Quick Analysis
Pros
- Sanitizes your phone without chemicals.
- Compact and easy to transport.
- Battery-operated design.
- Also doubles as a power bank.
- Very easy to use.
Cons
- Relatively small battery capacity.
- Doesn’t ship until June 18th.
If you’ve been thinking more about sanitation lately, you’re not alone. Given everything that’s going on in the world, everyone is doing it. We’re wearing masks, we’re washing our hands more often, and we’re keeping surfaces cleaner than usual. But what about your personal devices? For example, the average person touches their smartphone 80 times a day. That’s a lot of handling. It’s pretty much unavoidable that any germs you’ve got on your hands are going to end up on your phone. And then you hold your phone up against your face. You know how everybody on the news is saying not to touch your face? Well, when you touch your phone to your face, you may as well have touched your face 80 times.
One solution to this problem is to use a smartphone sanitizer. A UV sanitizer will keep your smartphone germ-free, without the need to use alcohol or other chemicals. This makes them easier and more convenient, so you can spend more time being productive instead of cleaning your phone.
Today, we’ll be reviewing the PhoneSoap Go. This is one of PhoneSoap’s newer offerings, and features some improvements from their earlier models. One of the major benefits is that it’s battery powered. If you want to go camping, or just bring fewer cables on your weekend trip, this is a great feature. But how well does it actually work, and what are the other benefits? Let’s take a closer look, and see what it has to offer!
One thing we should mention before we start is that the PhoneSoap Go doesn’t release until June 18th. If you need a smartphone sanitizer right now, check out our 2020 smartphone sanitizer review. Those options are all available to ship immediately.
Why Use a UV Phone Sanitizer?
So, why might you want to use a UV phone sanitizer? The primary benefit is convenience. Soap and water, for example, can be used to clean many hard surfaces. But it’s useless for electronics. And even alcohol is a tough sell for a smartphone. With all the little crevices and grooves, you can easily miss some surfaces. UV light, on the other hand, will clean the entire surface of your phone. There’s no need to worry that you might have missed a spot. Furthermore, a UV sanitizer is hands-free. You just put your phone inside and let it do its thing. No further effort is required. You can even use it to clean other electronics like earbuds and remote controls. Not too shabby!
There are some other types of UV cleaners available. One is a UV wand. UV wands are useful for cleaning larger objects, because there’s no size limitation. If you can wave the wand over it, you can sanitize it. However, UV wands also have some significant drawbacks. The most significant of these is that you have to hold them while they’re in operation. In other words, you’re right back to the problem of manual cleaning. Furthermore, this can require some concentration. Depending on the exact UV wavelength and intensity, you’ll need to adjust your technique. You’ll need to hold the wand closer or further from the device, and hold it for longer or shorter times. An enclosed UV cleaner takes care of these issues for you.
Another problem with UV wands is that you have to be careful while you’re using them. UV light is damaging to all forms of life. That’s a good thing when you’re using it to zap viruses or bacteria. But it’s a bad thing if you accidentally shine the UV light on yourself. In the best case scenario, you’ll end up with a burn similar to sunburn. In the worst case scenario, you can even cause skin cancer. Because dedicated smartphone sanitizers are fully enclosed, this isn’t a risk. You’ll only be zapping germs, and won’t be in danger of shining harmful UV light on yourself.
Finally, it’s important not to get too hung up on disinfection rates. Pretty much every UV phone sanitizer advertises an effectiveness of 99.9 percent. Why not just 99 percent? Why not 100 percent? The reason is that UV light should, in theory, kill 100 percent of viruses and bacteria with sufficient exposure. But there’s no way to actually verify that. Remember, we’re talking about billions and billions of tiny microorganisms. How would you guarantee that 100 percent of them are going to be killed, 100 percent of the time? There’s simply no way to do that. So in order to advertise honestly, companies advertise a 99.9 percent effectiveness rate. Now, let’s talk about the PhoneSoap Go!
Overall Design
The PhoneSoap Go has an attractive, appealing design. It has rounded corners and curved edges, so it won’t damage other objects in your backpack or laptop bag. Available in white or indigo, it measures 8.5 inches long, 5 inches wide, and 1.76 inches thick. This means it’s large enough to do the job, but it’s compact enough for travel. Befitting its role as a travel sanitizer, it also includes a zippered travel case. This isn’t a crush-proof case, but that’s not necessary – the PhoneSoap Go is tough enough as it is. The case is simply designed to prevent scratching during transport.
