7 Really Smart Accessories Every Mobile Phone Owner Should Have

Mobile phone accessories are big business. Most handset owners purchase one or more of these add-ons. While some of these accessories are purely novelty items, there are some really sensible accessories to choose from.

Here are 7 must have accessories for your mobile which will really catapult it into a truly smart phone.

Emergency Charger

Pretty much everyone has experienced their battery running out of charge at an inopportune moment. This can be bad news if it happens during a reply to an important email or when you are half way through a call.

Most times it’s a simple question of plugging in your charger and away you go. However, there could be times when you don’t have the facility of re-charging. The Scouts motto of being prepared couldn’t be more apt in these situations.

By making sure you always have an emergency charger handy, the distress mentioned above will become a distant memory. These handy little wind-up units really do a great job.

Not only will these devices provide a much needed power boost, many of them feature their own battery source. This means the effort of winding in the charge can be done in the comfort of your own home. Of course, if you forget then three or four minutes of winding will produce about eight minutes of much needed talk time.

Gloves

With the winter nearly upon us, the time for wrapping up and wearing gloves isn't far away.

Of course under normal circumstances gloves and smart phones don’t really go together. Unless you opt for a pair of fingerless gloves; however, doesn't this defeat the object of wearing them in the first place?

Without going all technical it is important to know touch screens rely on the physical connection your fingers provide. So up until now, keeping warm and using your smart phone was virtually impossible.

This has all changed thanks to the makers of touchscreen gloves. These remarkably stylish gloves have a conductive thread sewn into all 10 fingers and thumbs. This serves to replicates the feel of direct contact on your smartphones screen.

Now the days of getting cold hands or dropping your gloves are over.

If you were wondering how the technology behind touch screens works, I recommend reading How do touch-sensitive screens work? an article on the MIT School of Engineering website.

Leather Pouch

Perhaps not quite as technologically advanced as a pair of touchscreen gloves, the leather pouch is still an important accessory.

You don’t have to fall into the category of being overtly clumsy to realise how easy it is to drop a smart phone. After all they tend to have shiny cases making handling a little worrying.

Depending what surface your mobile lands on will determine the degree of damage. Drops onto concrete from head height will often mean buying a new cell-phone, or living with a nasty crack in the screen.

However, you can go a long way in protecting them by placing them snugly in their own leather pouch. Most manufacturers will produce this type of accessory, so the search for one shouldn’t prove very difficult.

Bluetooth Headphones

Every phone will come with a pair of headphones. However, these “standard issue” items aren’t always great. Very often the sound quality is a little lacking, furthermore if you wear them for long they can hurt.

If you are a music lover and want to improve the sonic quality of your phone then buying a proper headset is a must. Taking this one step further by making sure these new headphones are Bluetooth compatible is sensible.

Bluetooth technology has come on leaps and bounds in recent times, with "Smart Ready" being the new buzz phrase in this sector of the market. Put simply, manufactures are producing handsets that can hook up to some of the new energy efficient Bluetooth smart products.

If you are interested in finding out more about Bluetooth 4.0 and its low energy technology, I would recommend reading Bluetooth 4.0 with low energy technology paves the way for Bluetooth Smart devices, an article on the Bluetooth website.

Screen Protector

Another great item which can help to prolong the life of your screen is of course the screen protector.

Scratches are commonplace on most smart phones. Depending on their location they can be unsightly. But, by opting for a near invisible screen protector you will be able to steer clear of trouble.

In many respects these are the lowest tech items on this post; however, almost certain screen damage will be prevented by their use.

Additional Battery

If you haven’t bought into the idea about an emergency charger then at least make sure you have a spare battery.

If you use your smartphone for more than simply taking calls and sending messages then you will notice how quickly your battery fades. When your phone does die you can quickly replace the battery (assuming you can get to it) and then be back up and running immediately.

The plus point here is you won’t have to be stuck within the constraints of being close to a power socket for recharging.

Mobile Phone Insurance

This final element doesn't really fall into the category of an accessory; however, it is still very smart to have.

If you have ever purchased a non-contract handset then you will know just how expensive these units are. These typically are the same costs you will be faced with if your contract phone is stolen.

Different levels of cover are normally available, depending on what is required. Remember, the latest cell phones are highly attractive to would-be-thieves. As a result, many home insurance policies stop short of providing the protection you need.

If you never need to use it, purchasing mobile phone insurance will provide you with a large chunk of peace of mind. Of course, using it changes this significantly and could easily save huge amounts of cash.

Conclusion: Must Have Accessories for Your Mobile Phone

Getting the most from your mobile phone isn’t always easy; sometimes it’s only possible by choosing the right accessory.

Many of the items that have been discussed here will dramatically improve the usability of your mobile phone.

As a family man, your author (Lee Meadows) likes nothing better than watching his son play football. Thanks to the gloves he bought from www.touchscreengloves.co.uk, winter will no longer stop him from being able to take photos of his son scoring those all-important goals.

Featured images:

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• License: Creative Commons image source