutter – Amazing Wireless Clicker for Photo, Video – for iPhone, iPad, Samsung Galaxy, Note, Tab, HTC, Moto, Android, iOS, Phone, Tablet (30ft Range)

br>br>The following is a detailed review - For a quick summary of the main points, go to the end. br>br>My first attempt at having a device like this was a Kickstarter project, which ended up being the last time I supported a Kickstarter project. It was supposed to be a remote for my Android phone (at the time, the HTC M8) and was dubbed the Qmote, but it was a complete flop. It took more than a year to arrive, and when it did, it couldn't do anything. or, at the very least, nothing practical. It disabled my keyboard, refused to work with any apps, and the only thing it could do with my camera was cycle through the flash settings. I couldn't even take a picture with it. br>br>At first, I was skeptical, but when it arrived, it was an impressive-looking little device that appeared to be well-made, simple, and well-suited to its purpose. Not only did it come with a carrying pouch, but it also came with TWO batteries! In my experience, that's a first, and it was greatly appreciated. A lanyard was also included, which was extremely useful. Small details like this add a lot to the overall value and convenience of the product. br>br>My primary goal was to be able to use my phone for photos and videos while I was away from home. Using the new HTC 10 (the best phone on the planet, hands down - It's great to capture photos and videos of the scenic countryside on long road trips, but a remote is the only safe way to operate the camera (in my humble opinion only). br>br>Place this Gadgin BT Remote in the box. I hung it from the rearview mirror with the provided lanyard, so the button was always within reach, and whenever I wanted to take a picture of the view outside the windshield, I simply pressed the remote, and presto! Instant photo journey or, in video mode, instant on and off to create a video of any length I desired. br>br>Did you find it simple to work? br>br>Well, right out of the box, it paired with my phone without any issues. AB Shutter 6 was the name that appeared on the screen. It would have been nice if the instructions said so, but it was obvious what it was when a new device appeared in "Scan For Devices" mode. br>br>I did get the usual "keyboard change" alert that I got with the piece of junk Qmote, because this, like the Qmote, appears on your device as an "external keyboard," but with this BT Remote, I simply confirmed my existing keyboard (I use the Swiftkey app - see below). much better than what comes with it loaded in the phone) and there were no issues. This is, I believe, an issue with Apple devices, but you can still use your keyboard in Android for texting and other purposes. br>br>Now, when I first started using it, I had a few issues: 1. br>br> The volume menu is triggered as a result of this. If I'm in silent mode or using the HTC 10's Do Not Disturb mode, this BT Remote will force me out of both, first setting my phone to vibrate and then, with each subsequent press, while taking a photo, gradually increasing the volume until it reaches maximum, meaning any call or notification is screaming at me full blast. br>br>While this only happens in photo mode, it made a mess when I switched to video mode (having not noticed that the volume had increased). It was in the process of being re-created. I noticed the volume change in conjunction with using this remote after setting it to silent and taking a photo while looking at the screen. br>br>This was not mentioned in any of the instructions. br>br>My workaround for this was to turn off the shutter sound within the camera when silent mode was desired, such as to avoid disturbing wildlife, and since it wouldn't let me keep the rest of my phone on silent, I simply managed the HTC 10's notification profiles to instruct the phone not to notify me of any incoming calls, messages, emails, etc. That way, even with the volume at maximum, no alerts would be triggered. 2. br>br>1. br>br>br>br>br>br Sleep mode is activated. This device switches to a power-saving mode after what appears to be three or five minutes. This means you won't get a picture or start a video when you press the button - It simply wakes up the device, and then your next press will take the photo or start the video after a second or two. br>br>The instructions didn't mention this, so needless to say, I missed a lot of great shots when I went to take a picture with the device turned on and only woke it up, with no photo being taken, while the scenery passed me by. br>br>On a tripod, this was a problem as well. Go to press the button after patiently waiting for a fox to appear in the frame - There is no image; the device is simply waking up. By the time the device is ready to be used, the fox has vanished. br>br>For this, what is my workaround? I'll go over it in more detail in my next point. 3. br>br>4. br>br>5. br>br>6. Use of Energy. Even with this sleep/wake operation, you have no idea when the battery will die because there is no low battery warning of any kind, and mine died on a spectacular stretch of mountain highway with epic photo opportunities, as Murphy's Law would have it. There was nowhere to stop and replace the battery. I only got about three hours out of it, so that's a lot of batteries to go through over the course of a full day of adventures. br>br>My solution around here was to simply turn it off when not in use, using the physical power switch, and then turn it back on when ready to use, because it wakes up just as quickly from being off as it does from its "sleep" mode. br>br>Of course, this extended the battery life, and it also solved the problem of not knowing whether the device was awake or asleep (and thus potentially missing a shot you were waiting for). I knew it was ready to activate the camera once I physically turned it on. br>br>My only concern is premature wear on the small on/off switch, but so far everything has worked out fine - The battery lasted all day when I used it in this on/off mode instead of the wake/sleep mode, and the switch worked just as well at the end of the day as it did at the beginning. br>br>4. Detailed instructions. As I previously stated, the instructions did not address any of these issues. They