Young, old, millennial, Gen Z, X or even the Silent Generation — we all have a smartphone. This means that getting a smartphone accessory or gadget is an almost guaranteed win for any gift exchange. It’s easy and necessary, a solid combo.
There are a lot of options out there, though. From dope cases that add a little flare to the average phone to legitimate theater projectors, it’s easy to get lost in the weeds of smart phone extras. What’s essential? What’s superfluous?
That’s why we’re here. We’ve compiled ten gifts that hit on every aspect of having a smartphone and amps it up. Whether the person you’re shopping for is into photography, music, or even travel, there’s something for them below.
EDITOR’S PICK: MUJJO FULL LEATHER WALLET CASE
Price: $44.69 to $55.89
Mujjo’s cases are the perfect style-forward smartphone accessory that’s subtle yet flashy. The soft, dyed leather offers several understated options for smartphone covers. They also give you a chance to turn your smartphone into a wallet with their optional card slot on the case. Beautiful stitching, sleek design, and durability combine for a great smartphone case that’ll likely outlast your actual phone.
Cases are available for iPhone 6S through iPhone 11 and Galaxy S8 and S9. You can score 25 percent off during Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales this year, starting November 28th using coupon code “#25off.”
XENVO PRO LENS KIT
Price: $39.99
Smartphone cameras have pretty much killed the digital camera market (outside of DSLRs). Still, smartphone cameras are, for the most part, small formats that lack the depth a real lens will give you. To help bridge that gap and give your smartphone a better chance to wow when it comes to photos, a Xenvo Pro Lens Kit is the play.
This isn’t going to make your photos look like you’re using a DSLR with a huge piece of glass, but it will up your game considerably. The kit comes with a wide-angle and macro lens with a clip-on LED light. It’s all rechargeable and very portable. It also works with any smartphone with one or two cameras on the back of the phone.
UBEESIZE PHONE TRIPOD WITH UNIVERSAL REMOTE
Price: $13.98
So, if you’re going to up your smartphone photo game, you absolutely need a small tripod to get great shots — especially if you’re going for a long exposure. The mini tripods are very portable, work with any smartphone, and make taking photos with your phone straight up better. They’re also very cheap — rarely over 20 bucks.
POPSOCKETS
Price: $9.99
This is the perfect stocking stuffer or even an office holiday party gift. It’s cheap, easy, and makes using a smartphone so much easier. Seriously, this is the sort of tiny flourish accessory for a phone you never realized you needed until you have one.
After you use a Popsocket for a day, you’ll never go back to living with a smartphone without one. Get one that’s customized for a little extra “thoughtful” credit.
PHONESOAP GO SMARTPHONE SANITIZER AND PORTABLE CHARGER
Price: $99.95
There’s no way to put this lightly. Our phones are covered in a massive amount of nasty bacteria. Look, not all bacteria are bad, but who among us doesn’t take their phone into the bathroom? Yeah. Exactly.
Having a device to clean your phone safely and efficiently is a must. The PhoneSoap Go from Shark Tank has proven to be the device to do just that. The cleaning case uses two UV-lights to burn away harmful bacteria while charging your phone. It works will all smartphones of all sizes and can clean your phone up to 45 times with one charge.
RAVPOWER PORTABLE CHARGER
Price: $33.99
Even with smartphone batteries getting longer and longer life, you still don’t want to be stuck without power at an inopportune time. A serious portable power source is a must for, well, anyone traveling around with a smartphone. The RAVPower holds four to five charges in its battery bank and fits any smartphone through multiple ports. All that adds up to a battery pack that’ll save you over and over again.
JBL CLIP 3 PORTABLE SPEAKER —
Price: $69.95
Rolling with some music is a must. JBL makes some of the most durable (and waterproof) portable BlueTooth speakers out there. Their JBL Clip 3 is the perfect introductory speaker for any smartphone. It’s loud, can go anywhere, and sounds great overall without breaking the bank. For under $100, this speaker shouldn’t sound so damn good. And, hey, it’s BlueTooth, so it’ll work with any smartphone.
TRIANIUM ARMBAND
Price: $8.99
Snagging an armband for your phone is essential if you hate having your phone bounce out of your pocket at the gym. This is also a great cheap gift option that’s useful every day, especially for anyone looking to start getting fit. The Trianium Armband is waterproof, fully adjustable, and fits smartphones big and small.
And, crucially, it has a small pocket for your key — a nuance often overlooked by lesser armbands.
VR SHINECON VR HEADSET
Price: $39.99
VR headsets are getting cheaper and cheaper these days and the VR headsets that have a mount for your smartphone are a great place to test the waters of VR. The low price allows you to figure out whether or not it’ll be worth dropping a few hundred bucks on an Oculus down the road. Either way, the VR Shinecon works with any smartphone, has built-in sound, and is fully adjustable for any head size.
NEBULA CAPSULE BY ANKER MINI PROJECTOR
Price: $299.99
This is a big gift but worth it for the wow factor. The Nebula Capsule Mini Projector allows you to screen mirror from your smartphone and project it on any surface to give you a full-on cinema effect. The Capsule is about the size of a can of soda yet carries a full 360 sound system. You can also download streaming apps like Netflix and Hulu directly to the device.
