The best accessories for your new iPhone

New Apple iPhone 14 homeowners ought to take into consideration the equipment they need for his or her new handset not lengthy after unboxing it. Like with final 12 months’s iPhone 13s, this 12 months’s fashions don’t include a charging adapter, in order that’s one factor you’ll in all probability must have available. In case you plan on going all-in on wi-fi charging, you’ll be able to make the most of the very best MagSafe know-how with the numerous equipment to decide on. We’ve examined out a number of the finest iPhone equipment out there, from the Apple AirTag to wi-fi headphones to telephone circumstances, and gathered the very best ones right here.

Engadget’s picks

Apple MagSafe wi-fi charger

There are sometimes higher and cheaper options to Apple’s first-party equipment, however the firm’s MagSafe wi-fi charger is value contemplating when you have a brand new iPhone. Like all different MagSafe equipment, this charging pad makes use of magnets to connect to the again of the newest iPhones and it’s surprisingly sturdy. Not solely are you able to safely choose up your handset and use it with the disk nonetheless connected, however the iPhone can dangle by the charger’s wire with out falling off. (You continue to in all probability shouldn’t do that.)

The charging plate itself is a few quarter-inch thick so it barely provides any heft to the iPhone. The magnets solely connect to the newest iPhones, however it would nonetheless cost older fashions wirelessly, going again to the iPhone 8. I solely want the cable have been longer than three ft so that you simply had extra leeway to make use of your iPhone on the sofa or in mattress whereas powering it up.

Apple’s MagSafe charger accent is available in at $39 (though we’ve seen it go on sale a number of instances), however if you wish to spend a bit much less, Spigen’s $25 ArcField magnetic wi-fi charger is a good dupe. It’s magnets are nowhere close to as sturdy as these on the Apple MagSafe charger — so that you positively shouldn’t choose up your iPhone by this cable — however it’ll energy up your handset and keep put whereas doing so.

Purchase Apple MagSafe wi-fi charger at Amazon – $39
Purchase Spigen ArcField at Amazon – $25

Mophie 4-in-1 wi-fi charging mat

You might have gathered various gadgets that help wi-fi charging at this level and Mophie’s 4-in-1 charging mat is a straightforward technique to energy all of them. It’s an 11-by-8-inch rectangle with 4 areas for various gadgets to cost concurrently. Two of these spots are massive sufficient to accommodate smartphones whereas the opposite two within the middle are smaller and match issues like AirPods completely. It additionally has an non-compulsory attachment for an Apple Watch, which suggests it might truly cost as much as 5 gadgets on the similar time.

I discovered the mat helpful as a charging hub, turning to it every night time to cost my iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods Professional. It’s value noting that each my iPhone and my AirPods Professional dwell in circumstances, and I didn’t should take away both as a way to cost them with Mophie’s mat. However whereas the mat’s measurement permits it to do quite a bit without delay, it’s additionally powerful to discover a large enough spot for it. It’ll match on most nightstands, however you will have to rearrange issues first. Mophie has a 3-in-1 charging station that takes up much less house and has devoted spots to your iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods.

Purchase Mophie 4-in-1 charging mat at Amazon – $150
Purchase Mophie 3-in-1 charging station at Amazon – $110

AirPods

It’s well-known now that Apple AirPods are the very best wi-fi earbuds for these with iPhones. Apple made its commonplace AirPods even higher this 12 months with the introduction of the third-generation fashions, which have an improved design, noticeably higher sound and longer battery life. We respect the brand new “contoured” design, which is far more snug than earlier AirPods, and the H1 chipset makes options like hands-free Siri and speedy pairing and switching doable. They’re properly value their $179 price ticket — but when that’s a bit steep for you, Beats’ new Studio Buds are various. At $150, they’ve the identical H1 chip inside together with balanced sound that doesn’t sacrifice the punchy bass that Beats gadgets are identified for.

