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Phone Phreak Review

One set of gimmicks, 45 minutes worth of streaming instructions, $45 bucks and one Phone Phreak Review. Is it gem or is it rubble? Stay tuned to find out.

Phone Phreak: Note/Disclaimer

About 2 years ago, Paul Harris Presents commissioned me to write some ad copy for them. One of the products I was asked to write for was Phone Phreak. Jeff Prace sent me a video showing me the method and effects. Based on that I wrote some ad copy. By looking at the current ad copy, it does not seem that they kept much (if any) of what I wrote. However, to be fair, it was so long ago that I have no idea, what I wrote.

Secondly, unfortunately, I made the mistake of writing the ad copy based on seeing it on video (fully exposed and revealed, mind you) and not in person. Based on what I saw in the video from Jeff, however, I had no reason to believe that there was anything to be concerned with because the method is incredible.

Lastly, I should mention that I tested this with both the iPhone 5 (first gen) and two different iPhone 6's, a black one and a rose one.

Phone Phreak Review: Effect

A handful of effects are possible with this "system." All of the effects take place underneath your phone case, between your case and your phone. A bill changes from a $1 to a $5 to a $20. Or A torn photo (under your case) restores itself. Or your Apple logo moves from its normal position to the bottom of the phone. In each case, the phone can be handed out at the end for examination.

Phone Phreak Review: Method

The method uses a special phone case and another secret something that I wish I could tell you about, but I can't. Due to the nature of the method, your phone can only be set up to do one of the three effects. You have to decide in advance if you're doing the bill change, the photo restore or the moving logo. You can change it between tables/groups, but before putting the Phone Phreak case on, you must chose which effect you are doing. Then you are committed to that one effect until you remove the case.

Also, due to the steps required to set up for another effect, you can't do it in front of your audience. So in other words, if you just did the bill change and had the spectator remove the $20 from the case, you would not be able to go into the torn and restored photo with that same spectator/group. To change the set up for the torn and restored photo only takes a few seconds, but you cannot do it in front of the spectator.

The question I always try to answer in the "Method" section is whether or not the method is legit, doable and practical. Well . . . in this case, I can't really answer that question without first discussing product quality. So until we get to that section, let me just say this. The method, conceptually, is nothing short of brilliant. The implementation of said method is nothing short of disastrous.

Phone Phreak Review: Ad Copy Integrity

There are tons of claims made that may seem outrageous, but they're all true.

• Nothing to palm, ditch, or steal. Everything can be examined! - TRUE
• Resets INSTANTLY - TRUE
• Everything is 100% examinable - TRUE
• No sleight-of-hand - TRUE
• No magnets, wires, threads, shells, sticky stuff, extra bits, etc. - TRUE
• No palming, loading, stealing, or ditching - TRUE
• Adapts to most foreign currencies - TRUE

When it comes to the effects working as stated, they do . . . if you can get the gimmick to properly work (more on that in the ad copy). However, even if/when the effects work, they're nowhere near as deceptive as they need to be to fool anyone.

The claim that it works with any iPhone is the only thing that I'd say is not true. More on that in the Product Quality section.

Phone Phreak Review: Product Quality

Holy crap . . . where . . . where do I start!? This is one of the most poorly executed things I've reviewed in a long time. First, the method relies on a phone case that is supplied, and a little extra something that (theoretically) turns your phone into a double backer. Let's start with the case.

Phone Phreak Review: The Case

In the video, Jeff mentions that you must use double stick tape or a rubber band to hold the case in place. First, let's assume that those are acceptable things to do, he never showed where or how to handle the rubber band . . . where on the case works best, how to take it on and off during the performance without fumbling, etc. But, let's be realistic. Every time you perform this effect you need to remove the case when you're done. Having to add and remove a rubber band every time is not exactly the smoothest thing to do.

However, I can admit that maybe you don't mind that. I'm okay with that. Let's dive in a bit further. The case is made up of four parts, a front and back outer shell and then two plastic covers that go inside of the outer shell. You are supplied with four of the covers and are told that two of them are darker than the other two and that the darker ones are for one type of phone and the lighter ones are for another type of phone. All for looked identical to me in both the iPhone 5 and 6.

Next, the case is so thick that you cannot use the home button on the phone with any reliability while the case is on the phone. It works sometimes and other times not, and the times that it does work you have to push so hard that you will feel slight pain on your finger/thumb, and you will feel like you're about to break the case. In the case of the iPhone 6 with fingerprint recognition, it does not sense the finger print and the button cannot be pushed. Also, with the design of the iPhone 6, the location of the on/off button has moved to the side of the phone rather than the top. This changes the handling of the routine, but Jeff never discusses that. Further, due to the poor quality of the case, it's very difficult to get to the power button with the case on.

Further, if you happen to have a screen protector on your phone, you won't even be able to use your phone at all when this case is on. Part of the routine requires you to operate your phone while the case is on. Well, you can't if you have a screen protector. You may say "Hey Jeff Stone, why don't you just remove the screen protector? Since you have this new Phone Phreak case on, you don't need the screen protector." That's a legitimate question. However, the answer is simple. The case is terrible quality. As previously mentioned, when it's on the phone, you can barely operated the on/off switch, and you CANNOT operate the home button.