were short, happy, and upbeat, essentially saying, "Just turn it on, pair it, and off you go!" But, as I've already stated, it wasn't that simple. br>br>As a result of these issues, a star was taken away. Why is there only one star available? Because I was able to work around all of the issues fairly easily, and once I had my workarounds in place, this did exactly what I needed, reliably and quickly. Other features that I enjoyed were: br>br> br>br>The small blue light on the side is very useful for indicating that it is pairing, turned on, or that the battery is dead if it blinks rapidly. However, none of this is explained in any of the instructions, so when the battery died for the first time, I assumed the device was broken or pairing was failing for some reason, until I noticed the blue light blinking rapidly when turning it on and correctly guessed that it was a dead battery indicator. br>br>These are things that would be greatly appreciated if they were explained in detail. br>br>Pairing was extremely dependable. It stayed paired once I paired it with my phone, though I had to make sure I was connected to it before turning on my car, or my pushy BMW would keep grabbing the BT connection away from the BT Remote. br>br>I liked that using the BT Remote helped conserve my phone battery (which, obviously, drains much faster with the camera constantly on) because I could turn my phone screen off, turn the BT Remote on, and press the button once to "wake up" my phone, and then both the BT Remote and phone were ready for a photo or video session. br>br>The physical structure is fantastic - Since this is a small device, the open ring area comes in handy; it makes it easy to grasp without having to look at what you're doing, and when hung from my review mirror, it provided a great purchase point for working the slide switch, which I used to turn it on and off between uses. The battery port door is easy to open and close, and replacing the battery is a breeze. The function button that activates it is certain and certain. br>br>It does, however, require a CR2016 battery (thank you, Picon, fellow Amazoner, for pointing this out to me), which isn't always readily available and can be pricey if purchased individually (Amazon has them in bulk for much less than most stores). I keep a supply on hand because I have other devices that use the CR2016, but it would be nice if it took the CR2032 instead (thanks again, Picon) because it would give me more use time; in any case, it's a good idea to bring extras of the CR2016 with you, as it may be more of a specialty battery depending on local supply, especially when traveling. You don't want to be caught off guard with a dead battery and no way of replacing it. SUMMARY: br>br> aWESOME DEVICE. br>br> It worked beautifully once I figured out how to use it properly. Once I worked around the issues mentioned, it worked flawlessly to remotely operate my phone in either camera or video mode. It let me wake my phone to conserve phone battery, it allowed for conservation of BT Remote battery by using the power switch to have it on or off as desired, and it worked flawlessly to remotely operate my phone in either camera or video mode. DOWNFALL DOWNFALL DOWNFALL DOWNFALL DOWNFALL DOWNFALL DOWNFALL DOWNFALL Poor instructions, in terms of being far too brief and failing to address potentially problematic issues; the issues were resolvable, but the manufacturer should have addressed such potential issues in greater depth. Shorter battery life than expected, and at three or four dollars per battery (if not purchased in bulk), going through several a day could add up quickly if used frequently - However, using the switch to modulate power use extends battery life and is more practical for use in the manner I mentioned to avoid the device going to sleep at a critical moment. SUGGESTIONS: br>br> Better instructions should be provided. br>br> Even though most tech-savvy people may be able to figure this device out, without the benefit of trial and error, there should be no reason to shy away from providing the necessary instructions, explaining the various features and implications of the device to users. It would also indicate to the customer that the company has considered how to use this device from the perspective of the customer, assisting in the user's understanding of how to use the device. br>br>It might also be nice to have graduated lights for the remaining power - or maybe a red light when the battery is down to a third charge or something, because having the battery die at an inconvenient time and without warning is a pain. br>br>SUGGESTION FOR DEVELOPMENT: MAKE AN APP FOR THIS! br>br>MAKE AN APP FOR THIS! How awesome would it be if there was an app that worked with this device?br>br>That's what Qmote was aiming for, and unfortunately, they failed miserably because the gadget itself was terrible, so whether the app worked or not didn't really matter because the device itself was garbage (although the app was also garbage - see below). Given how much money they raised, it's a bit of a annoyance. br>br>However, because this device is so good in general, I can only imagine how useful a simple app to go along with it would be. 1. br>br> It will tell you how long the remote's battery will last. 2. br>br>1. br>br>br>br>br>br Control the length of time that the sleep mode runs and whether or not it can be turned off entirely. 3. br>br>4. br>br>5. br>br>6. So you don't have to go to your BT menu to check if you're connected, you can confirm BT connection in the app. 4. br>br> Possibly an option for the app itself to provide audible notifications, through your device, to advise you of low battery, warn you of impending sleep mode activation, alert you to a lost BT connection, and so on. br>br>An app like that would make this device the best on the market, bar none, for remote phone/tablet camera operation. br>br>Overall, despite the minor flaws noted, this device has proven to be a big winner for me - While better instructions are required, the device was simple enough for me to figure out and solve problems on my own, though I hope Gadgin steps up to the plate and improves the information provided with the device. br>br>I hope this has been helpful. Thank you for taking the time to read this!.

