How long has it been since you last upgraded your phone? A year? Two years? Five years?? Whatever the case may be, congratulations… but your work isn’t done yet. Now that you’ve got your precious new phone in hand, it’s time to kit it out with some of the best iPhone 12 accessories around.
The iPhone 12 ushers in the era of exciting new MagSafe accessories, which promises to enhance the functionality of add-ons in a way previous iPhones have not.
Want to snap a wallet to the back of your phone without buying a bulky case? That’s now possible.
Want to mount your phone to the dash of your car without having to deal with a clamp stand? You can do that now too.
But we’ve also pulled together a whole collection of iPhone 12 cases, chargers, screen protectors, wireless earbuds and more tech goodies. Each of these products is guaranteed to work with the iPhone 12 and will have you squeezing every last bit of entertainment and productivity that you can from Apple’s beautifully designed handset.
So scroll through and treat yourself to a few of the best iPhone 12 accessories below.
1. Anker PowerCore Magnetic 5K Wireless Charger
BEST IPHONE 12 ACCESSORY OVERALL
Anker’s PowerCore Magnetic 5K wireless charger might not have MagSafe in its name, but this battery pack is absolutely the best type of MagSafe accessory you can buy right now. While the official MagSafe charger is essentially a charging cable with an oversized connector, the PowerCore Magnetic fully realizes the potential of MagSafe by letting you wirelessly attach a battery to your phone and charge it when you need it, and easily pull it off and stash it away when you don’t.
The only downside with this battery pack is that it doesn’t charge at the max 15W speeds that official MagSafe devices promise, but consdering there are virtually no limits wo there you can use this charger, quick charging speeds aren’t nearly as much of a priority.
MOFT is a company is attempting to create MagSafe accessories that outperform Apple’s own. But instead of trying to reinvent the MagSafe charger, MOFT has gone out and created a MagSafe wallet that is cheaper, more functional and has stronger magnets than Apple’s official MagSafe Wallet. In addition to attaching to the back of your phone and storing 3-4 credit cards, the MOFT MagSafe Wallet can slide down into an origami-esque shape and function as a magnetic stand for your phone. You can even prop your phone up while you’re charging it with a MagSafe charger, and thanks to the addition of magnets on both sides of the phone, you can take your iPhone 12 (with wallet attached) and stick it on any magnetically-attracted surface, such as steel.
Sometimes the minimalist sensibilities of most MagSafe accessories can feel a little too minimal, and when you need an iPhone 12 accessory with a little more character, there’s the Grovemade MagSafe Stand. Grovemade not only has versions of this stand that come in finishes such as steel, wood and leather into the mix, but it also turns your MagSafe charger into a actual wireless stand and not just a cable with a magnet on it. While you’ll be paying a premium price to own this charger, especially since you still have to buy a MagSafe charger, your own MagSafe charger, sometimes the right accessories are worth the splurge.
There are many reasons to buy the Apple MagSafe Charger for the iPhone 12: It’s beautifully designed and you can rest assured that it won’t damage the battery in your new phone. But at the same time, it still costs $40 and doesn’t even include Apple’s 20W charging brick (which is necessary to recharge your iPhone as quickly as possible). This is what makes RAVPower’s new MagSafe charger such an attractive iPhone 12 accessory.
Like the official Apple accessory, it snaps to the back of your phone and delivers 7.5 watts of power to your iPhone 12 battery. Plus it comes with a 20W charging brick at no additional cost. Is it as attractive as Apple’s MagSafe charger? Certainly not, but RAVPower has become one of the more reliable third-party brands when it comes to charging accessories, and considering that you can get this charger for half the price of the official one, it may be worth setting your aesthetic sensibilities aside.
Courtesy of Amazon
5. Apple iPhone Leather Wallet with MagSafe
BEST FOR MINIMALISTS
More than its ability to charge your phone, we love the iPhone’s new MagSafe feature because of the potential for accessories. The first glimpse of that potential comes in the form of the Apple Wallet with MagSafe, which snaps to the back of your phone and keeps everything in one place. Wallet cases are a cool way to streamline your personal effects, but the one thing we don’t like is that if you want to use your phone on a charging pad, have to remove the phone from the case, otherwise you will fry your credit cards that are attached to the back. There are also just times where you don’t want to be handling your phone with the added heft of such a case.
But since the Apple Wallet is easily removable, so you don’t need pull your phone out of the case to wirelessly charge it. But if you’re still worried about protecting your cards, this wallet is also magnetically shielded.
While it’s a shame to cover up the pretty design of the new iPhones, it’d be a greater shame if you spent close to $1000 only to drop your new shiny object and mess it up a week after getting it. For that reason alone, we really like Apple’s Clear Cases, which are compatible with any and all MagSafe accessories, work with Qi wireless chargers and still let some of that iPhone 12 design shine through.
Counterpoint: If you absolutely hate how the new iPhone looks (huh?), the easiest solution is to cover it up with a case you do like. Apple’s Silicone Cases are nice and colorful, but we are really digging these new Otterbox Figura cases, which pull their inspiration from impressionist paintings and give your phone a unique look that goes beyond a solid block of color. Like Apple’s own cases, these are all MagSafe compatible too.
Beyond all the marketing hype of the MagSafe charger, it’s honestly not all that different from just using a cable to charge your phone (except that it will take longer to charge). While it technically may be a wireless charger, the way it snaps to the back of your phone makes it decidedly different than a wireless charging pad. But that doesn’t mean it’s without merit.