Like most UV smartphone sanitizers, the PhoneSoap Go has a clamshell-style design. It opens easily, revealing an inner cavity where you put your phone. The inner cavity measures 6.8 inches long, 3.74 inches wide, and 0.78 inches high. This is sufficient for just about any modern smartphone, even the Google Pixel 3. That said, if you use a thick case such as an Otter Box, you’re liable to have some trouble. But most people aren’t going to have any serious issues. The UV bulbs inside are located both at the top and the bottom. This means that the PhoneSoap Go will disinfect your phone 360 degrees in one shot. You won’t have to remove your smartphone and flip it over like you will with some UV sanitizers.
The back of the PhoneSoap Go has three different power ports. The first is used for the sanitizer’s AC adapter, which uses a small, barrel-style plug. There are also a pair of USB ports, one Type-A and one Type-C, that can be used to charge your phone. A small groove in the bottom of the case allows you to run your charging wire inside. There’s one point of confusion we should clear up. PhoneSoap’s product description states that there is no wall adapter included. This means there’s no wall adapter for your phone’s USB cable. The AC adapter for the PhoneSoap Go itself is indeed included.
The top of the sanitizer has a lightning bolt, which functions as a power button. There are also four small LED lights. These lights indicate the current battery level, with each one equating to 25 percent of battery life. When your PhoneSoap Go’s battery is fully charged, all four lights will be illuminated.
Everyday Use
The PhoneSoap Go has a 10-minute cleaning cycle. Simply place your phone inside, close the lid, and tap the lightning bolt button on the top. One cleaning cycle should be sufficient to kill 99.9 percent of viruses and bacteria. If you’re super-concerned, you can always run additional cycles. Keep in mind that effectiveness is going to be diminished if you have a very large case. If your case is touching the sides of the inner cavity, it’s going to block some of the light.
Perhaps the greatest advantage of the PhoneSoap Go is that it’s battery operated. You can run 45 cleaning cycles on a single charge. Not too bad! This is enough to take it on a weeklong vacation without bothering with the AC adapter. Just make sure it’s fully charged before you leave, and you’re good to go. In all, the battery will charge in 4.5 hours from a dead state. Alternatively, you can simply leave your PhoneSoap Go plugged in when you’re at home. In this case, your battery will always be fully charged when you need to hit the road.
PhoneSoap advertises that you can charge your phone up to 4 times from the internal battery. This might be true if you have a tiny phone. But most modern smartphones have a capacity of 2,700 to 3,500mAh. So, in practice, you’re going to get 1.5 to 2 charges from the 6,000mAh internal battery. This means the PhoneSoap Go isn’t ideal as a standalone power bank. Not only that, but charging your phone from the battery will reduce the number of cleaning cycles you can run. Still, it’s nice to have a backup option if you end up in a jam.
Final Verdict
As you can see, the PhoneSoap Go is a well-engineered, high-quality UV sanitizer. It’s purpose-built for travel, with a rugged design and a convenient zippered carrying case. It’s also easy on the eyes. The curves are clean and, and both the white and indigo versions have an attractive matte finish. Moreover, it’s fairly large on the inside. This allows you to charge any modern smartphone, provided you don’t use an oversized case. The 6,000mAh battery isn’t the best for charging your phone, but it’s a nice emergency backup. And considering the fact that it gives you 45 cleaning cycles, it’s no slouch when it comes to sanitizing. You can easily take it on vacation without bringing along the AC charger.
The cleaning cycle itself is only 10 minutes long. This is longer than some of their newer offerings, like the PhoneSoap Pro. However, it’s more or less in line with other UV sanitizers on the market. In addition, the two-sided UV bulbs ensure 360-degree coverage. This means you don’t have to worry that you’re missing the sides of your phone. The only other major downside is that it doesn’t ship until June 18th. So you won’t be able to get your hands on one right away. That said, if you can wait a bit, you’re looking at an excellent, travel-worthy UV smartphone sanitizer.
Meet Derek, “TechGuru,” a 34-year-old technology enthusiast with a deep passion for tech innovations. With extensive experience, he specializes in gaming hardware and software, and has expertise in gadgets, custom PCs, and audio.
Besides writing about tech and reviewing new products, Derek enjoys traveling, hiking, and photography. Committed to keeping up with the latest industry trends, he aims to guide readers in making informed tech decisions.