Oh! Gizmo

By Andrew Liszewski

Softbank has finally released their 1-Seg TV Tuner accessory for the iPhone 3G, and DVICE has posted a first look at what they feel is now one of the best accessories for Apple’s phone. Unlike most add-ons, the Softbank tuner doesn’t attach to the iPhone like a sleeve, but is a separate device that’s styled to look like the phone itself. And while it connects to the iPhone via a sync cable, it actually transmits the 1-Seg TV signals it pulls in via wifi. So in order to actually watch TV with the iPhone, you need to be in range and connected to a wifi network.

Overall, DVICE was definitely impressed with the $108 (9,850 yen) accessory, though locating the accompanying software in the iPhone App Store was a chore unto itself, and they found that the tuner tended to drain the iPhone’s battery after just an hour of watching TV. So you better make sure there’s a power outlet nearby if you’re hoping to watch a movie with it. Oh, and you better hope you live in Japan as well.

[ DVICE - Softbank iPhone TV Tuner & Battery unboxing and hands-on ] & [ Softbank iPhone TV Tuner ]