Every year, major phone manufacturers such as Apple, Google, and Samsung hold elaborate events meant to introduce and publicize their upcoming phones. Well, buying a new phone is all well and good, but things don’t stop there. Once you’ve got the phone, you have to buy yourself a case (so you won’t crack that shiny new device the first time you drop it on the sidewalk), some earbuds, a charging stand — all sorts of gadgets.
The staff of The Verge is as prone to buying neat accessories for their phones as anyone, so we asked them what they were using to enhance their mobile tech. Here’s what some of them answered.
a:hover]:shadow-highlight-franklin dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-highlight-franklin [&>a]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-white”>A fabric back with rubber sides
Nathan Edwards, senior reviews editor
My favorite iPhone case. It looks good for how durable it is, and the magnets that help it connect to Peak Design’s SlimLink accessories also make it MagSafe (and Qi2) compatible. That’s great for iPhones, but Peak Design also makes cases for Pixels and Samsung Galaxy phones, so you can use those 10W “MagSafe-compatible” Qi chargers and get most of the thrill of MagSafe / Qi2 without waiting for Qi2 phones to ship.
Barbara Krasnoff, reviews editor
I have to admit that, for years, I’ve been protecting my phones with cheap, vaguely transparent soft plastic cases — the kind that turn yellow after a couple of years. I always found them pretty satisfactory, and the only time a dropped phone actually broke was when it landed display down on a gravel path. (No saving it at that point.)
So I smiled politely when a friend gave me a Dbrand case as a gift for my Pixel 6 and put it on, sure that after a day or two I would simply replace it with its former case. Well, I was wrong. Having a sturdier case not only keeps the phone safer but also makes it better to use on a day-to-day basis. The textured sides make my phone a lot easier to grip and avoid even the possibility of drops, and the covers on the side buttons make them easier to find without looking. The patterned skin that came with the case was also great — especially considering the Pixel 6’s rather pale colors.
I do have to admit that the pseudo-postapocalyptic naming conventions for Dbrand’s skins — Warzone, Acid, Abusement Park — strike me as a little, well, off-putting. But hey, to each their own. The cases are still great.
a:hover]:shadow-highlight-franklin dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-highlight-franklin [&>a]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-white”>A PopSocket for your cards
Kaitlin Hatton, senior audience manager
I hate carrying a bag or purse, and the best solution I’ve found to sidestep using one on a day-to-day basis is my PopWallet Plus. I just pop a couple credit cards and an ID in, attach it to my phone via MagSafe, and go. It’s strong enough to stay on my phone through most activities, though it does sometimes detach when I’m trying to squeeze it into a too-small pocket or if I hit it just right on an object. These issues are more so just because I’m clumsy, though.
Allison Johnson, reviewer
I’m at the phone stand. I’m at the wallet. I’m at the combination phone stand and wallet.
An accessory that does two jobs instead of one is the best kind of phone accessory in my book, like Moft’s phone stand and wallet. It sticks to the back of your phone, either by MagSafe or adhesive, and fits three of your most precious ID or payment cards. It’s pretty low-profile when it’s closed, but you unfold it origami-style when you need a card or want to use it as a stand. Magnets inside keep it open or closed, and it’s sturdy enough to prop your phone up either horizontally or vertically.
You can also open it partway and put your hand through the loop to use it as a phone grip. That’s like, two and a half jobs out of one accessory, plus it looks nice. Not a bad deal.
a:hover]:shadow-highlight-franklin dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-highlight-franklin [&>a]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-white”>Slow but very stylish
The Courant Dual-Device Charging Stand is made for those who prefer design above all else. When I bought this, I was frustrated with the look of other MagSafe charging options on the market, and finding this was a breath of fresh air. The catch is that it is not very fast. It’s not the charger I would reach for if I need a quick top-off, but it is the one I use to charge my phone overnight or while I’m just around the house. I get loads of compliments on the look of this, and it solves any ugly cord or charger woes. Being able to charge two devices at once has also really come in handy when I know I need both my work phone and my personal phone charged at the same time. Sometimes beauty must come above speed, and that is a worthwhile tradeoff to me.
Brandon Widder, senior commerce editor