This was one of those things where I had high hopes but low expectations.... fortunately, I was very pleasantly surprised on both counts. The microscope comes with a stand, plus a charging cable. The microscope needs to be charged for a few hours first. The microscope itself is very lightweight, while the base has is weighted to prevent it from falling over.

That said, you won't always need to use the base; it's possible to hold the microscope like a flashlight and get some great views - it's probably easier that way for some things. The microscope broadcasts a WiFi signal that your cell phone connects to, and then you use an app to see the image on your phone.

You can also connect it directly to your computer with the USB cable, but of course, you're a little limited in terms of portability at that point.

The instructions were relatively easy to understand, but probably could be a little clearer. The app works fine and didn't crash at all (on a Samsung S20+). The images were colorful and sharp, much better than I was expecting, but I'm not sure of the magnification.

The documentation states it can magnify between 50x and 1000x, but be aware it's a digital zoom, so the image quality rapdily degrades as you zoom in. However, I found the lowest magnification to be just fine.

The images attached are of our wood dining table, a citrine crystal, a smoked almond and the print on a letter.

My 7 year old son and I had a lot of fun trying out different things - including a bee, but I'll spare you those photos LOL

I only have two minor gripes - firstly, it's not easy to see what each of the buttons on the microscope are for. It would be nice if they were marked in some way, otherwise you'll find yourself pushing the buttons randomly to get it to do what you want.

Secondly, I wish the app would give some indication of what magnification you're using.

Lastly, not a gripe, but a wish - I would love to have a small hard case for it, as this would be ideal for hiking, exploring and just travel in general. I can easily see this entertaining my son on vacation, and that alone makes it worth the money!