(Photo courtesy of Bose)
Here are the 10 best accessories to use on your phone now.
Bose SoundLink Wireless Mobile Speaker
Bose wasn't first out of the gate with a portable Bluetooth speaker (a category of gadget we argue is the new must-have), but its SoundLink Wireless Mobile Speaker was worth the wait. From up to 30 feet away, the three-pound, two-inch-thick speaker will play the music on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device with surprisingly clear and resonant sound. Besides turning the device on and off automatically when you flip it open or closed, the elegant nylon (or optional leather) cover doubles as a stand so the speakers aim at a slight angle toward the ceiling. Though it might feel a bit heavy for some carry-ons, the SoundLink Wireless is nevertheless the best travel-size portable wireless speaker we've ever heard and is definitely coming with us on our next trip.
(More from Men's Journal: 21 Best Photo Apps for Smartphones)
(Photo courtesy Olloclip)We're certified camera snobs, the types quick to shame anyone whose only optics are in his phone. So it was with great, preemptive scoffing that we attached the Olloclip 4-in-1 Lens Kit. But maybe it takes a little snobbiness to fall in love with the kit, an easily-pocketable collection of a fish eye, wide angle, and two macro lenses that you unscrew and clip on your iPhone to enhance its existing optics.
The fish eye and wide lenses are the main pieces, and beneath each you have either a 10x or 15x macro lens. They're simple to clip on, but the effect of the lenses is dramatic, with the wide-angle allowing for full-body or group portraits in close quarters, the fisheye sucking in more scenery during outdoor shots. The macros capture the textures of flowers, fabric, or even skin while shooting from mere millimeters away. Like any wider optics, the fish eye and wide-angle lenses distort their subjects, bulging or stretching them like taffy.
But Olloclip's free app lets you quickly, and very effectively, counter that distortion with a simple on-screen slider. Before we knew it, we were snapping shots with our iPhones we were proud to display. In other words, the 4-in-1 is a full tool kit for both the dedicated and casual iPhoneographer, tiny enough to fit it any bag or glove compartment, and hard to leave behind.
Field Notes
Area Tested: Indoors, outdoors
Days Used: 84
Nitpick: The included lens caps don't fit over the macros – you have to screw the fisheye or wide-angle back on after each macro shot, or risk leaving them exposed.
(Courtesy Typo Keyboards)It may be a shrinking minority, but there are still some diehard BlackBerry users who can't let the idea of a physical keyboard go – even faced with dozens of smartphones that do just about everything else better. Specifically aimed at that crowd, the Typo is a snap-on protective case that bridges the divide by adding a BlackBerry-esque keyboard to an iPhone 5 or 5s.
Unfortunately, the design is more than a little clunky. Not only do you have to charge it separately, but the case (which pairs with the phone via Bluetooth) makes the once-sleek iPhone noticeably larger and a bit top-heavy. It also covers up the fingerprint sensor of the 5s – one of the most beloved features of the new smartphone – and disables the iPhone's native autocorrect function. But even with these issues, the backlit keys expertly mimic a BlackBerry (so much so that the company is being sued), and if you're addicted to the satisfying key clicks of your outmoded device, you now have no more excuses not to upgrade.
(More from Men's Journal: 10 Apps That Will Extend Your Life)
(Courtesy Sony)Not satisfied with your smartphone shooter? Grab the Sony Cyber-shot QX10 lens-style camera, which uses a 10x optical zoom lens to capture crisp 18.2 megapixel images. It connects to iOS and Android devices via WiFi and uses their screen as its viewfinder. The camera can clip to nearly any smartphone, though it's optimized for the new Sony Xperia Z1 smartphone. Or you can operate it as a stand-alone shooter.
(More from Men's Journal: 12 Apps to Train Your Brain)
(Courtesy Belkin)Plug the Belkin Dyle Mobile TV into your iPhone or iPad and the pocket-size device allows you to stream a broadcast TV signal on your device's screen. Unlike many a subscription-based service from your mobile provider, the static-free service, provided by Dyle mobile TV, bears no additional charges and won't destroy your data plan: No Wi-Fi or service access is required because it uses over-the-air signals.
[$100; works with iPhone & iPad, no Wi-Fi or Mobile Data Plan required]
We like rugged gear. We also like our iPhone, which, let's be honest, isn't very rugged. So we were stoked to see that Snow Lizard Products, a Park City, Utah-based firm that sells smartphone accessories, was crowd-funding the production of the SLXtreme, the first ever waterproof and solar charging case for the iPhone 4/4S and 5.
The SLXtreme holds its own against the elements. It got a little salt encrusted, but fended off sea spray without a problem. That's not surprising, considering that the case was designed to meet the rigorous MIL-STD-810 U.S. military standard, which addresses a broad range of environmental conditions, including extreme temperature, shock, sand exposure, and even concussions from gunfire and explosives. Fortunately, no one went overboard with the SLXtreme to test if it really is waterproof down to 20 feet.
The case weighs 11 ounces and is constructed of rugged polycarbonate with rubberized side grips. Optional brackets are available to mount the SLXtreme to vehicle dashboards or bicycle handlebars. By necessity, the case is bulky – to the point where you won't want to use it in urban environments. But the touchscreen is easily accessible and the housing is designed around using the phone's camera features underwater.
