Electronics & Gadgets Blog

Smartphone & Tablet Accessories, Enhance Your Mobile Experience

by Samuel Kalenga on Aug 10, 2024

Smartphone & Tablet Accessories, Enhance Your Mobile Experience

With the rise of smartphones and tablets, users are relying more and more on their mobile devices to navigate through their days. Users are embarking on their experiences with these not merely a tool for communication or browsing, but a personal assistant, entertainment system, workstation, and more all within one readily portable device. The explosion of usability for mobile devices has fuelled a demand for accessories that improve for smartphone and tablet users. From protective cases to high-fidelity headphones, all accessories seek to augment the mobile experience, and fill the usability gap for users who depend on them daily.

We provide visitors with guidance through the vast market for accessories, in order to offer products according to their functionality, build and price. It is also aimed at ensuring a perfect match of these auxiliary gadgets that need to be attached to smart phones and tablets in order to gain maximum potential. Extensive time has been spent in the selection of accessories so that your devices are complemented with the finest companions out there.

Top Smartphone & Tablet Accessories

We have sifted through many smartphone and tablet accessories so that you don’t have to. Our selection and review of accessories for tablets and smartphones promises you the best in quality, ingenuity, price, usability, compatibility or protection. If you want to be more productive, enjoy your gadget more, or have a better chance of not breaking it, see what we’ve picked just for you. What makes the list?

HONOR X6a

We’d recommend the HONOR X6a for anyone looking for a simple and well-rounded smartphone with an affordable price.

Pros

  • High-resolution Triple Camera system
  • Long-lasting battery with fast charging
  • Expansive screen with smooth 90Hz display

Cons

  • Limited to 4GB RAM, which might not suit heavy multitasking
  • Bulky design may not appeal to all users
  • Some users have reported a fragile charging cable

As soon as you pick up the HONOR X6a, the pearlescent display is the first thing to catch your eye. Then you start swiping through content. The ultra-smooth 90Hz refresh rate will make you wonder what you’ve been doing with screens that don’t move that fast. With its 6.5-inch FullView Display, this phone has an immersive viewing experience whether you’re binging on videos or flicking through photos. For photography fans, the phone has a neat 50MP main camera.

It captures the moment in crisp detail. A sideways-mounted macro and depth sensors add a dimension of experimentation: we can focus in close detail on my son’s amp or take portraits of the kids with a dreamy blur. While this is true, the HONOR X6a remains a great deal. It offers just enough of the right stuff at the right price, making it a sensible buy for anyone who doesn’t need to spend three figures on a smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy A15

We believe that the Samsung Galaxy A15 will make a good choice for one who needs a good balance of performance and price.

Pros

  • Vibrant Super AMOLED display
  • Ample 128GB storage space
  • User-friendly interface

Cons

  • Lacks 5G connectivity
  • Charger not included
  • Some may find data transfer challenging

Spending time with the Samsung Galaxy A15 has been a fun thing to do. At least in part, this is because the phone comes with a 6.5in Super AMOLED screen. This display really does look as good as Samsung claims, with bright, lively colours. Video and gaming are transformed into a genuine pleasure, especially if you’re not expecting too much. The phone runs along nicely under everyday tasks – although waist-high benchmarks are probably not its thing.

It’s also pleasingly snappy, aided by a punchy 2.2GHz MediaTek-powered octa-core processor. To add data and get used to the Galaxy A15 is, for the most part, simple enough, although it will be too much for some people – just like it’s not enough for others. Designed for 4G, though it’s the fifth generation of Galaxy A series 4G, meaning it doesn’t have 5G – unless you really need 5G, you won’t miss it, thanks to its excellent, consistent point-to-point 4G connectivity.

It’s a very good device for social media apps, including those that support mobile banking transactions, but it’s also a good camera in its own right. The 50-megapixel lens does the trick, thank you very much. For the record, the phone’s battery life impressed us, lasting a whole day on moderate use. Just remember, though, to buy yourself a charging plug (it’s USB4-only, if your current accessories aren’t up to speed), in exchange for less time tethered to an outlet at a wall socket and more time to play with your phone.

Samsung Galaxy A15

We recommend this smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy A15, to budget-conscious buyers who want a 5G-network-connected smartphone that also delivers excellent performance and a great display.

Pros

  • Crisp and vivid Super AMOLED display
  • Long-lasting two-day battery life
  • High-quality 50MP main camera

Cons

  • Limited to 4GB of RAM which may affect multitasking
  • Does not feature stereo sound
  • Some units may have inconsistent display quality

The 6.5-inch Super AMOLED screen of the Samsung Galaxy A15 provides a lot of visual vibrancy and the 90Hz refresh rate smoothes out all actions with buttery-smooth scrolling during my morning social media and web browsing routine. Its battery life is its best feature. We had no need to worry about a midday charge. In fact, we were able to get through a busy day of work and commuting, and several hours of gaming, before reserving some juice for the next day.