Purchase AirPods (third gen) at Amazon – $179
Purchase Beats Studio Buds at Amazon – $150

Anker Nano II 45W GaN charger

Whereas Apple’s 20W charger works simply high quality, you’ll be able to go for a extra versatile adapter in Anker’s Nano II 45W charger. Not solely can it fast-charge an iPhone, however it may possibly additionally energy up a 2020 MacBook Air at full velocity, together with mid-sized gadgets like iPads. It’s 34 p.c smaller than different 45W chargers, and it makes use of GaN know-how to forestall overheating. We additionally respect that its prongs flip all the way down to make the adapter much more compact when you should journey with it. The 45W mannequin will set you again $40, however Anker additionally makes a $34 30W model and a $66 65W two-port mannequin for while you wish to cost your telephone and your laptop computer on the similar time.

Purchase Nano II 45W charger at Amazon – $40
Purchase Nano II 30W charger at Amazon – $34
Purchase Nano II 65W charger at Amazon – $66

Apple’s AirTags make it simple for iPhone customers to find issues they may misplace. Simply connect one of many tiny Bluetooth trackers to your keys, backpack or pockets after which use the Discover My app to maintain monitor of them. If you realize your stuff is inside attain, you’ll be able to power the AirTag to play a tune to steer you to it. And while you really don’t know the place one thing is, you’ll be able to allow Misplaced Mode to be routinely notified when the Discover My community locates the merchandise. AirTags solely work with iPhones, however iPhone customers produce other Bluetooth tracker choices (specifically Tile’s). However Apple’s devices have a comfort stage that’s much like AirPods — your iPhone will routinely determine a brand new Apple AirTag close by and instantly pair with it, and it’s fairly easy to handle a number of AirTags within the Discover My app.

Purchase AirTag at Amazon – $29

Anker 637 MagGo charging station

Bear in mind Amazon’s cute Echo Spot, the orb-like good show that was ultimately changed by the Echo Present 5? Properly, Anker’s newest magnetic charging station seems to be very like it, simply with out the tiny touchscreen and with much more connectivity choices. The 8-in-1 gadget has a magnetic charging pad on the entrance and a bunch of ports on its again: three AC shops, two USB-C ports and two USB-A ports. The magnets within the charging pad are fairly sturdy and capable of maintain up an iPhone 14 Professional Max so it seems to be prefer it’s floating in mid air. You’ll be able to even use it when your iPhone has a MagSafe case on, too. Because the iPhone display is angled upward and clearly seen whereas charging, Anker’s gadget would make addition to a desk, or perhaps a nightstand for individuals who wish to use their telephone as their night clock. And on high of that, it’ll preserve all of your different cables organized and (principally) out of sight.

Purchase MagGo desktop charging station at Amazon – $100

Anker Powerline II USB-C to Lightning cable

We’ve been followers of Anker’s Powerline charging cables for a very long time and its Powerline II USB-C to Lightning wire isn’t any exception. First, it’s extra reasonably priced than Apple’s — you’ll pay $19 for a three-foot cable from Apple, whereas Anker’s three-foot wire prices $13. It additionally has MFi-certification, which suggests it’s handed sufficient exams to get Apple’s seal of approval as a secure, dependable iOS accent. Whereas not all of them are made out of braided nylon, those who don’t nonetheless have a 12,000-bend lifespan so you should use it with out worry of wire fraying after a number of weeks. Anker additionally has an analogous USB-C to C cable within the Powerline III sequence that ought to work properly for charging the newest iPads and MacBooks.

Purchase USB-C to Lightning cable at Amazon – $13

Belkin MagSafe Automobile Vent Mount Professional

Belkin’s MagSafe automobile mount is less complicated to make use of than a type of fussy clamps you pray will keep placed on a vent when you’re driving. The sturdy magnets really make this the most effective iPhone equipment — the iPhone 14 snaps into place on the mount’s credit-card sized plate and doesn’t budge even when you need to rapidly swerve to keep away from hitting a squirrel. The clip that attaches to your automobile’s vent can be fairly comfortable and you may swivel your telephone into panorama or portrait mode.

