What do you do when you get a new iPhone? Well, after due celebration, it is a fair chance that you start looking for accessories. That is because like many brands in the premium segment, the package of an iPhone contains just an iPhone, a charging cable, and a SIM extractor. While these should suffice to get your iPhone up and running, you are going to need more to keep it running.
So if you have just got an iPhone 15, we suggest you invest a bit and get some or all of the following accessories to ensure that your Godphone does not get mortal in the coming days:
Table of Contents
7 Best iPhone 15 Accessories
No objection for a case, your honor: Head for a cover!
The new iPhones come in some striking new colors. And the Pro models have that titanium touch about them. And yet, there is a fair chance that a lot of those who get an iPhone will purchase a cover or case to keep it safe from smudges and scratches if just to ensure that it has a high resale value when they decide to swap for another (i)phone. Apple has its own range of cases and covers and has gone off leather too this year, but those tend to cost a bomb.
Whether you opt for a cover or not is up to you, but we would like to point out that the phone that cannot be scratched or smudged has yet to be made. We would recommend going for a transparent (“clear”) case to enable you to show what your iPhone looks like, with good bumper protection, elevated edges around the display and camera unit, and with MagSafe wireless charging support.
Our pick: Spigen Ultra Hybrid Magfit Back Cover Case
Buy on Amazon USA Buy on Amazon India
It seems a little pricey for something that looks so basic, but Spigen’s clear cases do not go yellow and are extremely resilient. This one is made of clear plastic, has a TPU bumper, fits snugly, and has MagSafe support as well. If this seems too much, you could also look at options from StuffCool and DailyObjects, which are generally two-third of Spigen’s price. And if penny-pinching is the order of the day, wait a while for Amazon to release its Amazon Basics clear covers with MagSafe support, which could cost less than half as much.
Save that display: Tap on Tempered glass
Ceramic Shield might be the toughest display protection on the phone right now, but we really slapping a tempered glass protector on top of your new iPhone makes a lot of common sense. A big issue with tempered glass protectors is the fit, the pain in placing it perfectly on the display, and, of course, the quality of the glass itself.
We have got tempered glass on phones from a variety of sources ranging from roadside sellers to showrooms, and our advice is to invest a bit and get one from a known brand. They last longer, don’t get scratched as easily, and are easier to replace (do not get us started on gum residues!).
Our Pick: Spigen EZ Fit Tempered Glass Screen Protector Guard
Buy on Amazon USA Buy on Amazon India
We know you can get the tempered glass off the streetside for a fraction of this price, but we have been using these for a while, and they actually work. The EZ Fit comes with its own applicator, which lets just about anyone place the tempered glass on an iPhone within minutes. You get two tempered glass protectors in every package. If the price seems too high, you can also try options from ESR, which are slightly more affordable.
Chaaaaaarge, but not too fast: Get a charger!
Mother Nature might be over the moon with Apple’s decision to dump the charging brick from the iPhone box, but its absence does mean that many iPhone purchasers have one more thing to buy. There are chargers out there that deliver charging speeds of over 100W, but those are of little use to an iPhone user, as the iPhone 15’s charging speed is at a relatively modest 20W over a wired connection and 15W on a wireless one.
And given the kind of damage a poor-quality charger can do to an iPhone, we would recommend shelling out just a little bit more and going for an established brand. A key factor to keep in mind will be if you wish to get a charger exclusively for your iPhone or one that can also handle other devices. Remember to pick one with a USB Type-C port, as the charging cable in the iPhone box is a Type-C to Type-C one.
Our Pick: StuffCool Neutron 33W
Buy on Flipkart India
This GaN charger is literally a small wonder. It is very compact (tiny for its capacity) and can easily charge not just iPhones at their maximum charging speeds of 20W but also Android devices at up to 33W, which is brisk. It can charge tablets and some notebooks, too, and comes with two ports – a Type-C and a Type-A – giving you the option of charging two devices at the same time (although the charging speed can take a hit). If you want to save some bucks, you can also go for the Neutron PD20W, which is even smaller and has similar power outlets but, as its name indicates, charges at 20W, which is anyway the fastest charging speed of the iPhone 15. It is available for around Rs 1299.
