SUBSCRIBE
F O R T R E S S
No Result
View All Result
  • MOVIES
  • TV
  • GAMING
  • TECH
  • COMICS
  • SNEAKERS
  • TOYS
  • VIDEO
  • WIN
Fortress of Solitude
No Result
View All Result

Glap Play Android Controller Review – Turns Your Smartphone Into A Handheld

Home > Tech > Glap Play Android Controller Review – Turns Your Smartphone Into A Handheld

Glap Play Android Controller Review – Turns Your Smartphone Into A Handheld

Evan SaundersbyEvan Saunders
November 5, 2019
in Tech
Tags: Tech NewsTech Review

Gaming has grown massively across the globe in recent years. Even mobile gaming have seen unprecedented growth, with the mobile versions of popular games such as Fortnite and PUBG leading the way. And with the rise in such games, there has also been quite a few eSports and events thrown into the mix. And where a sufficiently-sized crowd gathers, so does the money follow. As a result of this increase in mobile gaming, a new wave of peripherals has started to make its way into the South African market. One such accessory is the glap.Play Android Controller designed for and endorsed by Samsung.

Glap Play Android Controller Review – Turns Your Smartphone Into A Handheld

Build and Design

The description of the glap. is a bit misleading. To say it’s a controller is only half true. For me, a controller would be a wireless connected accessory to assist you while gaming. The glap. does connect wirelessly to your Android smartphone, but it’s also housed within the device itself. This effectively turns your smartphone into a handheld console, in the same category with the likes of the Nintendo Switch Lite and the PlayStation Vita. It looks and feels that way too, especially with the smartphone acting as a screen in the middle.

Unlike the normal handheld consoles, however, the glap. doesn’t shy away from size. Instead, the focus is more towards the overall experience with the grips and rest for your hands and fingers in the various positions, which is an important aspect to consider after a few hours of gaming. A direct comparison between the glap. and the Switch Lite makes for quite a different overall experience in hand. The larger grips make it a lot more comfortable in your palms. In addition, the positioning of the groove on the rear also allows my pinky fingers to tuck in behind those grips instead of dangling below the device, which has been a bit of pain points when gaming on the smartphone directly, or using the Switch Lite as well. This makes quite a big difference on the whole, giving my fingers a nice resting position after a few hours of continued usage.

Glap Play Android Controller Review – Turns Your Smartphone Into A Handheld
Glap Play Android Controller Review – Turns Your Smartphone Into A Handheld

The button layout may look a bit different to your standard controllers, such as on the Xbox One and PS4 controllers, but they are mostly similar. The biggest difference is on the right-hand side layout, with the joystick and buttons swapped, compared to the standard layout. It doesn’t feel uncomfortable or strange in hand, however. There are four additional buttons, two on either side towards the bottom end, that don’t fit the conventional controller layouts. These buttons work similarly to that of the onscreen buttons on your Android smartphone.



Another great design feature, built especially for the Samsung flagships, is the two rubberised edges which house the two ends of the smartphone. These rubber housings have a ‘serrated-looking’ finish, which allows for airflow upwards from the surround sound speakers for improved sound quality. The positioning of the speakers on the S9, S10, Note 9 and Note 10 ranges make it an ideal companion for maximum use of the effect.

Glap Play Android Controller Review – Turns Your Smartphone Into A Handheld

Setup

As with many accessories, the trick is in the ease of setup. The glap. does a good job of that. Firstly, you’ll need to add the smartphone into the housing, which can be done by simply pulling the grips apart. Once the smartphone has been positioned, there’s a release button on the rear which then closes the to fit snug between the two rubberised ends, as mentioned previously.



The next step is to pair the device and smartphone via Bluetooth. There is no on or off switch on the glap., which means the Bluetooth visibility is almost always on in power saving mode. You’ll then select the device from the list of available devices to allow for the pairing. Once connected, you’re good to go. Right from the settings menu, users are able to control their smartphones via the device buttons. The controls within certain games are also default with that of the controller, making it a breeze to set up in-game as well with not too much additional associations to be assigned.

Glap Play Android Controller Review – Turns Your Smartphone Into A Handheld

Performance and Battery

I’ve touched on a lot of the performance aspects of the glap. In the previous sections, most of which are as a result of the design aspects of the unit. The grips make for both an ease of use, plus the longevity of continued use for long period of time. While there may not be any official stats available on the weight of the glap. unofficially, it’s similar to most modern smartphones. Using them in conjunction would be around the 400-500g in total. That said, it makes for a third of the weight heavier than the Switch Lite, but it doesn’t really feel like it overall.



