I bought this to use for longer phone calls such as when I'm in the kitchen cleaning or preparing food or even eating. I have an older phone (iphone 6s) with questionable acoustic quality, I didn't expect very much. It's simple and effective but it's no where near the same quality as a bluetooth speaker.This little product improves my ability to hear the phone while in speaker mode and doesn't require fancy setup. There is no lag the way connecting a bluetooth device might require. There is no wires that get tangled, no wireless earbuds that fall out while moving. For the handling of spontaneous phone calls such as those from my mother it is perfect. I got this model instead of the more boxy looking ones because the phone slot allows the phone to be placed in portrait mode, if needed. Those were the specific features I was looking for when I purchased this, and it has served its purpose well.The wood sort of blends in with the rest of my decor so leaving it out on the counter is no big deal. A darker wood color would be even more aesthetically pleasing but I'm not complaining. It feels quite sturdy and solid construction. I was debating between something simple like this versus a speakerphone. I decided this because (a) much more affordable, (b) more futureproof than any battery operated or bluetooth device, (c) robust enough to handle the conditions of an active kitchen (splattering water, oil, etc) the way an electronic device would not.I wish there was a way to keep a phone charging while using this with the phone upright since my old phone also has questionable battery life. The slot fits a phone with a thin case without issues. A slight squeeze for thicker cases. It could fit a tablet and amplify the sound somewhat but it also tilts when there's too much weight. Regardless of these factors I will also get another to put in my office since I too seem to be getting long phone conversations when I want to use my hands to type, clean, file papers and so forth.