Last week Apple announced the new iPhone 11, Pro and Pro Max, and reduced prices on the older iPhone 8 and iPhone XR. Like many people this time of year, you might be planning to get or have already upgraded to a new iPhone. Your new iPhone will need new accessories to go with it, and that can get downright expensive.
When I got my iPhone 6s in 2015, I spent $80 USD on a clear case and screen protectors. When I got my iPhone XR last week, I could have spent another $80 USD on the exact same accessories. This time I went shopping on Amazon to find some great deals. While several of the accessories that I mention are specific to the iPhone XR, you can find similar accessories for other iPhone models at the same price or a few dollars more.
The first accessory that I got was the Mkeke iPhone XR Clear Case for $9 USD. A similar clear case at the Apple Store would have cost $40 USD. What’s the point of getting the iPhone in a certain color, say, PRODUCT (RED), and covering it up in a plain old case? A clear case will show off the color while protecting the iPhone from the occasional drop to the sidewalk. A clear case, however, will not protect the iPhone dropped from a tall building, run over by a car or shot by a bullet. There are plenty of other cases that will provide much better protection for a much higher price.
The second accessory is the Mkeke Screen Protector for the iPhone XR and iPhone 11 at $7 USD. A similar screen protector in the Apple Store will cost $40 USD. If you ever apply a screen protector, it can be a PITA to get it to line up and squeeze out all the bubbles. I like this kit because it has a frame that goes on top of the iPhone for lining up the screen protector over the screen. Despite wiping down the screen with the included cloth, alcohol wipe and sticky film beforehand, it still took me a half-dozen attempts to apply the screen protector just right.
The third accessory is the Anker PowerWave Pad Wireless Charger, a one-pack is $13 USD and a two-pack are $24 USD. The wireless charger is compatible with all models of the iPhone 8, XR and 11. You charge the iPhone by placing it on the charging pad and leaving it for a while. Please note that wireless charging is slower than charging with the lightning cable. If your iPhone need a fast charge, plug it into the lightning cable. I got the two-pack to have a wireless charger pad at my desk and my nightstand.
The fourth and final accessory is the Brescia Headphones/Charger Adapter for $10 USD. The Apple Store has a headphones-only adapter for $9 USD. Since the iPhone no longer has a headphone jack, you will need a headphone-to-lightning adapter. This accessory for a dollar more adds a lightning port to let you listen to your headphones while charging your iPhone or iPad at the same time.
These are my four MUST HAVE iPhone accessories for $50 on Amazon.