Phone Phreak is a Jeff Prace creation that is marketed by Paul Harris Presents. The idea is awesome, the execution is poor. I was very excited about this trick after watching the promotional video and was even more disappointed when I received it and performed a few times. Perhaps the next generation (if there is one) will be upgraded and worthwhile. This trick is available for various models of the iPhone 4, 5 and 6. It is not available for other phones.
The trick comes in a small white cardboard box with everything you need to perform. The items included are a two piece plastic iPhone case and various pieces that are necessary to use the case. The 44 minutes instructional video is a download/steaming video that is taught by Prace.
The teaching is good and very detailed. Prace has thought out every aspect of the trick and teaches three tricks. The instruction is clear and very detailed. The video production is excellent.
My problems with this trick are as follows: the gimmick is so poorly made, it is not realistic looking on my phone (an iPhone 6) and it cannot be performed in a very dim room.
The two piece case is so cheap and surprising for a PHP product. The case does not lock and it comes in two pieces that need to be held together or taped to your phone so it does not fall off. That is unacceptable. It also does not fit snugly like a case should. This trick has so much potential and if the accompanying case had quality production (or even just slightly better), it could have been a decent trick.
The main trick allows you to show a one dollar bill under the case, change it to a five dollar bill and then again change it to a twenty dollar bill. The problem with this, at least on my iPhone, is that the first two bills look larger than regular U.S. currency. Perhaps this issue does not exist on all iPhones, but on my 6 it was a major issue. By the time you reveal the $20 bill, it looks small compared to the first two bills that the spectator saw. Also, this is not fooling in a dark or dimly lit room, for reason that I will not describe. It just looks too fake.
The barrage of top-notch magician’s endorsements does not reflect reality. See above.
It is hard to discern my criticisms from the promotional video, but in person these three weaknesses are conspicuous and very noticeable. My test spectators knew the method and were underwhelmed.
The ad copy claims the following: “Resets Instantly”. This is not 100% accurate, but it can reset within a few seconds. This does not matter because you would not do the trick a second time in front of the same spectator. You will need a second or two of privacy to reset. It also claims that everything is 100% examinable. That is true. There is no sleight of hand needed and the angles are very good so that you can perform this trick surrounded. You can do this trick with currencies from many different countries, but I did not try them out. If the other currencies have the same size display issues then magicians in other parts of the world will also be upset. It is possible that the issues that existed for me do not present on other iPhone models.
The trick also comes with a few other routines: 1. A torn and restored photo that is under the case display plastic and a trick where you can move the Apple logo. There is also a bonus do-it-yourself trick that is probably pretty cool, but I did not try it and it requires you to buy a piece of electronic hardware that will cost more than $30.
Overall, I was very disappointed with this trick. It had such great potential. I will wait for version 2.0 and review it again. Until then, I am skipping this version.