This means that if you want to perform this effect — there are plenty more reasons why you should NOT perform it coming up — you have to put the case on right before performing it, and the whole time the case is on, it's not usable as a phone. If that's the case, then you have to remove your normal case (if you use one) and remove your screen protector (if you use one) which is a pain in the butt as you know. Those things are meant to stay on your screen relatively permanently.

The case does not fit snugly onto the phone and requires you to use tape or a rubber band to just keep it in place. There are so many reasons why this case is pretty much useless. If, somehow, none of the above seems to be a problem for you, keep reading.

Phone Phreak Review: The Other "Gimmick"

The other thing that I cannot reveal is something, as mentioned, that essentially turns your phone into a double backer. This part is just as bad as the case itself. First, the instructions tell you where to go to get this "thing" and that all iPhone styles and colors are covered. So I went there, and they do not have one for the first generation of iPhone 5 — mine was white with a silver/grey back. Next, they have ones that they claim are for my iPhone 6 which is black with a charcoal colored back, and they claim that they have one for the rose colored iPhone 6 — my wife has this phone.

However, the "thingies" that they had didn't even come close to matching the backs of our phones. Supplied with the Phone Phreak is a black sticker that looks like the back of the phone that you can apply to the back of your phone thus making your phone back completely black. The idea there is that you've converted your phone into a black phone so that you can use the black version of the "thingie" that makes your phone a double backer. However, this black "thingie" doesn't look ANYTHING like the black sticker. There are two black "thingies." One is the default one that comes with the Phone Phreak, and the other one is the one that you have to "go get" as I mentioned before.

The one you have to go get is not even black. They claim it's black, but it's not even close. It looks NOTHING like the black sticker that it needs to match. The default "thingie" matches the back of the phone in color (i.e., it's black). However none of the written text (i.e., the word iPhone, etc.). So this solution does not work.

Even if it did work (with the black sticker), you now have a black sticker permanently attached to the back of your phone. It looks okay when the Phone Phreak case is on, but not when the case is off. So Jeff offers a solution. Put the sticker on a screen protector, and then put the screen protector on the back of the phone. Not a bad idea. However, now your phone as a screen protector on the back, a sticker on top of that, a screen protector on the front (assuming you use one), a plastic cover (from the Phone Phreak case) on the front and one on the back, and a folded up $20 on the back of the phone under the Phone Phreak case.

Now the case is even thicker and even harder to keep clamped shut. The entire method depends on the "thingie" looking like the real back of your phone and thus creating the double backer phone. If they were similar, I'd be okay with this. However, they're not even close. Further, I told Jeff via FaceBook PM about the missing iPhone 5 "thingie" and he said he'd check, but never got back with me. That was 2 months ago to the day.

Phone Phreak Review: The Training Site

Talking about this seems almost pointless since the gimmick itself is so poorly made. However, I wanted to point out some things that I liked about the streaming video. First, it was downloadable. Second, the streaming one has chapters, and links to each chapter so you can click to whatever section you want to watch. Also, the training site with where you can get all the "thingies." Of course, that's kind of pointless since the thingies really do not match the phones at all.

Phone Phreak Review: The Teaching

Just briefly if the effect was actually doable, you'll learn almost everything you need to know to do this effect. There was one part about the "thingie" that he did not cover that I had to discover on my own, and even then, it happened by total accident. If I had not figured out that part, I'd have a totally useless gimmick. I watched the training video 3 times looking for where he covered it, and I never saw it covered. I've already mentioned that he gave zero detail about the rubber band usage.

Other than that, he actually does a really good job teaching the method, concept, etc. It's just such a bummer that the execution (i.e., the deliverable that you're paying for) is so poorly done.

Phone Phreak Review: Bonus

A bonus effect is taught that you may be interested in. The effect is not iPhone specific. It works with any smart phone. The effect is that you have someone use your ear buds on your phone. They listen. Then you unplug the ear buds from your phone. The music, of course, stops. However, you magically cause it start playing music again while they're wearing the ear buds, even though they are clearly not plugged into anything.

This will require you to spend somewhere around $30 or so bucks. However, this very effect is written up in the February 2015 issue of The Linking Ring, so if you're interested in this, I'd recommend you get it there.

Phone Phreak Review: Final Thoughts

When Jeff first started doing this, he was using the iPhone 4. Maybe it works with the iPhone 4 still. However. I checked, and they do have the black "thingie" for iPhone 4's that looks a lot more like the black sticker, so it may work. However, I can't prove that. I've only tested the 5 and 2 6s phones for a total of three different phones and 2 sets of gimmicks. The results were the same.

Phone Phreak Review: Final Verdict:
Half Star with a Stone Status of complete and utter rubble.

Available at your Favorite Magic Dealer. Dealer's see Murphy's Magic for details.