Those in the US, can buy Anker’s 511 30W GAN charger which can fast charge iPhone 15 alongside other devices like the iPad, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and more.
Related Read: 15 Best USB Type-C Accessories for iPhone 15 Series
Get wired for sound: Plug in USB Type C earbuds
When Apple got rid of the 3.5 mm audio jack, the only way of using wired earphones with the iPhone without getting into the hassle of a dongle was to use earbuds that plugged into the lightning port. These were, unfortunately, very limited in number and were not easily available. To make things even more challenging, Apple actually discontinued adding wired EarPods in the iPhone box, too.
However, with the iPhone now moving to a USB Type C port, users have a great variety of wired earphones to choose from, with options from the likes of Samsung AKG, Sennheiser, Amazon Basics, and a few others. They might not be as cool and happening as TWS, but they do not need charging or pairing, are plug-and-play, and generally handle calls a lot better than TWS.
Our pick: Apple EarPods USB-C
Buy on Amazon USA Buy on Apple India
Apple released them rather quietly at the Wonderlust event, given just how the EarPods used to be in the past. We think these are the best options for anyone wanting decent audio and very good call quality. You can also consider the Samsung AKG tuned IC 100 (Rs 1899), and if you want to keep things super basic and on a tight budget, the Amazon Basics EP1 for Rs 649.
Add gigs to storage: Get a Pen Drive
That USB Type C port on the iPhone 15 series means that you can finally use a USB Type C pen drive to expand storage on the iPhone. No, you will not be able to install apps on the drive, but you can shift stuff like photographs, videos, documents, and even some music and films (depending on where you got them from) onto a flash drive, freeing up valuable gigabytes on your iPhone. You can also use it to shift data from your iPhone to a notebook.
Our Pick: SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive Go
Buy on Amazon USA Buy on Amazon India
These are compact and super handy, with a Type C port on one side and a traditional Type A on the other, letting you use them with a number of notebooks. They start at Rs 579 for 32 GB, and thanks to price cuts, you can get even a 256 GB variant for under Rs 2,000. If you want a slightly more premium offering, go for the SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive Lux, which has a metallic build and costs a little more but goes all the way up to 1 TB!
Make room for the audiophile: Dangle a USB-C to 3.5 mm jack dongle
This might be the wireless era, and well, as we pointed out above, you can get USB Type C wired earbuds, too, but for a real audiophile, nothing quite beats the audio quality of a good pair of wired earphones or headphones. And those generally come with a 3.5 mm jack, support for which disappeared from the iPhone years ago. There is a way around this, of course – you can use an adaptor or dongle.
Getting these in the past was a bit of a headache as you needed one with a lightning port, but the arrival of the USB Type C port has opened the audio dongle door for audiophiles with iPhones.
Our Pick: Apple USB-C to 3.5 mm headphone jack adapter
Buy on Amazon USA Buy on Amazon India
We really think this tiny dongle is one of the most value-for-money products for audiophiles. It comes with a DAC, delivers amazing sound, and can even handle some high-impedance headphones. And yes, it costs just Rs 900. Just be careful not to lose it. It is kind of tiny.
Slap on some extra battery power, please: Open an account in a power bank with wireless charging!
Battery life on iPhones is no longer a pain point, but it always helps to have a power bank handy. Especially if you are the type that does a fair bit of gaming or uses the camera a lot. Once again, the presence of the Type C port means that you no longer have to worry about carrying an extra lightning cable.
But we would recommend going one better and grabbing a power bank with support for wireless charging, preferably one that supports MagSafe so that you can just slap it onto the back of your iPhone and charge it. No scrabbling for cables in times of need.
Our pick: StuffCool PB9018W
Buy on Amazon India
Some might find it a little on the expensive side, but we think it is a very good deal when you consider you get 10000 mAh capacity, 15W wireless charging, 20W wired charging (which is as fast as iPhones get on a wired connection) and 22.5W wired charging for other devices. It attaches magnetically to the back of the iPhone, which is convenient. It is not super light, but it is very portable and extremely handy.
