Tried and tested: the best smart phone accessories

Forget basic cases and screen protectors, we’ve tried out the best accessories for your smart phone - these are our top picks.

Forget basic cases and screen protectors: these smartphone accessories will make you a better filmmaker or jump-start a car

MOPHIE POWERSTATION GO RUGGED FLASHLIGHT

This power pack can jump-start your phone or your vehicle

$199, harveynorman.com.au

PROS

– Can jump-start a car

– Two torches in one

– Recharges phones twice over

CONS

– Larger than most batteries

– Weights 522 grams

– Extra features cost more

This is the only smartphone battery pack that comes with cables to start your car. Mophie has created something truly unique in the Go Rugged Flashlight: a gadget with three distinct uses. Firstly, it’s a torch with a 450 lumen brightness and a lighting strip that can flash red. Secondly, it’s a 9900mAh battery pack for your phones and tablets. And, thirdly, this device is powerful enough to start a dead car battery and comes with jumper cables and instructions on how to use them. Anyone with this device in their car on a road trip can drive a little more confidently.

VERDICT: ★★★★★

MOMENT MOBILE FILMMAKER CAGE

An accessory for iPhone filmmakers who want a better grip

$150, tryandbyte.com.au

PROS

– Solid cage for iPhone video

– Two mounts for accessories

– Adaptor for other phones

CONS

– Best used with MagSafe iPhones

– Phone can attach crooked

– Pricier than some rivals

Apple’s last two iPhones have added features for budding videographers and they should appreciate this new accessory from Moment that takes the trend a step further. The Mobile Filmmaker Cage uses the MagSafe magnet at the back of modern iPhones to quickly connect to it, and offers a sturdy aluminium frame around it that can be used for getting a good grip without blocking microphones or lenses, and adding lights and microphones. The frame features two cold shoe mounts, cable management, and 28 places to connect other devices like a tripod. An accessory will let other phone users add a magnet to their device for compatibility.

VERDICT: ★★★★

BELKIN BOOST CHARGE POWER BANK 20K

A battery brick that can recharge your whole gadget collection

$79.95, belkin.com/au

PROS

– Recharges three devices

– Huge power reserves

– Indicator lights

CONS

– No wireless charging

– No built-in cords

– Heavy battery pack

If you you’re concerned travel might leave you without you digital wallet and boarding pass, this smartphone accessory could come in handy. The relaunched Belkin Power Bank 20K is named for its 20,000mAh battery that is big enough to give an Apple iPhone 13 an extra 78 hours of life — enough for a long weekend. This power bank is also capable of recharging three devices at once, from a tablet to earbuds, and comes with a small cable to hook one up straightaway. Its form is plain, though available in three colours, and potential buyers should be aware this is not one to carry in your pocket: it’s much heavier than the phones it recharges.

VERDICT: ★★★½

MAISON DE SABRE DISNEY COLLECTION

This Australian luxury brand offers a different phone cover

$99, maisondesabre.com

PROS

– Monogramming is free

– High quality leather

– Fits devices snugly

CONS

– Disney for iPhones only

– Little drop protection

– Choice of six characters

It’s not often that an Australian fashion brand signs a deal with an American entertainment behemoth but that’s what happened here. Queensland-based Maison de Sabre creates Disney-themed leather phone cases for Apple iPhones, ranging from Mickey and Minnie Mouse to Donald Duck and Goofy, and will let users customise them with monograms of up to five letters. The result is a very high quality case, with top grain leather and openings in all the right places.

VERDICT: ★★★★½

SAMSUNG S PEN PRO

This one Samsung stylus can write on several devices

$94.50, samsung.com/au

PROS

– Works across devices

– Can be found using an app

– Long-lasting, recharging battery

CONS

– Separate purchase

– Doesn’t hook on to devices

– For compatible devices only

Samsung’s biggest folding smartphone was almost crying out for a stylus, and this model will work across both its 7.6-inch screen and those of Samsung’s top tablets. The S Pen Pro can swap between the two devices with the flick of a switch on its stem, and is capable of creating refined detail, depending on how hard you press it to the screen. A button on the stylus will also let you try new features, like Air Actions, its battery will last for 16 days before you plug its end in to a USB-C cable for charging, and its half-price until June 30.

VERDICT: ★★★★

Originally published as Tried and tested: the best smart phone accessories