Tired of filing away at your fingers and sacrificing a manicure so you can use your smartphone? Elektra Nails is a glue-on solution that can be detected by your phone's touch screen so you can finally tap with your fingernails. Made for ages 6 and up, a pack of six will set you back some $18, according to a rep, and each package comes with the stylus nails, prep pad, adhesive strips, glue and a cuticle stick. The nails come in a standard gray hue with no pattern on them, but you can apply your own polish on them however you like. We had a chance to see just how effective these nails were and found them somewhat glitchy.
The biggest problem with the nails is that you have to press them at a very precise angle to the screen for the phone to detect them, and during a demonstration, Elektra's rep struggled to get a drawing app to register her strokes. Over time, you may get used to and become a pro at it, but there is a definite learning curve. We did not get a chance to glue the nails on our own hands, but the application process is as simple as applying any other adhesive nail.
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Each piece will last about a week depending on the amount of abuse your nails are subject to, and the package of six should last you up to 6 weeks, since you would apply just one Elektra to the finger you use most with your phone. The products come in three sizes - small, medium and large - and can be filed down to your preferred length. We also like that you can customize them with your own paint or even get your manicurist to paint over them.
The makers of Elektra Nails also offer a product called Tech Tips for people with thicker fingers who find it tough to use the tiny onscreen keyboards or navigation buttons. If you use a phone with a smaller screen, Tech Tips could make precise tasks easier. Overall, while Elektra Nails aren't perfect right now, we imagine there are plenty of users out there who would appreciate the ability to have a beautiful manicure that still allows them to interact with their smartphones.
