Watch as I guide myself through the perils of trying to figure out what accessories to buy for my new iPhone. Really, though, it’s all about how to spend another two hundred dollars without blinking.
All Articles in Accessories
For those of you with butter fingers and clumsy hands, Speck offers a nice line of reasonably priced rubbery sleeve thingies that slips right over your iPhone like a…glove, or something along those lines. Think of it as a big squishy iPhone condom, protecting your delicate ahem unit from bumps and bruises. I’ll stop right there with the innuendos, it’s starting to make my eyes water.
The aptly named ToughSkin comes in two color options, black and clear, priced at just $29.95. Not a bad deal.
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No bones about it, the Aquapac Waterproof Pro Sports Case (store link, $34.95) isn’t a pretty case. It’s a pretty ugly case. You don’t wear the Aquapac to the beauty pageant though, so this review is less about aesthetics and more about form.
Finding just the right case for your iPhone can be a real challenge - with so many case options, it’s easy to get lost in a sea of accessories. Smartphone Experts (they have a diploma proving they’re experts) offers a colorful line of stylish leather cases of every form factor, even horizontally aligned pouches for those who prefer the “I’m packing heat” look.
The SPE SidePouch sports a magnet flap and belt-clip design, priced at just $29.95. It’s availabe in five flavors - Black, Cocoa Brandy, Red Brandy, Saddle Brandy, Cream Brandy, and Brandy Brandy. Someone at Smartphone Experts must have a taste for Brandy.
For those of you who just love to personalize your personal technology in all manner of creative expression, Gelaskins is sure to appeal to your inner Picaso. I can already sense your inquisitive collective consciousness filtering through my DSL line, pondering what all this is about. I’ll explain.
Gelaskins are really nothing more than colorful automotive grade vinyl adhesive stick-ons. That’s a fancy way of describing the same material pin-striping is made from. You know…that stuff that adorns your car? Only instead of tacky Nascar racing stripes, these beautiful peel ‘n stick adhesive films both pimp and protect your iPhone, iPod, laptop, Child’s forehead, or just about anything else you want to ahem decorate.
The films (which you apply yourself) cost just $14.95 per set, and come in many variety of patterns and styles to choose from. Stay away from the organ grinder monkey and Bingo clown theme, it gives me nightmares.
But wait, I haven’t told you the best part. Not only do these guys provide cool looking stickies for next to nothing, they also offer FREE, yes I said FREE, matching wallpaper for your iPhone! So free in fact that no film purchase is required to get them. Just go to Gelaskin’s website - pick a set that looks attractive to you - then click on the link, located to the right of your selection, that says “Download Set”. They’re Gellin!
figure 1: the Belkin Sport Armband. Note the absence of the holes by the key slot
I quit smoking over a year ago. I didn’t like how expensive it all was (a pack a day gets expensive quick), so I started rolling my own cigarettes; which is probably way worse for you. I liked smoking, but I knew I had to quit. I was going to be moving in to a house, meaning my tiny little monthly rent was going to jump up to a ginormous monthly mortgage. So I quit. Boy, did that suck. I mean, it sucked at first. Eventually I was done with smoking and that’s great, nothing bad about that. Except for the 30 pounds I packed on. The charts don’t say I’m overweight, but I started running anyway. It’s either that or buy a whole bunch of pants.
I can do a mile without killing myself, so that’s great. It takes a while; long enough that I sometimes wish for music or podcasts as I jog. But, I’m not really excited about dumping an iPhone to flop around in my running shorts. Ergo, the need for the Belkin Sport Armband case (store link, $24.95).
For those of you who have grown weary of iPhone’s default wallpaper gallery, Efiko has a supreme four-pack collection that will satisfy your craving. These image packs feature rich, vibrantly colored wallpapers that will have you hitting the sleep/wake button all day.
At just $4.95, it’s the best way to blow a fiver.
Bang & Olufsen is a name well known among elitist snobs with bank accounts bigger than their brains. The products are sexy and elegant, but often overpriced and under deliver in terms of performance. Hmm…this sounds like another company I know ducks to avoid flying tomatoes
For those who fall into this category, B&O A8 Earphones are for you. These sexy and functional earphones claim to deliver unsurpassed sound quality by matching the contour of the human ear, thus preventing sound leakage common to conventional earphones. Uh, yeah.
But as with all things that wear the proud B&O label, these earphones won’t come cheap. A pair of A8’s will set you back $160. Still, if you can afford a $600 iPhone you should have no problem ponying up another Ben Franklin or so. And you’ll need to purchase the Belkin headphone adapter to mate these earphone with your iPhone.