To make it waterproof down to 20 feet, Snow Lizard engineers had to create a double locking top latch that cuts off access to the 9mm headphone input. A Bluetooth hands-free device is an easy workaround. Also, they switched from Apple's proprietary connectors – 30-pin for iPhone 4/4S and nine-pin for iPhone 5 – to the ubiquitous micro-USB, which also has a waterproof cover.
Where the SLXtreme really shines is being able to recharge your smartphone from the embedded rear solar panel. When offshore for a week at a time it can be can be almost impossible to find a continual power source. Not a problem with the SLXtreme: We just put the case facedown in the sun and the solar panel tops off the case's integrated lithium-ion battery, which in turn, recharges the iPhone's battery just as if it were plugged into an outlet.
There are other waterproof iPhone cases out there from companies like Case Marine, LifeProof and, soon, OtterBox. But the SLXtreme is the only one with solar-charging capability.
We're not going offshore again without it.
[$150; ]
(Courtesy Belkin)The Belkin WeMo Switch is the simplest way to make your house smarter and more efficient. It enables you to power on or off any device that's plugged into it – whether TV, lamp, or air conditioner – with the simple push of a button in a free iPhone app.
Since the hardware connects via WiFi, you don't even have to be at home to control the switch.
[$50 each]
(Courtesy V-Moda)While the advent of digital music allows everyone to listen to their own personally curated playlists wherever they go, it does present a problem: These audio files are compressed down to soggy versions of themselves, stripped of all rich subtlety and nuance. Most of us won't mind the difference, but for sound purists who are searching for more exact replications of their tunes, it's a constant struggle to find the right components – headphones, amplifiers – to elevate the aural pleasure.
For iPhone audiophiles who fit this description, there's the V-Moda Vamp, a battery-powered, brushed metal and silicone case that contains a digital-to-analog (DAC) converter and a two-channel 150mW headphone amplifier that combine to transform your flat tracks into fully realized, hi-fi tunes (it also packs a 2200 mAH battery for charging your phone). A bulky, blinking thing that adds 135 grams to your iPhone, the Vamp has a top-mounted volume knob, a glowing three-position LED switch that cycles through sound/charge modes, and a headphone jack. There's also hi-lo-gain switch on the bottom, and a button on the side that, when pushed, displays battery level, and changes audio modes (Pure and VQ). Pure maintains the audio's original recording; VQ punches things up a bit.
What all of this amounts to is an on-the-go audio experience that even the most rigid music lover can appreciate. During our time with the Vamp, we listened to a wide variety of music, from Miles Davis and Metallica to Beethoven and The Black Keys. Every note, echo, strain, and solo sounded as if we were sitting in our armchair at home and hearing them on our $4,000 system. In other words, everything was warmer, and more well-balanced than the normally flat audio of our iPhone. (It must be noted that we listened to the Vamp with a pair of Sennheiser HD 700 headphones [$850], which greatly complemented the acoustics; the Vamp demands high-quality headphones.)
Although it transforms your sleek iPhone into a monstrous thing as it transforms your music, the Vamp is a well-designed, high-quality device that soothed the ears of even the hardest-to-please music snobs we shared it with. It even started conversations with pretty much anyone we come across (one listener was asked why he brought a Geiger counter to a party; another if his police scanner picked up a good signal). It's certainly for a very specific person – the on-the-go audiophile who doesn't want to compromise his listening experience – but if that's you, the Vamp provides an unparalleled portable music experience.
(Courtesy Innergie)The 2.5-ounce PocketCell earns our highest praise, thanks to a smartly designed cable that holds mini- and micro-USB connectors (for most portable electronics), as well as Apple's proprietary 30-pin one. This lets you charge any device, without having to stow spare cables. Though it has the smallest battery, it still supplied more than half the juice to a Kindle Fire (and can also do an iPad halfway on a full charge).
We also used it to revive a dead iPhone to full charge and an Android phone to full charge (without having to plug it in again).
[$37]
(Courtesy Mophie)This case boasts a battery that revives a phone twice, as well as offering an additional 16 or 32 gigs of storage space. This is a first – and a revelation for not only anyone with an overworked, often depleted phone, but also those sick of seeing the pop up notification constantly reminding you of your storage inadequacy anytime you try to take a photo or upload another song (the iPhone, frustratingly, doesn't allow users to upgrade its internal storage beyond the 16, 32, or 64 GB base models).
The case recharges via micro-USB. Once your phone is snapped in, you can siphon the case's battery life at any time by flipping a small switch on the back, where a four-level battery indicator also sits. In terms of storage, the case plugs into your computer via micro-USB and you simply drag and drop to put files onto it as though you were loading up a flash drive. Sifting through the content is no trouble, as a well-designed free companion iOS app catalogues the content into a system of pre-designated folders you can easily access. The additional space allows you to store up to 16,000 more photos, fourteen hours of video, or more than 9,000 songs. It's a fantastic idea and one that works near-flawlessly. I had no issue accessing or transferring files, and had both the battery life and the capacity to enjoy hours of content on a recent flight. Did the Space Case turn my phone into a pocket-stretching amorphous block? Sure. But sometimes style has to be compromised for substance.
Field Notes
Days Tested: 10
Conditions Encountered: Several full battery drains and rejuvenations; hundreds of photos and videos both uploaded and played.
Nitpik: It's costly. If you don't need the additional space, stick with a standard battery pack.
