We have already brought you roundups of the best Lightning products and iPad mini accessories we could find, but there are still a lot of iPhone 5 specific accessories, mods, and attachements that didn’t make our past gift guides. We didn’t want to include any products that you wouldn’t be able to get your hands on before Christmas, so we’re only including products promising to ship in December. Below you’ll find our roundup of the best mods, cases, cables & docks available now and specifically designed for the iPhone 5:
Cases & Covers:
Snugg: My personal favorite sleeve for the iPhone 5, and the case I’m currently using on a daily basis, is the $20 leather pouch from Snugg. It features an “elastic pull strap” allowing for an easy method to slide the phone out of the snuggly fit leather case. It’s available in three colors, has a pocket for cards, and small holes in the bottom for the iPhone’s speakers.
Moshi’s iGlaze Kameleon case with kickstand: Another case that I’ve spent time with and have no problem recommending is this $50 case/kickstand combo from Moshi. The company also has a number of other well-priced cases worth checking out.
Puretek Roll-On Screen Shield Kit: This is amazing. It is the best…no, the only way to apply a screen protector hassle and anxiety free. You must read the directions for best results, but the $24.99 kit (SALE $13.42) comes with a “patented application” tray and roller, one sturdy screen protector, microfiber cloth, and a haze and bubble-free guarantee. Just peel up the adhesive sticker in the tray, place your iPhone in, fold the screen protector with backliner onto the device (it perfectly aligns itself), set the roller in place and push firmly, and then just slide the roller down. The screen protector will apply to the screen as the backliner separates. Wah-lah! It takes three seconds and leaves a perfectly placed screen protector with no hiccups or hair pulling. Oh, and the tray and roller are reusable. Buy this, now.
Docks & Stands:
Bose SoundDock III: Perhaps the most attractive option for those looking to order an iPhone 5-compatible speaker dock is the latest generation SoundDock from Bose. It’s also one the priciest speaker dock out for the device at $249, but with Bose’s reputation for making quality home audio products, we’re expecting a noticeable step up in sound performance compared to its competitors. It’s available from Bose.com now.
JBL: Two nice speaker docks are now available to order from JBL: The Micro OnBeat $99.95 (pictured above), and the $199.95 OnBeat Venue. Both feature Lightning docks, and the larger of the two will accommodate your iPad mini and iPods as opposed to just iPhone 5. JBL is already taking orders and—as one of the only iPhone 5 speaker docks on the market—will likely sell a lot leading into the holidays.
Philips iPhone 5 Lightning docks: When we did our roundup of the best Lightning accessories, there wasn’t a ton of options for speaker docks. Since, a few reputable companies have announced products, one of which is Philips. It plans on shipping four new models this month with refreshed versions of the company’s past 30-pin docks that have been quite popular. If you can hold out for a couple weeks, these might be worth the wait. (We’ll keep you updated when they are ready to order)
iPhone5mod: iPhone5mod, one of the first third-party manufacturers with Lightning accessories on the market, is also still selling its iPhone 5 Flash Lightning dock for $40 with cable or half that without the cable. It also has its iPhone 5 Dock Pro available with a Lightning or Micro USB port. iPhone5mod sent us some of its docks and Lightning accessories to check out, and we certainly have no trouble recommending them for the price.
$1 HiveDocks: HiveDock is giving away its iPhone display magnifying dock for 99 cents. Use the promo code “dollar” at checkout. These aren’t designed for the iPhone 5.
Mods & attachments:
AnoStyle: AnoStyle is a service that uses a special anodization process to change the color of your device. The company is offering a number of color combinations and is promising its process won’t chip and change the feel of your iPhone 5 like paint and other alternative solutions. It starts at $249.
TurtleJacket PentaEye: Available for around $270 USD from the Turtleback iPhonegraphy website, this attachment for iPhone 5 adds a five-lens optical system that includes the following lenses and attachments:
– Lens Dial with 5 x 15mm lens mount, Fisheye Lens 0.33x, Wide Lens x0.7, Tele Lens 1.5x, Close up Lens (closest focal length is about 2cm), 37mm Lens Mount (Detach the Dial part to expose the 37mm Lens mount), 2 x Tripod Mount, 2 x Strap Holder, Aluminium Body.
GoPano micro for iPhone 5: We wrote about the company’s iPhone 4 case for shooting 360 degree video in the past, and now the company has tweaked its popular attachment for use with iPhone 5. Its available to order from the company website for €69.
Cables & Adapters:
iPhone5mod Camera connection kit: Two new Lightning compatible adapters you’re not likely to find elsewhere include the 3-in-1 Lightning Camera Connection kit ($24) sporting USB, SD card slot, and micro-SD card slots, and the 3-in-1 Cable Pro ($14) featuring Lightning, 30-pin, and micro-USB with a single cable. Both are available from iPhone5mod.com now.
Check out our other holiday shopping guides for your device below:
Holiday Shopping Guide: Every single great Lightning accessory we could find
Holiday Shopping Guide: The best docks, stands, cases & cables for your iPad mini
Bonus:
Uguard’s anti-slip pad: Aiming to replace the bulky smartphone stands and mounts for in the car and elsewhere, Uguard sells this small pad made out of an anti-slip resin material. Your device adheres to the pad, allowing it to sit almost upright, without the need of additional hardware. I’ve had hands on time with one and confirmed it works as advertised. It sells for €12.90 from Uguard’s website.
