Update 10/8/2020 - The BBC and Tech Crunch have published some issues that indicate safety and security concerns with this device. Buyers beware.
Admittedly I am a huge nerd. Kevin and I have all the home automation gadgets. Wifi outlets, lights that change color with an app and we both carry conversations with virtual assistants way more than we should admit.
When I got an email from QIUI informing us about the Cell Mate Bluetooth device, I was beyond excited. Full disclosure, in exchange for posting a review we were sent two Cell Mate devices. Kevin is wearing one of them presently and we will be giving the other away to one of you lucky readers. Rest assured that the review will be as unbiased as possible.
The box is very nice. Packed neatly in foam the cage itself, an instruction manual and two base rings are packed neatly inside. It felt like I was unboxing a new phone. It didn't feel cheap, everything looked rock solid and very high grade. The device ships with the locking pin closed so it needed to be paired to a phone before we could test the installation.
The name of the app is QIUI and it is available on the Apple and Android stores. The Apple app has a 3.0 rating as of this writing and the Android app has a very weak 1.5 rating. I have an older Samsung phone so my review was using the Android app and I didn't have any problem with it. I registered our device, unlocked it to allow Kevin to fit himself. We locked and unlocked it a few times just to be certain that it will be able to come off when needed. This is quite a bit of trust to place in the hands of any app, especially an app with a 1.5 star review. While there were good reviews, a couple of the more concerning ones got our attention.…