Even for those who don’t drive to work each day anymore, it will turn out to be useful on the times you’re within the workplace and when you should seek the advice of Google Maps throughout your subsequent roadtrip. Simply do not forget that this mount received’t cost your iPhone; it’s only a magnetic holder. You’ll be able to, nevertheless, weave a charging cable via a gap at the back of the mount so you’ll be able to neatly energy up your telephone whereas driving.

Purchase MagSafe automobile mount at Amazon – $40

Peak Design Cell Tripod

There are many methods to prop up your iPhone, however Peak Design’s new cellular tripod is among the extra elegant options I’ve tried. This iPhone accent is a 0.3-inch thick plate made from anodized aluminum with sturdy magnets inside and three legs that fold down and out. It attaches to the again of the newest iPhone and delivers a beneficiant raise off the floor it’s sitting on. Out of the entire stands I’ve used, it’s the one that appears and feels most like a tripod due to its micro ball-head, which helps you to alter the angle of your telephone almost 360 levels, and its three legs, which offer far more help than your commonplace phone-case kickstand.

The Cell Tripod is a stable possibility for individuals who use their telephone cameras for every thing from household photographs to trip panorama pictures, and those that wish to use their telephone virtually as a second display whereas travelling. It’s a bit steep at $80, however you’re paying for a sturdy accent with a considerate design — plus the Peak identify. In fact, there are many extra reasonably priced MagSafe telephone stands reminiscent of Moft’s Snap-On Stand and Pockets, which props up your iPhone whereas holding a number of bank cards, Anker’s MagGo telephone grip, and the now-ubiquitous PopSockets. Simply take into account that, whereas MagSafe equipment like these are handy, they finally received’t be as sturdy as one thing securely snapped onto your smartphone. The entire MagSafe stands, wallets, chargers and different equipment I’ve tried ultimately fell off if I utilized sufficient power.

Purchase Cell Tripod at Peak Design – $80
Purchase Moft Snap-On Stand and Pockets at Amazon – $30
Purchase MagGo telephone grip at Amazon – $16
Purchase MagSafe PopGrip at Amazon – $30

MagSafe circumstances

There are a lot of extra MagSafe circumstances out there now than there have been only a 12 months in the past, and so they run the gamut from reasonably priced to fairly costly. In case you like a silicone iPhone case, it’s normally finest to avoid wasting cash and get a 3rd get together one relatively than shopping for Apple’s. Nonetheless, the first-party silicone MagSafe iPhone case is value contemplating for its luxurious really feel and slim design. It doesn’t add a lot heft to the iPhone in any respect and it provides you a bit extra safety towards scratches and drops. This MagSafe accent additionally has a premium, easy texture that makes it nicer to carry than cheaper silicone circumstances.

Apple additionally makes hard-shell MagSafe circumstances, however we usually want Otterbox for that stage of safety. The corporate’s Symmetry+ line is simply a hair thicker than Apple’s however they’re barely extra versatile, making it simpler to take your iPhone out and in. Additionally they have Otterbox’s signature rubberized bumper across the edges and, though you’ll be able to’t take away it like you’ll be able to with a few of its different heavy-duty circumstances, it supplies an additional cushion for those who unintentionally drop your iPhone.

However Otterbox’s circumstances will set you again $60 or extra — for one thing extra budget-friendly, Spigen’s Magazine Armor sequence is worthy of consideration. At round $20 every, these circumstances are made from shock-absorbing TPU and so they have a raised lip across the digital camera array to guard it. They’re suitable with MagSafe equipment and so they solely add about 0.15-inches of thickness to the general profile of your iPhone. These are good choices if you wish to add solely what’s essential to your telephone to guard it towards the occasional drop or bump.

Store Otterbox Symmetry+ circumstances
Purchase Spigen Magazine Armor case at Amazon – $20