10 of the best accessories for your Apple iPhone 8

10 of the best accessories for your Apple iPhone 8

Couldn’t quite stretch to an iPhone X? You’re not alone. But the iPhone 8 is still a hell of a phone, packed with the usual Apple blend of beautiful design, premium build quality, top-notch features and slick performance. It even has some physical buttons, the old-fashioned devil. That said, you’ll still want to add some accessories to get the very best out of it, so we’ve picked out some of the finest bits and bobs to help.

Jam Ultra

If you like the idea of wireless earbuds, but don’t think much of the AirPods’ “interesting” design, there are plenty of other options out there, including these tidy little sweat-resistant nuggets from Jam (£100/$100). They deliver up to three hours of listening time per charge, and come with a clever battery-equipped case that can not only charge them up (as many as 10 times, no less) but also top up your iPhone’s battery.

Anker PowerPort Qi 10

Looking for a low-cost, no-frills wireless charger? Look no further than Anker’s PowerPort Qi 10, which costs only £18/$26 but ticks all the main boxes. It supports 10W fast charging if you use the right wall adapter, and rocks not only a non-slip surface (well, you don’t want your glassy iPhone 8 sliding right off your bedside table, do you?) but a “breathing” LED to let you know it’s charging.

Aukey USB-C Wall Charger with Power Delivery

Apple’s official accessories are notoriously pricey but at just £20/$22 this Aukey plug is less than half the price of Apple’s 29W MacBook charger. You’ll need one to take advantage of the iPhone 8’s fast-charging function, which gives you 50% battery in about half an hour, and you can use the money you’ve saved to pick up the necessary USB-C to Lightning cable to go with it.

Mophie Charge Force Powerstation

Are you a cable hater? Well, you’re going to love Mophie’s Powerstation (£100/$100), which offers wireless charging without any cables at all. It’s essentially a huge portable battery with Qi charging built in, and its 10,000mAh capacity should be able to give your iPhone 8 a couple of days’ worth of extra power. There’s a USB port for charging wired gadgets too.

Crystal C1 case

Give your iPhone 8 an extra layer of protection without hiding its beautiful glass backside with this low-cost clear case (£8/$8). The rubbery material also provides grip, to help prevent any slippy-palmed accidents.

Mujjo Leather-style Wallet case

Add an extra touch of class to an already classy device with this leather-look wallet case (£36/$47), available in tan or black finishes. As well as giving your iPhone 8 a bit of added protection, it features a sleeve to hold your bank, credit or Oyster cards.

TuneBand Sports Strap

Taking your iPhone for a run can be a tricky one – having it bounce around in your pocket is hardly going to help you keep a steady pace. So if you’re an active type, a strap like the TuneBand (from £20/$23) can be a godsend. It keeps your phone securely fixed to your arm, and its two-piece design means it also functions as a protective silicone case.

Tech21 Evo Elite Active Edition case

Tough, drop-resistant cases usually look chunky, ugly, and generally brick-like. Not so with Tech21’s Evo Elite Active Edition (£45/$55) – it’s meant to blend in with your active wear, so it won’t stand out while you’re at the gym. That means bright day-glo colours (that somehow manage to not look at all garish) and a reflective pattern on the back that goes a long way to make up for covering the iPhone’s gorgeous new glass posterior.

Kenu Stance tripod

Want to get the best out of the iPhone 8’s updated camera? Then you’ll need a tripod, young shutterbug – and Kenu’s (£20/$20) is a brilliant little device that uses the Lightning port to hold up your phone. It also works as a landscape desktop stand, and even has a bottle opener built in!

Otterbox Defender Series case

Otterbox has become the go-to brand for ultimate smartphone protection, so if you’re a butter-fingered sort who wants to avoid constantly shelling out for iPhone 8 repairs, consider the Defender Series case (from £43/$50). Covering the entire phone – screen and ports included – the Defender offers great drop protection. The downside is that it makes a sleek device fairly portly: but that’s the price you pay for peace of mind, we suppose.