It is a neat, solid, and well-built solution that gives you diamond pad joystick and button controls for over 100 iOS games and counting. And it looks like a portable Sony game system! ION has done some solid work here. Your iOS device fits snugly in the rubberized casing, and can rotate to portrait or landscape position as the game dictates. Unlike with many other accessories, you don't need an adapter for different versions of iPods or iPhones. This can also be a bit of a problem. You don't have easy access to the sleep or volume buttons, so set the volume level where you want it, before inserting the device in the cradle.
The iCade Mobile connects over Bluetooth by pretending to be a keyboard. Because of how iOS pairs, you need to enter a numeric code, so the 12 buttons or directions on the joystick correspond to numbers or the enter key. It's a bit confusing, and the tiny embossed numbers don't do much to help. Also, since iOS will think there is a regular keyboard attached, the virtual keyboard won't come up, so you can't type to search for an app or enter your name on a leaderboard, etc. There's a lot to like about the iCade Mobile and the base of compatible apps (http://www.ionaudio.com/products/icade-games) is growing, making it more attractive day by day.
