Smartphones as we know them have turned 12 years old not long ago – and Android phones turned 11 not long ago. And what amazing years they have been! We had the chance to witness smartphones grow from gadgets that many didn’t believe in into veritable pocket-sized entertainment hubs, miniature connected supercomputers that help us stay in touch with others, play amazing games, read, listen to music, record high-definition video, and snap amazing pictures wherever we are. Smartphones, in turn, have a handful of inherent shortcomings that make them less than ideal for certain tasks. Luckily, what they can’t do by themselves they can handle with the help of the best Android accessories known to man, like the ones below.
Clip-on cameras
The most popular smartphones today are thin and lightweight – which means that they have no room for complicated and high-quality optics for their cameras. This means that most of the times, they lack popular features like macro photography and fish-eye that could make our photos amazing and unique. Luckily, their shortcomings are overcome by a series of clip-on lenses that are affordable, practical, and easy to use.
Clip-on lenses come in all shapes and sizes – some of them offer simpler functions like zoom and macro, others come with more artistic filters, wide-angle photography, and other features. With them, even the dullest smartphone pic can become a masterpiece.
Game controllers
Most smartphone games can be controlled easily with a few taps and swipes on the touchscreen. Today’s smartphones, in turn, come with a lot more processing power that allows them to run complex, visually stunning and action-packed games. And these games have usually not been invented with touchscreens in mind, so players have to use awkward and often improper on-screen controls to play them. Or better said, had to use until the first Android game controllers were invented.
Most Android phones will work at least partially with a USB game controller connected to them by OTG. There are, in turn, many Bluetooth options available that can turn your strenuous, nerve-racking gaming experience into a fun and exciting time you spend playing. Some of them are made by “no-name” firms, others by dedicated gaming accessory manufacturers – there is one for every gamer, every pocket out there.
Wireless chargers
One of the most promising smartphone-related technologies today is wireless charging. The technology used in several smartphone models (the Qi standard) works at short distances only but similar technologies that work over longer distances are in the works at various companies around the world. One of them is WattUp, a startup that works on a wireless charging device that works over 15 feet (around 4.5 meters), charging all compatible devices within its range. The technology is not yet commercially available – at this moment, no smartphone has it – but it will come to us soon enough. And then we can finally use our phones without having to be tethered to the charger with a cable.