iClooly brings the magic of landlines to your iPhone

Last year we told you about a product called the Phone x Phone, which is an iPhone dock that essentially turns your mobile into a desktop phone. Well, while it has a decidedly 70s retro appeal, the Phone x Phone now has some competition in the form of the sleek and modern-looking iClooly Handset and Sync Stand. You just lay your iPhone 4, 3GS, 3G, or Android phone with a 3.5 mm headphone jack into the stand, plug in the landline-style handset, and pretend that cell phones were never invented.

Actually, all kidding aside, set-ups like this one do serve a practical purpose. By attaching a separate handset to the phone, you can access the functions on its screen while still being able to carry on a conversation with the person on the other end of the line. This means you could do things like checking your email or poking around on the internet while chatting. By propping the handset between your ear and shoulder, you can also free up both of your hands for activities like eating lunch or shuffling papers.

The stand is made of anodized aluminum, with four non-slip silicone pads on the bottom. Smartphones can sit in it vertically or horizontally, with the handset plugged into their headphone jack and using their battery power. The Sync Stand is not set up as a charging station, so if you wish to juice your phone up, you will have to run your own cable to a nearby wall outlet or computer.

The iClooly Handset and Sync Stand sells for US$39.99, and is available online at places such as Amazon.

Should you wish to spend a few more bucks on something similar that's staggeringly cool, you might be interested in the steampunk iRetrofone, handmade by Florida artist Scott Freeland.