Getting a new smartphone is fun, but out of the box your phone just isn’t that capable – the battery runs out too quickly, it’s hard to use in the car, the sound quality isn’t great and you’ll worry about getting it wet or damaged. Here are ten accessories that’ll supercharge your smartphone, making your life easier by solving these nagging problems immediately, instead of needing to wait until your contract is up.
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Portable Bluetooth Speaker  Let’s face it – your phone’s speakers suck. Whether you want to listen to music at full volume without distortion or just carry out a phone call easily, choosing a Bluetooth speaker like the Veho will make things sound so much louder and clearer. |
Foldable USB Mains Charger  It’s useful to be able to charge your phone at full speed from a wall socket, but the AC adapters that come with your phone are always massive thanks to the giant UK plug. The Mu folds down elegantly, making it easy to keep your phone charged. |
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Car Hands-Free Speaker  If you need to take a call in your car, there’s only a few safe and legal ways to do it. Perhaps the best is an in-car Bluetooth hands-free kit that’ll play calls over its speaker at a safe volume. This one is the Clip and Talk, which boasts 1080 hours on standby. |
USB Charging Station  When you’ve got a lot of gadgets in the house, plug space can be at a premium. A USB charging station like the Quirky Converge takes up just one plug, but provides four USB ports to charge smartphones, tablets and mobile accessories. |
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Bluetooth Music Receiver  Bluetooth works really well for streaming music from your phone, but few home stereos or speaker systems have it. This Roxa music receiver connects to your phone with Bluetooth, then sends the music to your stereo via a 3.5 mm stereo cable. |
Waterproof Case  Smartphones, like other electronics, are famously intolerant of water. This Lifeproof case not only prevents damage from splashes, but even allows you to take pictures underwater with your iPhone. You can get waterproof cases for other phones too. |
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FM Transmitter & Car Charger  If you want to listen to music in your car but your car stereo doesn’t have Bluetooth, you’ll need an FM transmitter, which allows you to tune into your phone using your car’s radio. This RoadTune also charges your phone and holds it too. |
Portable Charger  As smartphones keep getting bigger and faster, their batteries just can’t keep up. This Pama Plug N’ Go portable charger gives you 4000 mAh of power wherever you are, tripling the battery life of a typical smartphone without fuss. |
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Wallet Case  Wallet cases are really convenient. If you’re always going to take both your phone and your wallet out with you, why not combine them into one piece to save space? This BookBook case is for the iPhone, but there are similar options for many phones. |
Wireless Media Streamer & Hard Drive  Getting music, videos and pictures between your smartphone and your TV is always a struggle. One of the easiest ways is to use a streamer like this one from Samsung that includes a hard drive, connects to your TV and can stream to your smartphone. |
I hope you’ve found these selections helpful. Be sure to leave your questions and comments about any of the mobile phone accessories shown here in the comments below!