Be Smart

Most of the so-called antennas for cell phones are just gimmicks and not worth the money, but we've finally found one that works. The Griffin case conceals a built-in booster antenna that captures more of the available wireless signal and sends it to the internal antenna of your iPhone. This should result in a better signal, especially in drop-out areas — which translates to fewer dropped calls, wider coverage areas, and faster downloads when browsing.

I gave it to a friend of mine to test, who seems to know ALL the drop-out areas in LA and he put it through its paces. His report: "Seemed to get better signal strength in known areas where I would get completely knocked off or very low signal." He was pleased with it but had one complaint - that the little "antenna stub" made it difficult at times to retrieve the iPhone from his pocket.

If you want to test the effectiveness of the ClearBoost, Griffin has page where you can do a "field test." Or do your own field test. For $29.99, it's definitely worth it.