6 USB-C Gadgets Every iPhone User Should Know About

Since the iPhone officially entered USB-C land and left Lightning connectivity behind, owners of newer iterations of the popular smartphone have had the pleasure of exploring a wider variety of accessories and adjacent gadgetry. With something as basic as a USB-C cable, you can use an iPhone 15 or newer to charge your Apple Watch, AirPods, or even another newer iPhone, albeit a bit slower.

If you're on the hunt for the most essential paraphernalia to use with your iPhone, your first stop ought to be several cords and charger heads — one for your bedside, another one for around the house, and one to travel with — to ensure that your device is never low on battery. Of course, if you want something a bit more exciting, you can explore a number of gadget categories that you must have covered as a well-rounded iPhone user. For instance, you can purchase products that can enhance your iPhone's audio and display capabilities, as well as your ability to utilize your device for entertainment purposes.

To help you get started, below are a few suggestions of gadgets you should consider getting to use with your iPhone. Note that since this is a roundup of items that have USB-C connectivity, compatibility is limited to the iPhone 15 lineup or newer.

Even though it's not exactly high in the excitement meter for iPhone gadgets, having a way to quickly juice up your mobile device on-the-go is crucial in this day and age. Charger heads and cords are great for when you're sitting near an electric socket and staying put, but what if you're in the middle of a concert or are out on a hike?

That's where a portable charger can come in handy. The INIU Portable Charger — only $22 on Amazon — is incredibly slim and lightweight. You can easily clutch it in your hand along with an iPhone while it's connected to it. Apart from the USB-C port that can be used for either input or output, it also has two additional USB-A ports, allowing you to charge more than one device at a time.

If you want something smaller, you can get the Anker Nano Powerbank,which is normally listed at $30 on Amazon but is currently discounted at $24. Apart from a regular USB-C port that you can use to both charge the powerbank itself and other USB-C devices, it has a built-in collapsible USB-C connector that allows you to connect the charger directly to a compatible iPhone sans cord. Since it attaches to the iPhone itself, it's a lot more portable and easier to use as a mobile device battery extender than other powerbanks.

As an iPhone user, you may already be taking advantage of Apple's iCloud service so that all your photos, videos, contacts, and other data is safely backed up online. Every Apple user gets 5 GB of free iCloud storage to start with; for more space, you'd need to purchase an iCloud+ subscription.

Alternatively, you can also use a thumb drive to transfer files from your iPhone to another device to free up some space in a pinch if deleting or offloading iPhone apps is not quite cutting it. Now that newer iPhones have USB-C compatibility, you can get a thumb drive like the SanDisk USB Type-C Flash Drive — ranging from $12 to $110 on Amazon, depending on which storage space size and transfer speed you pick. It can easily plug it into your iPhone, quickly offload any media that's taking up real estate on your mobile phone, and allow you to take more photos and videos on-the-go. Since this flash drive has both USB-C and USB-A ports, you have the option of transferring saved iPhone files to another USB-C smartphone or tablet or to a computer.

If you're a frequent high-resolution iPhone photo and video-taker and need more than 1 TB of external storage for your iPhone, you can spend more for the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD. The 2 TB version is normally listed at $200 on Amazon but is discounted at $135 as of this writing. Make sure you use it with a USB 3 cable to transfer data quicker than the USB 2's 480 Mbps data rate limit. You can splurge on the Apple Thunderbolt 5 Pro cable — for $69 on Amazon, you can enjoy a data transfer rate of up to 120 Gbps — or opt for a cheaper, USB 3 cable from a third-party brand.

You can turn your iPhone into a portable video game console using a mobile gaming controller like the Backbone One. Once you place your mobile device into the center of two halves of a controller, you can launch compatible game apps and play them in landscape orientation. You can pair the iPhone and the Backbone with a variety of gaming services — including Xbox Cloud Gaming, PS Remote Play, Steam Link, your iPhone's own App Store, and Apple Arcade — and access all your games through the Backbone app.

The Backbone One has a USB-C port for your iPhone to plug into, as well as an extra USB-port to charge your controller as you play. It's arguably the most popular mobile gaming controller on Amazon to date, with a pretty hefty price of $99. If you want to explore more affordable alternatives, consider our roundup of cheaper gaming controllers — some of these include a USB-C port and should be compatible with the iPhone 15 or newer.

If you use your iPhone for content creation and enjoy posting videos on social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and the like, you might want to use a wireless lapel microphone to enhance your footage's audio quality. The GoorDik USB-C Lavalier Microphone — currently priced at $26 on Amazon — is quite easy to use with your iPhone. After you plug in the receiver into the iPhone's USB-C port and turn on the transmitter on the microphone, it should automatically pair with your mobile device and be ready to use.

The microphone is equipped with a rotating clip that allows you to position the gadget however you want and has a total transmission range of up to 65 feet. It also has a battery life of up to 12 hours, which gives you enough time to record multiple takes. While it doesn't necessarily amplify your audio per se while in use, its noise reduction features will let you record your voice with more clarity, especially in loud surroundings. Apart from using this lapel mic for creating content, you can also use it for outdoor live streams or taking phone calls or online meetings in public spaces where environmental noise is higher.

If the iPhone is your main entertainment hub on which you watch all sorts of video content, you may want the option to see your mobile phone screen on a bigger display. Barring casting your iPhone screen onto a compatible smart TV via AirPlay, consider using a portable monitor like the Arzopa S1 Table instead. This allows you to preview videos on social platforms like YouTube and Instagram or even videos saved on your iPhone gallery on a much larger scale while you're out and about.

The screen is thin and lightweight and should be easy to carry around. In order to use the Arzopa portable monitor with your iPhone, you'll need a USB-C to HDMI adapter. The S1 Table, which you can now buy for $76 (retail $110) on Amazon, already comes with all the cords you'll need. However, you also have the option of using one of these third-party iPhone USB-C adapters if you want something shorter.

It's also important to note that when you directly plug your iPhone to the monitor via the accompanying USB-C cable, the monitor will use the iPhone as its power source. To ensure that you have enough battery, hook up the second USB-C cable to a power bank or a wall charger.

Compared to the rest of the items in this roundup, a Bluetooth speaker doesn't really require being connected directly to your iPhone via USB-C in order to work. Nevertheless, it's still a gadget that every iPhone user ought to have — along with wireless earbuds — if only to better enjoy music and other audio through your mobile phone.

One of the most popular and highly rated Bluetooth speakers on Amazon is the JBL Go 3. There are so many things about it to appreciate. It's a pretty tiny gadget, making it very portable and handy. It's waterproof and dustproof, so you can bring it almost anywhere, including the mountains, the beach, or even the shower. The audio quality is pretty great, and it has enough battery life to last up to five hours of playtime. It also comes in a variety of colors and is quite affordable at $35 as of this writing.

Another similar item worth considering is this 3-in-1 Bluetooth speaker, cellphone stand, and power bank by Jteman, available on Amazon for $30. It's very convenient if you use your iPhone to follow along to video recipes or workout videos. You can also use FaceTime hands-free. It's light and compact, making it a perfect iPhone accessory for travel as well. If you ever need to, you can also use it to charge your iPhone.