Kyrie Decker

| Dec 29, 2021

Replace the spare battery and power it up. The blue LED is flashing. I double-checked my iPhone (which is running iOS 12). 1) I looked for "AB Shutter 6" on the device and tried to pair with it. On my phone, I don't see anything like that. "HUAWEI Band 2-" is what I see. b36”. I've never seen anything like it before. I tried to use the camera photo app after connecting to the internet. Nothing happens when you press the button. The blue LED on the device continues to flash. There is no further action taken. The distance between the device and the phone is about 2 inches. I'm guessing that once it's paired, the Blue LED will stop flashing and a different color steady light will appear, indicating that it's connected. Nothing happens, no matter what. This does not work.

Mitchell Trujillo

| Sep 24, 2021

With your smartphone or tablet, this is an excellent remote. Connecting to your device via Bluetooth is a breeze. When you need something to work, you can count on it. Has a wide range of applications. The battery lasts for a long time. Pocket-sized items are small enough to fit easily into your pocket. When the battery needs to be replaced, it is simple to do so. So far, the best Amazon purchase I've made. It is not overly expensive. Advantages: br>br> It's possible that this is the best remote available. I'm going to take pictures and video. Even if you turn off the remote or the device it's connected to, it says it's connected.
Cons: If you aren't paying attention, the battery cover comes off easily (a piece of duct tape will solve this problem), and you may lose the cover and battery. br>br>Summary: br>br> This guy fits the bill if you're looking for a pocket-sized remote that works when you need it to. On Amazon, the best remote.

Bria Parks

| Jul 18, 2021

*UPDATE* Range is no longer available. After reading the reviews on Amazon for other blue tooth remotes, all I wanted was a remote that could maintain a stable connection and work with both pictures and video. Both of my requirements were met with the Gadgin remote. br>br>I used the remote to take pictures with my Samsung Galaxy S5 and Note 3, and the remote was able to do so with the stock camera app. As my primary camera app, I use "Open Camera" from the Google Play Store, and this remote could take pictures as well as start and stop video recording. The reviews made me skeptical as to whether it would work for video or if I would have to use the Camera 360 app just to take pictures, but this product will work on%2 br>br>My only criticism is the $20 price tag for such a small device, but I suppose you get what you pay for. It would also be nice if the battery could be recharged rather than just giving you one extra battery. br>br>Overall, I am pleased with this purchase because I received a product that works with the apps I use without any issues. br>br>**UPDATE*
br>After using this product for about a month, I noticed that the remote does not work properly when I try to take video or photos from a distance of about 10 feet. I have a tripod mount for my phone and wanted to take pictures of myself from a distance using the remote. I pressed the button on the remote, and when I returned to check my phone, no pictures had been taken. It was extremely inconvenient, so don't buy this remote if you plan to use it for similar purposes.

Finnegan Reynolds

| Apr 25, 2021

Plastic that is hard and durable. I like that the On/Off Switch can be read to determine whether it is on or off. I have both this and the CamKix, and this one appears to be made of a more durable plastic, despite the fact that it costs twice as much. Signal connects better and faster than my CamKix. The Camkix had one advantage over this one: it came with a lanyard, but I thought the Gadgin was superior in terms of quality and durability. My Galaxy S9 has no problems with it.

Noe Knight

| Sep 28, 2021

It's extremely simple to use. I mounted my iPhone on a tripod and turned on the video mode on the camera. I pressed the record button on the remote control and began filming right away. I ended the recording by clicking the button at the end. It's a smooth operation. Anyone who wants to record themselves on video should try it out.

Aurelia Drake

| Oct 09, 2021