Mobile accessories include any hardware that is not integral to the operation of a mobile

smartphone A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whi ...

as designed by the manufacturer.

Cases

Cases, which are designed to attach to, support, or otherwise hold a smartphone, are popular accessories. Case measures are based on the display inches (e.g. 5 inch display). There are different types: * Pouches and sleeves * Holsters * Shells * Skins * Fitted cases * Bumpers * Flip cases and wallets * Screen protection and body films * Drop and shock protection * Leather case * Cases with integrated kick stands * Battery cases

Holsters A handgun holster is a device used to hold or restrict the undesired movement of a handgun, most commonly in a location where it can be easily withdrawn for immediate use. Holsters are often attached to a belt or waistband, but they may be att ...

are commonly used alone for devices that include rubberized padding, and/or are made of plastic and without exposed rigid corners. Heavy duty cases are designed to protect from drops and scratches. A standing (or kickstand) case keeps the device standing upright. The collapsible kickstand of some horizontal cases holds the device in a flatter or steeper angle, depending on whether it is horizontally placed on a surface clockwise or counter-clockwise. The flat angle allows tapping without pushing the device over, while the steep angle is intended for watching. Folio cases are a combination of a case and stand, and may include a keyboard (USB for OTG smartphones or bluetooth keyboard). Skins and design covers can serve for protection and personalization. These are the result of the relatively "naked" designs produced by manufacturers such as Apple, where the metal and glass components of the device are exposed and vulnerable to damage. They are distinct from holsters, in allowing use of the device while in the case, but in many instances include a belt clip or other device giving it the functionality of a holster. They are made of hard plastic, rubber, silicone, leather, or adhesive-backed

vinyl Vinyl may refer to: Chemistry * Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer * Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation * Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry * Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl ...

pieces. Vinyl material may be calendared or cast, with the latter being more expensive. Calendered vinyl is expected to only be used for short-mid duration (10 years), while cast vinyl is used on a more long-term basis. Calendered vinyl also tends to shrink in the heat and can be shaped into any form (above 80 degrees Celsius), and may fade in direct sunlight. Customized phone cases use custom printing. Different companies have different methods of printing on cases; some utilize sublimation, others Inkjet-printed skins, others dye-sublimation 3D printing methods. Functional cases can integrate external batteries or a USB, bluetooth, or

Wifi Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols, based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by radio wa ...

keyboard and

touchpad A touchpad or trackpad is a pointing device featuring a tactile sensor, a specialized surface that can translate the motion and position of a user's fingers to a relative position on the operating system that is made output to the screen. Touchp ...

Anti-loss devices

Anti-loss

keychains A keychain (also key fob or keyring) is a small ring or chain of metal to which several keys can be attached. The length of a keychain allows an item to be used more easily than if connected directly to a keyring. Some keychains allow one or b ...

can easily locate a smartphone through the

GPS The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of the global navigation satellite sy ...

and

Bluetooth low energy Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth LE, colloquially BLE, formerly marketed as Bluetooth Smart) is a wireless personal area network technology designed and marketed by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (Bluetooth SIG) aimed at novel applications i ...

antennas of the phone. Once the user is within range of the smartphone, both the smartphone and device will alert the user. It also can be used to remotely take

photograph A photograph (also known as a photo, image, or picture) is an image created by light falling on a photosensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic image sensor, such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are now create ...

s using

Bluetooth Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is limi ...

Phone charms

Phone charms are used to decorate the device. They attach either by a strap or by plugging into the jack plug.

Mass storage

Some smartphones feature

SD card Secure Digital, officially abbreviated as SD, is a proprietary non-volatile flash memory card format developed by the SD Association (SDA) for use in portable devices. The standard was introduced in August 1999 by joint efforts between SanDis ...

slots (usually the smaller Micro-SD variant). These, in combination with a compatible SD card, can be used to transfer files from one device to another, or simply to increase the storage capacity of the phone. Wi-Fi SDs are

Wi-Fi Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols, based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by radio waves ...

communication devices on a special

inserted into the SD card slot. They can move pictures to a local computer or an online photo-sharing service. Additionally, many devices have

USB On-The-Go USB On-The-Go (USB OTG or just OTG) is a specification first used in late 2001 that allows USB devices, such as tablets or smartphones, to act as a host, allowing other USB devices, such as USB flash drives, digital cameras, mouse or keyboa ...

and support USB storage, in most cases using either a special USB micro-B flash drive or an adapter for a standard USB port. Such adapters can also be used with various other USB devices, such as hardware mice and keyboards.

Chargers and external batteries

Mobile phone charger A battery charger, recharger, or simply charger is a device that stores energy in a battery by running an electric current through it. The charging protocol (how much voltage or current for how long, and what to do when charging is complete) depe ...

s have gone through a diverse evolution that has included cradles, plug-in cords and obscure connectors. However, devices built between 2010 and 2020 generally use

micro-USB The initial versions of the USB standard specified connectors that were easy to use and that would have acceptable life spans; revisions of the standard added smaller connectors useful for compact portable devices. Higher-speed development of ...

connectors, while newer devices tend to use

USB-C USB-C (properly known as USB Type-C) is a 24-pin USB connector system with a rotationally symmetrical Electrical connector, connector. The designation C refers only to the connector's physical configuration or form factor and should not be co ...

. Apple devices often use proprietary connectors. External batteries are most commonly stand-alone devices, which can be cabled to the phone's primary charging connector.

Photo accessories

Smart lenses are larger and more capable than the phone's camera, having

optical zoom A zoom lens is a mechanical assembly of lens elements for which the focal length (and thus angle of view) can be varied, as opposed to a fixed-focal-length (FFL) lens (see prime lens). A true zoom lens, also called a parfocal lens, is one t ...

and other features. The smartphone connects to them over

using an app. They are compatible with most smartphones. Smart flash can be used also for

selfie A selfie () is a self-portrait photograph, typically taken with a digital camera or smartphone, which may be held in the hand or supported by a selfie stick. Selfies are often shared on social media, via social networking services such ...

Selfie stick

Selfie sticks are hand-held extensible monopods used to move the devices further away than would have been possible with the reach of the human arm, allowing for the camera to take shots to be taken at angles that wouldn’t have been possible before.

Smartphone tripod mount

tripod A tripod is a portable three-legged frame or stand, used as a platform for supporting the weight and maintaining the stability of some other object. The three-legged (triangular stance) design provides good stability against gravitational loads ...

; it is designed to hold the device in place in a fixed location on the ground during the capture of photographs.

HDMI and Projector

Micro-USB to HDMI cables are used in smartphones with MHL.

References

{{reflist Mobile phones