Looking for a little gaming action on your smartphone, but annoyed with fiddly touch-screen controls that obscure the action? You could go out and buy yourself an Experia Play… or you could check out this universal gaming controller for quite a lot less!
The iControlPad is the world’s smallest and lightest fully functional Bluetooth gaming controller, and despite the Apple-oriented name includes special software to work on every smartphone OS: iOS (meaning iPhone, iPad and iPod), Android, BlackBerry, Symbian, and even WebOS. It’s quite cleverly designed and includes upgradeable firmware to ensure that new devices are always supported.
iControlPad Bluetooth Controller for iOS, Android, WebOS and Symbian
As you can see there are two modes of operation: you can keep it as a singular unit, or you can attach it your mobile phone using a selection of side clamps. These clamps will fit most phones, including all iPhones, allowing you to have an experience more akin to a handheld console.
You can also plug in the controller via a USB OTG adapter to have it serve as an emergency battery, offering an extra 1360mAh of power. That’s roughly the same amount as is in most phones to start with, so you’re effectively doubling your phone’s life will using it as an extended battery.
iControlPad Bluetooth Controller for iOS, Android, WebOS and Symbian
It’s a very slick little gadget, and if you’re looking to game on the move without packing a bulky handheld, this is the way to go. With so many games available these days, including iOS and Android originals as well as emulated classics, this is definitely a cool choice.
Parting Words
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It should work on the software side of things; I don’t think your version of Bluetooth will be any different than other Android 2.1+ devices. You could always ask the manufacturer directly to make sure, via their wiki or forums:
Wiki: http://pandorawiki.org/IControlPad
Forums: http://boards.openpandora.org/index.php?/forum/6-icontrolpad/
I’d love to get one if they could guarantee compatibility with my samsung Mesmerize. I know I can’t use the wii remote or certain bluetooth keyboards with my phones implementation of bluetooth.