When it comes to battery life, the unit boasts a 480mAh Ni-HM battery, which provides up to 10 hours of continuous gameplay. The device has an intelligent sleep mode function, which saves quite a bit of battery life when not in use. When the battery does run out, there is a USB Type-C port to plug into your now standard smartphone charging point. It doesn’t have any fast-charging technology built-in, but it still takes less than an hour to recharge and get going once again.

Glap Play Android Controller Review – Turns Your Smartphone Into A Handheld

Conclusion

The glap. Play Android Controller is a great companion to your smartphone gaming, especially with the ever-growing Fortnite and PUBG mobile communities. It makes gaming more enjoyable and easier to manage than the onscreen controls that often cause issues with viewing, even on larger-screened smartphones. The glap. also supports devices up to 7.5″, which makes it available for the smaller-sized tablets. It may be marketed as the Samsung companion gaming accessory, but having tested it on a few other Android smartphones the ease of use and setup remains consistent across all.

The unit retails for R1,299 via Vodacom 4U stores around the country. At this price, it costs the same as that of the Bluetooth-enabled Xbox One and PS4 controllers, with the former being able to connect to your Android device as well. That said, the glap. offers a lot more performance gains over the other controllers, mostly as a result of it turning your smartphone into a handheld console.

The Review

Glap.Play

87% Score

The glap. Play Android Controller is a great companion to your smartphone gaming, especially with the ever-growing Fortnite and PUBG mobile communities. It makes gaming more enjoyable and easier to manage than the onscreen controls that often cause issues with viewing, even on larger-screened smartphones.

PROS

  • Comfortable design
  • Easy to set up and use
  • Battery life

CONS

  • Maybe a touch heavy for some users

Review Breakdown

  • Ease of Learning 0%
  • Ease of Use 0%
  • Design 0%
  • Performance 0%
  • Enjoyment 0%
  • Value for Money 0%
ShareTweetSend
ADVERTISEMENT

POPULAR

  • The 15 Most Powerful Anime Characters Of All Time

    The 15 Most Powerful & Strongest Anime Characters Of All Time

    2 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Top 10 Best Anime Series Of All-Time

    2 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The 15 Most Powerful Characters In The Marvel Universe

    26 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Wyatt Russell Receiving Death Threats For John Walker Captain America

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Mortal Kombat (2021) Review: Not a Flawless Victory But Certainly Victorious

    2 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Related Posts

huawei mate 40 pro
Tech

Huawei Mate 40 Pro Review – A Great Mobile Device

April 14, 2021
LG NanoCell AI ThinQ 55 Nano86
Tech

LG NanoCell AI ThinQ 55 Nano86 Review – Next-Generation on a Budget

April 9, 2021
Acer ConceptD 7 Ezel Review – A Unique Concept
Tech

Acer ConceptD 7 Ezel Review – A Unique Concept

April 8, 2021
TaoTronics TT-CL026 LED Ring Light Review – Lighting the Way
Tech

TaoTronics TT-CL026 LED Ring Light Review – Lighting the Way

April 8, 2021
Five Must-Have Apps for Sports Enthusiasts –  Available on Android and iOS
Tech

Five Must-Have Apps for Sports Enthusiasts – Available on Android and iOS

by Staff Writer
April 4, 2021
ADVERTISEMENT

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Fortress of Solitude

Fortress of Solitude

Fortress of Solitude has become one of the most popular geek entertainment interest websites in South Africa and covers news and reviews on movies, games, comic books, gadgets, TV series, toys, sneakers and more.

The articles on Fortress of Solitude are written by a group of talented, professional and experienced freelance writers, all experts and leaders in their various fields.

Categories

  • Board Games
  • Books
  • Comic Books
  • Competitions
  • Gaming
  • Internet
  • Movies
  • Podcast
  • Sneakers
  • Tech
  • Toys
  • TV Series

Newsletter

Sign up for news in your inbox.

  • For more information on COVID-19
  • About Us
  • Authors
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy & Site Disclaimer
  • Contact Fortress of Solitude

© 2021 Fortress of Solitude, a division of Fortress Entertainment. Registered in South Africa. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Movies
  • TV
  • Gaming
  • Tech
  • Comics
  • Sneakers
  • Toys
  • Video
  • Win
  • Contact

© 2021 Fortress of Solitude, a division of Fortress Entertainment. Registered in South Africa. All Rights Reserved.