GridStudio GRID Game Boy Pocket in test – technology meets art

What adorns the walls of your office, gaming or living room? Manufacturer GridStudio offers with the GRID frame studio models a genuine alternative to the obligatory posters, pictures or LED panels that are usually found in the homes of tech fans and nerds. Cult hardware, broken down into its component parts and presented in a chic frame. We took a closer look at the GRID Game Boy Pocket.

GRID Frame Studio: Art for Tech Fans

If you’re looking for a classy alternative to the movie poster of your favorite flick and want to put your tech corner in the right light, you should take a closer look at the products of the manufacturer GridStudio.

They have made it their business to revive iconic hardware (and the memories associated with it). But since no one is likely to be happy with a Game Boy, iPhone 1 or PlayStation Portable these days, the classics are coming back in a modified form.

With the “GRID Frame Studio” models, the gadgets, smartphones or game consoles become genuine art objects, which are disassembled into their individual parts and placed in a black frame. Descriptions of the individual components in the typical model font, advertising slogans and famous quotes are also included.

GRID Game Boy Pocket in review

The manufacturer’s lineup ranges from Apple products in the iPhone, iPod and Apple Watch series, to handheld consoles and classic smartphones from Samsung, Nokia and Google. New products are added regularly – so it’s worth keeping an eye on the website. The Nokia E71 starts at $129.00 (around 110 Euros), while the iPhone 1 costs $399.00 (around 338 Euros).

As an example of the manufacturer’s portfolio, we took a closer look at the GRID Game Boy Pocket which, unsurprisingly, is Nintendo’s shrunken handheld console from 1996.

Here, interested parties are asked to pay about 151 euros ($179.00) – after all, two and a half times the original asking price when the handheld was released 25 years ago ($69.99). So what do you get for the price?

The GRID Game Boy Pocket comes in a sleek, classy-looking gift box that, when opened, immediately reveals the object of desire. The dimensions of the black frame are 13x13x1.8 inches (i.e. around 33x33x4.5 centimeters). The art object is presented on a white background, which is protected by a glass – just as you would expect from a picture.

The frame can be opened on the back with the help of four brackets. There are also four additional eyelets for hanging. Hooks for wall mounting are already included.

Technology in detail

Above all, technology fans will get their money’s worth with the “GRID Frame Studio” models. All hardware art objects present themselves disassembled into their individual parts, while the individual components such as mainboard and CPU, but also speakers, buttons and connectors are described.

In the case of the Game Boy Pocket, the font is appropriately chosen in the classic 8-bit style and grants additional information about the original release date. The bottom wheel also features an advertising slogan that Nintendo actually used to promote the Game Boy in 1989.

The font is always based on the design language of the respective manufacturer. In the case of the Apple Watch, for example, GridStudio prints a quote from Steve Jobs, while the Samsung Galaxy S focuses on the advantages of the AMOLED display.

According to manufacturer GridStudio, each frame is handmade and consists of the real components of the hardware shown. Accordingly, no two GRID frames are alike. However, we could not verify whether this is actually the case during our test.

Furthermore, it is pointed out that although the technology has been thoroughly cleaned several times, there can still be minor rust residues on the motherboard and other components. Fortunately, this was not the case in our model. Whether with or without rust: The presentation of the objects is always impressive and leaves nothing to be desired.

Conclusion

With the GRID Frames, as in our case the GRID Game Boy Pocket, technology fans who are looking for a unique art object for their own home will get their money’s worth. In terms of design and workmanship, no wishes are left unfulfilled.

The only point of criticism worth mentioning can be found in the price. This turns out to be above average in the case of the Game Boy Pocket. In direct comparison, the GRID X to the iPhone X, on the other hand, already seems affordable at around 227 Euros when you consider that the smartphone is traded used (and functional) for around 350 Euros. But you do not only pay for the colors, the frame and the paper or the canvas of the artwork.