Anyone addicted to their smartphone knows that, while you may love everything it does, there’s always something that needs improvement. Whether you’re looking to expand your phone’s battery life, storage capabilities, or the abilities of its features, there’s an upgrade out there that can help.
MicroSD Card
If you have a MicroSD port, don’t let it go to waste. The extra storage can hold your apps, photos, videos, nd music. Phones have a limit on how big your microSD card can be, so pay attention when you decide to make this purchase.
For Android users, UHS-I Class 10 microSD cards like the Samsung Pro Plus or SanDisk Extreme offer fast read/write speeds—perfect for 4K video and app storage. Ensure your device supports the SDXC format if you’re upgrading to 256GB or higher. Some phones even allow formatting as internal storage for seamless expansion.
Telephoto Lens
Are you addicted to your smartphone’s camera but not so impressed with the pictures? Try telephoto lenses like the Olloclip. Telephoto lenses give you fish-eye, zoom, macro, and wide-angle shots. There are small, clip-on versions and others that even come with their iPods. They all attach to and increase the functionality of your camera.
For serious mobile photographers, multi-element glass lenses like Moment’s 58mm telephoto provide minimal distortion and sharp edge-to-edge clarity. These lenses work best when paired with companion camera apps that unlock manual focus, ISO, and shutter speed. Always check compatibility with your phone’s lens placement to avoid vignetting or blocked sensors.
Boom Mic
Smartphones offer recording functions, but the microphones are hardly the best. Add a boom mic to get the quality sound you prefer. Some of these microphones come attached to headsets. Others are just boom mic attachments to the existing microphone ports. Point them where they’re needed and get the sound you want.
Look for cardioid or shotgun-style boom mics like the Rode VideoMic Me-L (for Lightning ports) or Shure MV88 for high-fidelity directional audio. These minimize ambient noise and are ideal for vlogging, interviews, or mobile filmmaking. Be sure your phone supports external mic input, especially with newer USB-C or Lightning connections.
Battery Extenders
Battery extenders are add-on batteries that can double the life of your phone. Most battery extender packages come with both the extender and a modified phone case to accommodate the increased size, as with the Samsung Galaxy S4 battery extender case. It bulks up your phone, but the extra bulk is worth it for a hardcore smartphone user.
Choose extenders with built-in surge protection and smart charging, like those from Anker or Mophie. Models with Power Delivery (PD) support charge phones 2x faster. Modular magnetic battery packs (like Apple MagSafe or Baseus) snap on for convenience. Always check mAh capacity; 10,000mAh is ideal for two full smartphone charges.
Smart Watch
Even if you always have your smartphone nearby, there are times when you can’t pull it out of your bag or back pocket. Sometimes, it’s just in another area of the house. Smart Watches like the Pebble and the Galaxy Gear make sure you get all your texts, updates, and phone calls right where you can see them quickly and easily: on your wrist.
Advanced models like the Apple Watch Series 9 or Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 offer ECG monitoring, blood oxygen tracking, and phone call capabilities directly from the wrist. Look for watches with LTE support for independent connectivity. Integration with voice assistants and smart home controls can further expand the watch’s utility beyond notifications.
Smartphones are entertaining and useful devices with great potential. Take advantage of all the perks and then add a little extra. Smartphone addicts know how good it feels to upgrade their devices until they reach that coveted level of ‘better than ever’.
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