Get a grip on taking better pictures

As smartphone cameras have become incredibly good over the past few years, the phrase “the best camera you have is the one in your pocket” has never been more true. Plus, plenty of Android phones have an excellent camera.

But while they are incredibly convenient and can take some truly great photos, some accessories aim to help improve the picture-taking experience. The SnapGrip from ShiftCam gives you a full grip with an actual shutter button, plus some other great features, all for a decent price.

Pricing and availability

The colors are fun, but the price — not so much

The SnapGrip itself starts at $69, and you can grab the Creator Kit with a tripod and a light for $129 or the Creator Kit Plus with a tripod, light, cold shoe, and shotgun mic, all for $259. There are five different colors to choose from: two shades of pink, two shades of blue, and black. It’s currently available from ShiftCam, Amazon, and B&H Photo.

I was sent the Light Kit, which includes a little magnetic ring light. At the time of publishing, it is only available as a “limited edition” with five color options: Lilac Haze, Canary Yellow, Ocean Breeze, Forest Trek, and Peach Fuzz.

What’s good about the SnapGrip?

It’s good at what it does, even if it doesn’t do much

There’s a lot to like about this little gadget. It’s small, compact, lightweight, and blissfully simple to use. A comfortable grip on the right side with a textured material helps you hold it with two buttons on the top. The big one is the shutter button, and the smaller one turns on its secret ability – a wireless power bank for your phone. The indicator lights near the bottom of the handle tell you when it’s ready to take pictures, if the power bank is on, and how much battery it has left.

The whole thing attaches to your phone magnetically via MagSafe magnets, and for all of us non-Apple folks, there’s a sticker in the box you can attach to your Android phone or case to allow it to snap on. The magnetic connection also allows it to rotate, so you can keep it attached to your phone and take pictures horizontally or vertically. You can also stand it up on the handle for an on-the-go dock for your phone if needed. Fun.

The front of the SnapGrip also has magnets, allowing you to connect various accessories to it. At the moment, there are only three: the ring light that I received, a small tripod, and a cold shoe, but the clever design means you can attach as many or as few of them as you want.

Setup is also very simple. Simply take it out of the box, press the shutter button once to turn it on, and then connect it to your Bluetooth settings. I had it connected and taking pictures in just a few seconds. Fun fact: since it works over Bluetooth, you don’t need to have the phone attached to the SnapGrip to take pictures, opening up some fun new camera options.

Pressing the smaller button turns on the wireless power bank, which recharges via USB-C. At 3200 mAh, it’s not a huge power bank, and the 5W charging is slow, but it’s meant to help you out in a pinch, so you don’t miss the photo opportunity, and it does a good job at that.

Overall, ShiftCam did a good job of making sure the SnapGrip does its job well. Once paired to your phone, you simply open the camera app and press the shutter button to take pictures.

The magnetic ring light is pretty much what it says: a ring light that magnetically attaches directly to your phone or the SnapGrip. It has three different brightness levels that you cycle through using the single button that also turns it on and off. It also flips up to add some light for your selfies, and the center of the ring light is reflective, which, from what it looks like on the website, is pretty much there that you can check your makeup before the shot.

To reinforce the on-the-go creator vibe the SnapGrip is meant for, a durable, high-quality carrying pouch is included. I have no worries about anything getting damaged.

What’s not good about the SnapGrip?

Decent hardware, but no software to go with it

While the simple and easy-to-use design is awesome, there are a few quirks about the SnapGrip. Firstly, the magnets felt a bit too weak for me. I used it with an iPhone with a skin on it, but it is a full MagSafe skin that attaches perfectly well to all my other MagSafe accessories, so I’m a little worried about how well it will hold my phone.

That being said, I also used it with my Galaxy S23 Ultra with a MagSafe case, which held much better. It’s still not quite as firmly as I would like, but it’s better than on the iPhone. I used the MagSafe sticker with my OnePlus 12, and it held about as strongly as on the S23 Ultra – which is to say strong enough to keep it attached well, but not strong enough a strong shake couldn’t dislodge it. It’s not necessarily a deal breaker, but just something to note.

Secondly, there aren’t any software features to go with the SnapGrip. Sure, it doubles as a shutter button, but pressing the button doesn’t even act as a shortcut to automatically open the camera app or anything like that. In fact, I was pressing the shutter button while on the home screen, which seemed to actually turn my volume up and down instead of anything else.

Also, there’s no corresponding app with additional controls, filters, or anything else. For $70, I don’t think it’s too much to ask for, even just a few extra filters or something to go along with my new camera grip.

There’s only one MagSafe sticker in the box, and they don’t sell them separately, so if you ever upgrade your phone, you’re kind of out of luck. You either have to buy a whole new SnapGrip or contact their customer service department directly to purchase a new one. You could also buy a MagSafe case for your new phone, but that’s not a great option. This is probably not a big deal for anyone who’s not a smartphone reviewer (like me), but still annoying.

Should you buy it?

It’s a good choice for the right people

ShiftCam did a good job of delivering a simple, easy-to-use gadget that helps you leverage the power of your smartphone camera to take great pictures. However, aside from some added stability and some useful accessories, it doesn’t add a whole lot. It doesn’t give you any lenses, extra camera controls, or even extra filters for your pictures.

If you’re a content creator or amateur photographer who uses your smartphone a lot to take pictures, then the SnapGrip is good. It’s portable, easy to use, and offers some cool features. For everyone else, I struggle to find a need for it.