25 innovative and cool iPhone accessory gifts for Apple lovers
by Malarie Gokey, Joe Osborne, Business Insider US
- Apple’s iPhones are probably the most supported smartphones out there in terms of accessories, but the glut of peripheral gadgets makes it tough to sort out the wheat from the chaff.
- Luckily for you, we’ve found a bunch of iPhone accessories that any iPhone user would love to receive as a holiday gift.
- Looking for holiday gifts in general? Read over all our holiday gift guides on Insider Picks.
One of the great things about the iPhone is that, since it’s been a staple smartphone for so long, there is a veritable ton of iPhone accessories for all sorts of budgets. Naturally, you have your high-end wireless headphones, speakers and even charging cases, but there are also straight cases, long-lasting Lightning cables and phone grips for as low as $10.
As Insider Picks’ badge-wearing tech nerds and iPhone stans, we’ve tried out tons of accessories over the years, and gifted many of these accessories to friends and family as well – all of which have been received with glee and inevitable phone calls asking for tech support.
The majority of these gifts are available with “free” two-day shipping if you subscribe to Amazon Prime, so they’ll arrive ready to wrap for Christmas if you act quickly.
A PopSocket grip
PopSocket Grip, available at PopSocket, $10.00+
It seems like iPhones get bigger every year, so why not buy a nice sturdy PopSocket grip and save your loved one the pinky strain? These handy grips stick on the back of most iPhone cases with ease and pop out twice to provide excellent grip. Your giftee can even use them to prop up their phone so it stands alone as they watch videos.
PopSocket grips come in more patterns, colors, and styles than I can count, so you’ll be sure to find one that matches the personality of your loved one. I personally love my PopSocket grip so much that I can’t imagine life without it.
A long, threaded iPhone cable
Native Union Night Cable, available at Amazon, $39.99
There are two things wrong with the lightning cable Apple includes in the box with each new iPhone: The cable is too short and it’s too weak. Native Union’s Night Cable solves both those problems with a 10-foot-long durable cable that can easily reach to charge your phone.
It also has a handy knotted weight on it that you can move up and down the cable to ensure that your iPhone stays on the table while it charges without falling or moving. It’s our favorite long iPhone cable.
A gorgeous leather case
Nomad iPhone cases, available at Nomad, $39.95 to $79.95
There’s nothing better than a leather iPhone case and Nomad makes our favorite ones. Not only are they durable and protective, but the cases are also made with soft Horween leather that ages beautifully. We can’t recommend these cases enough.
A light to help you take better photos
Lume Cube Air, available at Amazon, $69.95
If your giftee loves taking high-quality photos, they’ll love having the Lume Cube Air in their mobile photography kit. The little light helps illuminate the subject of a photo when the lighting is less than ideal.
A stylish Bluetooth speaker
Marshall Kilburn II Portable Bluetooth Speaker, available at Amazon, $229.99
Marshall is known for its classic rock-n-roll aesthetic, and its Kilburn II Bluetooth Speaker is an icon in its own right. This speaker has the classic Marshall look and appears to be an amp at first glance. It’s actually a powerful Bluetooth speaker with a massive battery inside that can last through about 20 hours of playback. I use this speaker at home often, and I love it – your iPhone-addicted giftee will, too.
A wireless charging stand
Courant Catch:2, available at Amazon, $150.00
If the person you’re shopping for has an iPhone 8 or newer, you should get them a wireless charger. This one from Courant is perfect. It’s both beautiful and practical, as it charges two devices wirelessly at the same time at up to 10 watts. It’s made of Italian leather and has an attractive braided nylon cable. Thanks to its five charging coils, there are no dead spots, either.
An excellent cleaning kit
WHOOSH! Phone Cleaning Kit, available at Amazon, $9.99
Trust me, you don’t even want to know how dirty your loved one’s iPhone is, but with a WHOOSH! cleaning kit, their iPhone can be germ-free in seconds. This kit comes with an antimicrobial microfiber cloth and a 3.4-ounce disinfecting spray that’s safe for electronics. I use WHOOSH! all the time to keep my phone germ-free during cold and flu season.
Stylish on-ear wireless headphones
Bang & Olufsen H4 headphones, available at Amazon for $300.00
Bang & Olufsen makes gorgeous wireless headphones that look as great as they sound. They are expensive, but the sound quality, classy design, and stable Bluetooth connectivity make them a great choice – especially for people who have an iPhone 7 or newer without the headphone jack.
The latest Apple Watch
Apple Watch Series 5, available at Amazon, starting at $379.00
There is no better smartwatch than the Apple Watch Series 5. Just about every iPhone owner will love to have one, so this is really a fail-safe gift. It can track fitness metrics, keep tabs on heart rate and health, go swimming, buzz with notifications, and so much more. It’s a true companion to the iPhone.
A dedicated iPhone gaming controller
SteelSeries Nimbus for iOS and Apple TV, available on Best Buy, $49.75
For the mobile gamer in your life, chances are they’d appreciate some dedicated controls for their favorite games. As excellent as Apple’s touchscreens may be, they just don’t compare to buttons and joysticks for games. Equip this with one of SteelSeries’s grips for another $10, and they’ll be off to the races – or, you know, Fortnite.
An effective waterproof case
Lifeproof Fré Case, available at Amazon, $40.00-$90.00
If your loved one lives a life aquatic – or is just a lovable klutz – they need the Lifeproof Fré iPhone case. This case is fully submersible in water that’s up to 6.6 feet (2 meters) deep for 1 hour. It’s also fully sealed with its built-in screen protector and port covers, so it’s safe from the elements.