I love my phone, and I can’t imagine why I would ever need to part with it. Stereo speakers would have provided some further immersion into our streaming sessions (which I personally missed the most), but mono sound seemed like just a little too much of a compromise for an otherwise excellent package.

Finally, although our display unit’s performance was very good, we’ve also received anecdotal reports of some inconsistency in quality, with some screens exhibiting reddish tints – which could be a major concern for some buyers who might be looking for some uniform excellence, rather than settling for a lower level of product optimisation. In all, the Galaxy A15 is a practical option for anyone who wants to look past flagship features and just get what’s important in a mobile phone: display quality and battery life.

Google Pixel 8

We feel like the Google Pixel 8 is a great phone if you want new tech but reliable performance.

Pros

  • Long-lasting battery life with Extreme Battery Saver option
  • Exceptional camera capabilities, especially in low-light conditions
  • Built-in VPN for enhanced security

Cons

  • The battery capacity may feel inadequate for heavy users
  • Some might find the 6.2-inch screen small compared to other models
  • Lacks expandable storage option

It came down to the way the Pixel 8 felt in my hands. It was, quite simply, glossy and solid. It sat firmly in my hand, with contoured edges that cupped my fingers just right. The satin finish was not only attractive, but durable: I saw nothing but a faint film of oils on the phone’s back by night’s end. The camera still took my breath away. In the dark, images were crystal clear, blooming with colour. Day or night, everything came out perfectly detailed.

Night Sight blew my efforts at astrophotography into the stratosphere in a matter of taps. During my trial with the Pixel 8, I frequently conducted calls in cafés, where the Audio Magic Eraser made sure I wouldn’t be distracted by background noise. I’ve utilised the inbuilt VPN to feel safe while banking and browsing on public Wi-Fi that bad actors can easily snoop on.

But those without a big media library might balk at the fixed storage, and some dismayed at the high refresh rate and gorgeous colours might find the Pixel 8’s screen just a tad on the small size. Finally, it is safe to say that the Pixel 8 is built indigenous to Google’s sense of style and philosophy. It works well if yours is one of those situations where: you’re a photo freak or a secure user or just someone who appreciates a superbly designed smartphone.

Pixel 8 Pro

We think the extra cost is worth it if you want an outstanding camera and silky smooth performance.

Pros

  • Exceptional camera quality with smart photo features
  • Long battery life with fast charging capabilities
  • Robust build with IP68 dust and water resistance

Cons

  • High price point may not suit all budgets
  • Some may prefer a more compact device
  • Battery longevity claims may vary based on user experience

Google’s Pixel 8 Pro: my Mostly-Human hands-on For the past week, my hands-on device of choice has been Google’s Pixel 8 Pro. And the new Google Tensor G3 chip is clearly flexing numerous beefcake muscles the first time you scroll through apps: when you have something more demanding to do – whether that’s opening an app that hasn’t been recently used in a while, or playing a demanding game – it truly sings with the stuttering of your fingers, user input, goading the phone into cranking up the responsiveness.

The camera setup is as close to a photographers’ dream as you could ask for. In low light and high action, the Pixel 8 Pro is crystal clear. One day, I got caught in a light rain without protection and, because the phone has an IP68 water- and dust-resistance rating, I didn’t panic about the phone’s wellbeing. Battery life was another victory. From sunrise to sunset, the phone kept up with the frantic pace of our busy life, something that phones have never been really good at.

While waiting for our coffee orders, the Pixel was blazing fast during rapid charging, and we were ready for any adventures the rest of the day might bring. However, it all comes with a cost – this is still a flagship handset, after all, with a suite of features and premium features to match, and the performance absolutely does match the price. The sheer size also makes it extremely unwieldy to use with one hand (the screen is delicious and entirely immersive, but it can feel gigantic otherwise). We did see some concerns raised desperately trying to coax the battery life closer to Google’s stated promise, though our experience was mostly good. On balance, the Pixel 8 Pro offers a premium phone experience that no other Android device can match.

Buying Guide

When consumers go to buy accessories for smartphones and tablets, they first focus on compatibility. Make sure that the accessory you’re considering is right for the type of device you own. It needs to offer a good combination of features at an acceptable price.

Durability is something we care a lot about: an accessory should be able to withstand regular use, and we look at the materials used and any added protection, such as shock-absorbing cases or braided cables. Portable charger batteries and other wireless accessories

BATTERY LIFE are hugely important. Check the mAh rating on power banks.

Here's how we assess functionality:

Patterns of use can also play a role. For high-usage devices, we are more inclined to favour accessories that make things easier. Adding a stand or a case with a hard hand strap might make a tablet more useful in a mobile setting. We also pay attention to user reviews, because they help paint a more complete picture of the actual performance of a product in the real-world, but we compare them to the things we have tested ourselves, measuring them against our own understanding.

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