Although the iPhone is one of the best smartphones on the planet, you may also want to pick up a few accessories to upgrade its performance and design. From sleek phone cases to gaming controllers and durable screen protectors to wireless earbuds, there are boatloads out there that can improve or extend the smartphone’s use. For example, it doesn’t come with earbuds or a wall outlet charger in the box anymore, so it might be a good idea to pick up some smartphone essentials when you get a new Apple smartphone.
With so many fantastic smartphone accessories, it might be tough to know where to start. We rounded up the best attachments and add-ons to help you get the most out of the mobile device. Scroll down to check out our picks, below:
1. Apple AirPods Pro (second generation)
It’s no surprise that the Apple AirPods Pro are the best wireless earbuds. They feature excellent and rich audio for music and podcasts, top-of-the-line noise-canceling to block out ambient and background noise, and they sync seamlessly to the iPhone via iOS and Apple Keychain. These earbuds also have spatial audio features that make listening to your favorite music an immersive experience. Meanwhile, the AirPods Pro is designed to complement the Apple smartphone, while perfectly matching its style and premium build quality. These are the very best AirPods you can buy right now.
With the launch of the iPhone 15, you can also get the AirPods Pro with USB-C charging if you want it to mesh with the rest of your devices.
2. Smartish Slim Case
The iPhone is an expensive and delicate piece of tech. Although it’s prone to shattering if dropped, we recommend wrapping your phone in a lightweight, yet durable case – like the Smartish Slim Case.
Made from tough hard plastic and rubber, this case features cushioned corners that absorb and disperse impact away from the phone itself to prevent cracking, if dropped. It’s also designed with raised bumpers, so the display won’t sit flush with a flat surface when faced down. Meanwhile, the Smartish Slim Case is made with MagSafe built-in for wireless charging and other accessories.
It comes in nine colors and styles, including black, blue, transparent, purple, and more. There are plenty of great iPhone cases to choose from, depending on what you’re looking for.
3. Anker USB-C 736 Charger
Equipped with two USB-C and one USB port, the Anker USB-C 736 Charger is a workhorse with 100 watts of power inside of it. Although the iPhone caps out at 30 watts for charging, this charger will still juice up your device a little bit faster than a standard wall charger – which caps out at 20 watts. Considering that it doesn’t even come with a wall charger anymore, it might be a good idea to pick up one that’s speedy and can support fast charging for up to three devices, including a MacBook and a pair of AirPods, at the same time.
4. iOttie Velox Magnetic Dash Mount
It’s illegal to hold and use your iPhone while driving. It’s a major distraction from the road. However, you can use your Apple device hands-free, if it’s mounted on your car’s dashboard or windshield. The iOttie Velox Magnetic Dash Mount attaches to your car with a strong suction cup, while its powerful magnets keep your device in place to use in either landscape or portrait modes. It’s even a wireless charger too, so your device will get some juice via your vehicle’s cigarette lighter.
5. Apple AirTag
If you want to keep track of your belongings, the Apple AirTag is fantastic for any iPhone user. Pair one of these small circular pieces via Bluetooth and then attach it to a few of your things, such as keys, handbags, wallets, and others. Now, if your items go missing, then you can find them with the Find My app and your Apple device. You can even enable your AirTag to emit a loud and sharp noise to lead you to its location.
It’s a great accessory to have, especially if you keep losing your things around the house.
6. Ferilinso Screen Protector
Made from tempered glass, the Ferilinso Screen Protector will keep your device’s display and rear cameras scratch-free and pristine, so it won’t experience much wear and tear. It’s also shatterproof and durable to help prevent your phone from cracking because nobody likes to scroll through TikTok with spiderweb cracks on the display.
The Ferilinso Screen Protector comes in a three-pack, while it also comes with a mounting frame and cleaning kit for installation.
7. Apple MagSafe Charger
Although there are cheaper options out there, the Apple MagSafe Charger is still one of the best because of its sleek hockey puck design and very strong magnet system to keep the device in place when charging. In fact, according to some five-star Amazon reviewers, it’s so strong that you can dangle your smartphone from its charging cable when attached.
Meanwhile, even if it doesn’t have MagSafe built-in, it’s still a great wireless charger for the iPhone 8 or newer.
8. Anker USB-C to Lightning Cable
While there’s no shortage of cheap iPhone cables, the Anker USB-C to Lightning Cable is one of the best charging cables – thanks to its 6-foot length for versatility, braided-nylon design for durability (it won’t fray after a few weeks of use), and its very affordable price at $12. The cable is also MFi-certified, so it gets Apple’s seal of approval for use and safety.
It also comes in four colors, including black, silver, blue, and red. If you’re planning on getting the new iPhone 15 or 15 Pro, however, you should be fine with just a regular USB-C cable.
9. Apple MagSafe Battery Pack
If you’re out and about and can’t get to a wall outlet to charge your phone, or you just don’t want to attach a charging cable to a power bank, the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack is a quick solution to get more juice out of your phone. It securely attaches to the back via MagSafe, so it can get charged up and you can use the device at the same time.