A fast charger and USB-C-to-lightning cable
Belkin USB-C-to-Lightning Cable, available at Amazon, $19.95
Belkin USB-C Wall Adapter, available at Amazon, $16.99
With Belkin’s USB-C-to-Lightning Cable and USB-C Wall Adapter, anyone who has a newer iPhone can take advantage of faster charging speeds. The cable is also durable and well made, plus, it’s MFi certified by Apple to be safe.
An easy, durable screen protector
Zagg Screen Protectors, available at Zagg, from $19.99
It’s so easy to scratch or crack a phone screen by accident, so we recommend picking up a screen protector as a practical stocking stuffer. Zagg is famous for its screen protectors because they are durable, easy to apply, and some offer special features like blue light blocking and privacy shields.
The most ubiquitous wireless earbuds
Apple Airpods, available at Best Buy, $199.99
Although there are truly wireless earbuds that sound better and cost more, Apple’s Airpods are among the best you can buy because they are just so simple and easy to use with an iPhone. They pair effortlessly, never lose connection, and they come in a wirelessly charging case that charges them.
Apple’s ultimate AirPods
Apple AirPods Pro, available at Adorama, $249.00
For those that either have more expensive taste or want the absolute best and latest Apple tech, whoever you’re gifting will definitely appreciate the AirPods Pro – especially for its water resistance and active noise cancelling, neither of which the traditional AirPods have.
A portable battery pack
Jackery Bolt 6,000mAH Battery Pack with Lightning and Micro USB Cables, available at Amazon, $35.99
Although iPhone battery life has improved markedly over the years, it’s still a good idea to have a portable battery pack on hand for charging emergencies. Jackery makes our favorite battery pack because it has a good capacity and built-in lightning and micro USB cables so you don’t have to bring cables with you, too. The micro USB cable is great for charging a Kindle or wireless headphones.
A camera lens attachment
Olloclip Lens Kits, available at Olloclip, starting at $79.99
Although the latest iPhones have great cameras, lens kits like this one from Olloclip make the photo quality even better. Your giftee can add fish-eye, macro, and wide-angle lenses to their iPhone with the Olloclip to take special photos.
A clever way to expand storage
SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive 64GB for iPhone, available at Amazon, $33.49
There is nothing worse than running out of storage on your iPhone or struggling to transfer photos and files from your phone to your laptop. SanDisk’s iXpand Flash Drive for iPhone solves both problems with an elegant solution that works effortlessly.
The drive has a regular USB-A end that will fit in most laptops and a lightning end that fits all iPhones so you can offload files and transfer them back and forth. It’s great for extra photo storage.
A portable photo printer
Lifeprint 3 x 4.5 Portable Photo and Video Printer, available at Amazon, $149.95
Although sharing digital photos is fun, sharing physical photos is wonderful. Lifeprint’s portable photo printer can reproduce high-quality photos on special photo paper in a 3-by-4.5-inch size that’s perfect for sharing.
You can do lots of fun things with the app, too, and make your Live iPhone photos come to life as animated GIFs as you hold your phone above the printed photo. Lifeprint’s printers can communicate with each other, too, so if both you and your loved one have a Lifeprint printer, you can send photos to print at each other’s printers.
A 3-pack of lightning cables so you never run out
Anker PowerLine Lightning Cable (3ft) Apple MFi Certified, 3-Pack, available at Amazon, $23.99
It’s all too easy to lose lightning cables, so it’s a great idea to stock up with a three-pack of Anker’s PowerLine cables. These 3-foot-long cables are sturdy, last a long time, and have good reach. They’re also our pick for the best iPhone lightning cable you can buy in our guide.
A stylish pair of touchscreen gloves
L.L.Bean Touchscreen Gloves, available at L.L.Bean, from $29.95
Just because it’s cold out doesn’t mean your iPhone-loving giftee is going to stop using their iPhone, so touchscreen gloves are the perfect gift for people in colder climes. L.L.Bean sells several different touchscreen glove options, so you can find a pair that fits your loved one’s style and hand size.
A portable battery pack that doubles as a wireless charger
myCharge Wireless Charger Portable Charger Power Bank, available at Best Buy, $55.99
If your giftee has an iPhone 8 or newer, they’ll love this portable battery power bank, which doubles as a wireless charger. It has a 10,000mAh capacity, so it’ll charge an iPhone multiple times whether you want to juice up wirelessly or with your lightning cable.
A straight-up fitness tracker
Fitbit Charge 3, available at Fitbit, $139.95
When it comes to fitness trackers, Fitbit is the most well-known brand and the Charge 3 is an excellent gift for iPhone owners who want to get and stay fit.
An effective and reliable car mount
iOttie Easy One Touch 4 Air Vent Car Mount Phone Holder, available at Amazon, $19.95
Driving without a car mount for your phone is a recipe for disaster, but luckily, you can get your loved one a phone mount like this one from iOttie for a great price. It adjusts to fit any iPhone and it’ll fit in any car’s air vent. It’s easy to angle any which way so you can see the phone properly when you drive. It’s a godsend for when you need GPS for driving directions.
A wireless charging lamp
TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp with Wireless Charger, available at Amazon, $39.99
Wireless chargers come in all shapes and sizes, and one of the coolest ones I’ve encountered is this desk lamp that doubles as a wireless charger. It even has a USB port at the back so you can charge with a cable, too. It also excels as a lamp, so I use it on my nightstand as a reading lamp and phone charger.
The lamp has five color temperature modes and seven brightness levels, so you can adjust it to suit your needs. The lamp’s head tilts up to 135 degrees and rotates up to 180 degrees, plus, the arm can be tilted up to 150 degrees and swivels 90 degrees, which is to say, this lamp will illuminate anything you want in just about any direction while charging your phone.
Looking for more gift ideas? We’ve got you covered.
