All hail the mighty iPhone 5s! There’s no denying it – the 5s has been a big hit for Apple, especially after the wobbles that earlier iPhone models suffered. The reputation of Apple is restored, and they’ve actually brought out a decent phone that’s intuitive, user friendly and has plenty of scope.
Fortunately for gadget lovers, there are plenty of accessories for the 5s too, so here is our selection of five of the best.
#1 PopSLATE and Plastic Logic’s EPD display cover
One of the most innovative developments to take Apple’s tech up a level is the new cover from tech experts PopSLATE and Plastic Logic. This ingenious cover gives users an integrated secondary electrophoretic display (EPD), which is not only perfectly readable in daylight (an issue with smartphones in general), but is also shatterproof, ultra-thin and ultra-lightweight.
It’s energy-efficient too, by using the ‘Always-on’ principle of EPD technology, which only draws battery power for the instant it takes to create a new image. Users with the PopSLATE app can then create customised dashboards for their cover. Expect to see this tech rolled out into other areas, as their flexible EPD technology is proving ideal for smartphone accessory applications, and in particular, Plastic Logic’s development of a colour flexible plastic since the same process could enable unbreakable, flexible display solutions with OLED.
#2 – Listen up – Sony XBA-2iP
Ask anyone who owns any type of Apple device and you’ll find that nine times out of ten they’ve thrown the standard Apple ear buds away and bought better ones. The iPhone 5s may be a top quality bit of kit, but their earphones are regarded as average at best. So upgrading to these noise-cancelling buds (if you don’t mind shelling out a cool £200, that is) is an investment worth making. Not only do they incorporate noise isolating technology to block out exterior sounds, but they’ve also got a dedicated woofer unit and in-line mic controls, too.
#3 – Turning the 5s into a music studio – iRig Pro
The main reason people like smartphones isn’t just because you can make phone calls (that’s pretty low down the list these days), but because they have the ability to do so much more. The iRig Pro turns an iPhone 5s into a portable music studio. Budding artists can access keyboards, MIDI controllers, guitars and mics, and lay down vocals or backing tracks direct onto your phone. It comes with USB, 30-pin and Lightning cables.
#4 – Getting in the picture – Olloclip 3-in-1
The iPhone 5s has a good camera, but be honest, even the best smartphone camera could do with a little bit of help to really capture those once in a lifetime shots. This accessory adds to the iPhone 5s’ existing inbuilt camera with three extra lenses including Macro, Fisheye and a wide-angle lens. This really is a clip-n-go accessory, and there’s no discernable ‘noise’ or hot pixels evident in the pictures either.
#5 Game on – Logitech Gamepad
This isn’t a pocket accessory, but for the ‘can’t go five minutes without a shoot-em-up session’ gamer, it’s a must have.
There’s one problem though – currently it’s a concept accessory and a great deal of mystery surrounds it. However, the informed gaming community is usually pretty accurate when it comes to predicting future releases, and expectations are that Logitech will be announcing a release date soon. This isn’t touch-screen tech – it uses real buttons and piggybacks onto the iOS 7’s support for proper gamepads with a set of analogue controls. Retro meets high-tech – how cool is that?