And when it’s not slapped to the back of an iPhone, you can also use the battery pack as a standalone wireless charger for a pair of AirPods or even an Android phone. If the device supports wireless charging, then it can be juiced up with the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack.
Pro tip: Add a fully-charged Apple MagSafe Battery Pack to your iPhone at the beginning of the day when both are at 100% capacity. This will greatly extend your overall battery because the smartphone will pull power from the battery pack first until it’s drained and then it will pull power from the mobile device itself. It’s almost as if you’ve doubled its battery life for the day.
10. Apple Watch Series 8
The Apple Watch Series 8 isn’t so much an accessory, but rather a companion and one of the best smartwatches overall. With 41mm and 45mm options, Apple’s smartwatch is one of the best ways to perform brief and basic functions on your mobile device without actually pulling out the mobile device from your pants pocket or purse.
While it’s a GPS, a heart rate monitor, a fitness and sleep tracker, a timepiece, and more, Apple Watch models have the ability to receive phone calls, send text messages, navigate your music, and other tasks from the convenience of your wrist. Simply pair the Apple Watch with an iPhone for an enhanced mobile experience.
11. Belkin 10,000 Portable Charger
Making sure your iPhone is juiced is important, especially if you’re far away from a wall outlet. If your device is out of battery life, then you can’t use it. However, with a portable power bank, like the Belkin 10,000 Portable Charger, you’ll always have a backup supply of juice when you need it.
At over 8 ounces in weight, this portable power bank is small enough for a backpack, purse, or even a pants pocket, while its dual USB and single USB-C ports make it possible to charge up to three devices simultaneously. Overall, it can give you up to an additional 40 hours of juice.
12. Factors to consider when buying iPhone accessories
Since the iPhone is so popular there are thousands upon thousands of attachments and add-ons to go with Apple’s smartphone. While it’s good there are so many to pick from for your phone, it may seem daunting to go to Amazon, search for a “phone case,” and get a long list of cases of various shapes and sizes from a number of different companies and brands at a wide range of prices. It’s overwhelming to scroll through it all, to say the least.
However, we put this handy buyer’s guide together to give you a better idea of what to look for in accessories. Ahead, you’ll find our recommendations and things to consider to get the most out of your Apple mobile device.
1) Functionality
With so many accessories to select, you should consider what issues you’re experiencing with your iPhone.
If you want a better listening experience, then perhaps you’d like a pair of wireless earbuds like the Apple AirPods Pro. Maybe you’d like to share your music with family and friends, so an excellent portable Bluetooth speaker like the Bose Soundlink Flex is something to consider for your next group outing to the beach or cookout at the park.
Want to extend your device’s battery life? Maybe a battery pack like the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack or a portable power bank like the Belkin 10,000 Portable Charger might do the trick to give you that much-needed extra juice when you’re far away from a wall outlet.
Moreover, with the release of the iPhone 12 in 2020, Apple started to remove accessories, like a wall charger and earbuds, from packaging for environmental concerns. It’s likely that you already have these items, while you could just reuse them from older pieces of tech lying around in your home. However, you can certainly pick these up at Amazon too.
Since there are so many different types of accessories for the iPhone, there’s a solution waiting for you when an issue with your device arises.
2) iPhone Compatibility
There are nearly 40 iterations of the iPhone (so far) since its initial release in 2007. With so many different types of Apple smartphones out there, it’s important to make sure the accessory you’d like to pick up is compatible. After all, no iteration is the same. For example, a phone case for the iPhone 12 won’t fit or match with the iPhone 14 – and vice versa.
3) Apple or Third-Party Options
From wireless earbuds to phone cases and battery packs to charging cables, Apple makes their own accessories. While these are guaranteed to work, their price tag might be too high and their styles might be too few for some shoppers.
However, there are great third-party companies, such as Anker, Belkin, and others, that make phone attachments and add-ons that are inexpensive, varied in style, and sometimes, even better than the ones from Apple. In some cases, these third-party companies even work with Apple directly to make sure they are safe and work well.
Just be warned, there are also a number of terrible third-party manufacturers that make ultra-cheap peripherals that might damage or fry your iPhone altogether. The best way to avoid these brands is to closely read Amazon shopper ratings for bad reviews and low scores. If you want to go the extra mile, use web browser extensions like FakeSpot to identify all of the baddies.
4) Price
Prices range widely with accessories from as low as 10 cents for a cheap phone case (it actually costs a lot more to ship than this item itself) to a whopping $6.3 million for a diamond-encrusted phone case. It really depends on the accessory itself and your budget.
For most people, you’d want to find items in the $10-$200 range but go over more if the accessory has a lot of use and functionality like an Apple Watch Series 8.
At the end of the day, there are a lot of iPhone accessories, but that means you have a lot of options for a solution to enhance your experience.
13. Conclusion
That’s our roundup of the 11 best iPhone accessories and how to pick the right ones. By reading this article, I’m sure you already know how to pick.