If you’ve ever had to deal with a lint-packed lightning port that resulted in a loose connection, or your phone not charging at all, picking up a MagSafe charger will put those days behind you. It also still functions as a Qi charger with non-iPhone 12 devices, though it won’t necessarily stick to other phones in the same way. So if your friend needs to charge their Samsung Galaxy, it will essentially work as a tiny charging pad for them.
9. Anker PowerPort Nano III 20W USB-C Wall Charger
BEST FOR KEEPING YOUR BATTERY AT 100%
Yes, we know, after we sold you on the virtues of wireless charging, here we are recommending the Anker PowerPort Nano III USB-C wall charger. But here’s the thing: The right wall charger will still charge your phone faster than a wireless one, and that’s no different with the iPhone 12. Plus, if you’re out of the house, and aren’t carrying a battery pack, this is the next best solution (provided you can find somewhere to plug into). We like these little cubes because they don’t take up a lot of space but still charge your phone as fast as any other charger you’ll come across.
If you haven’t bought a new phone in a few years, you might have noticed that the headphone jack is no more. While you can just use an overpriced USB-C to Aux adapter to keep using your tried-and-true wired headphones, it might also be a good time to give a pair of wireless earbuds a try. We can’t think of a better pair for iPhone owners than the AirPods Pro which have excellent sound quality, effective noise cancelling and last 4-5 hours on a single charge. They’re not cheap, but they interact seamlessly with your phone and sound so good that we think they’re worth it, especially if they’re something you’re going to use every day.
11. Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Wireless Earbuds
BEST FOR CHATTERBOXES
For those who have no intention of spending more than $200 on a pair of earbuds, aren’t fussy about sound quality, and can live without all the special features, there are plenty of great cheap wireless earbuds. We’d recommend the Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 wireless earbuds, which deliver sound quality that’s nearly as good as premium pairs and look really nice. But one thing they really excel at is making calls, thanks to the 4 integrated noise-cancelling mics. They can reduce the noise from a busy city street to a murmur so people on the other end can actually hear what you’re saying.
The new A14 processor in the iPhone 12 is no joke when it comes to performance, and you know what that means? It’s a great phone for gaming. But you’re going to need a controller if you want to have the control and precision you desire while playing games such as PUBG. The modular design of the Razer Kishi lets you snap each half of the controller onto the ends of your iPhone 12, giving you dual analog sticks, and the full array of buttons needed to outlast the 99 other competitors who are using touch controls.
The camera on the iPhone has improved by such leaps and bounds over the last few years that in the right context, it can be used in professional capacities. And now that the iPhone 12 is photo and video accessory maker Moment has come out with a new line of products which take advantage of the MagSafe mount on the back of the phone. Our favorite of these products is the Pro Tripod Mount with MagSafe, which attaches to the back of your phone using magnets, and then has both a socket to screw in a tripod, and a hotshoe mount for adding additional accessories, such as a flash or a microphone. On top of all that, you can adjust the orientation of the phone to landscape or portrait, depending on your preference.
Remember how we said we were excited about the potential of MagSafe? Car mounts are another great use for the feature because those MagSafe magnets are strong enough that you don’t ever have to worry about clamping your phone into the mount and have it fall between your seats as it’s giving you turn-by-turn directions. And when you’ve arrived at your destination, you can quickly pop your phone off the mount, snap on that MagSafe Wallet you bought, and proceed with your life.
Rechargeable batteries degrade over time, and the batteries in the iPhone 12 take a decent amount of power to fill up, so if it’s been a couple of years since you bought a portable charger, it might be time to get a new one. Roughly the size of a smartphone, the Anker PowerCore Slim 10000 PD has enough power to recharge the iPhone a couple of times times, and can do so quickly, since it supplies 18W of power through its USB-C port. Plus, it even comes with a PowerPort III Nano wall charger, so you’re really getting a double dose of charging goodness here. You’ll be thankful you have this thing the next time your phone dies while you’re out at dinner.
Buying a good, MagSafe-compatible case is only the first step in protecting your iPhone. While screens have become incredibly durable over the years, a good screen protector will still add an extra layer of protection against cracks and scratches that you accumulate over time, and you won’t have to pay $80 to replace it once it’s done its job. You can roll the dice if you want, but when it comes to bang for the buck, this might be the accessory you get the most out of. We like the amFilm OneTouch Glass Screen Protectors because in addition to being made from a thin sheet of glass, they’re easy to attach to your screen and won’t leave those annoying air bubbles under the surface.
While the MagSafe charger is well-designed and can fill up your phone faster than wireless chargers, there’s no good way to prop your phone up when it’s connected. If you spend a lot of time working at a desk, your use your phone as an alarm clock in your bedroom, we think having a good wireless charging stand, like the TTKTKTKTKTKK, will serve you well. It might not charge at 15W, or even 10W, but the 7.5W charging speeds are fine, especially if you’re going to be spending more than a few hours sitting at your desk, or asleep in bed.
We named this gorgeous wireless charging tray one of the best Christmas gifts of 2020 and one of the best Valentine’s Day gifts for her in 2021. This tray features a trio of chargers so you can keep your iPhone, Apple Watch and other devices charged and ready to go at a moment’s notice. It’s a great catchall for keys, coins and devices. Featuring premium pebble-grain leather, the Courant wireless charger is a thing of beauty.
