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:
BookBook by TwelveSouth: We recently reviewed Twelve South’s new BookBook for iPhone 5 and found improvements over previous generations. The vintage book style is something the BookBook case is known for ($59), but there are a few no-name book style cases on Amazon for slightly cheaper.InCase and Belkin, & Griffin Sports Armbands: If you’re looking for an armband accessory for carrying your iPhone 5 when running or during other physical activities, well-known case makers InCase and Belkin have both updated their popular designs for Apple’s latest iPhone model. Belkin’s sells for around $20 on Amazon, and perhaps a little bit nicer is the InCase version for $30. Griffin has one that sells for $20 on Amazon as well. Compare those to Cygnett’s $30 armband.
Kensington Portafolio Duo Wallet: If you’re looking for a quality wallet/iPhone 5 case that holds more than just a couple cards, Kensington is now selling its Portafolio Duo wallet for $30 on Amazon.
PureGear Kickstand Case + Holster: There is a lot of competition among case makers, but PureGear probably has the nicest option if you’re looking for a combo kickstand + a holster for clipping to pants, bags, and elsewhere. It’s available for $15 from Amazon. PureGear also has a lot of nice protective cases that are typically less expensive than the competition.
External battery cases: i-Blason sells its PowerSlate 2200mAh battery case for $50 on Amazon, while Lenmar is taking orders for this $100 Meridian iPhone 5 case also with a 2200mAh battery built-in.
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.
There are also a number of cheaper, bring-your-own cable docks on Amazon. These range from $9.99 to $19.99.
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.
CoolStream Bluetooth Receiver: Disappointed that your old 30-pin dock collection is useless thanks to the new Lightning connector on your iPhone 5? For $39 CoolStream’s Bluetooth receiver will turn your old 30-pin speaker docks into a Bluetooth enabled speaker compatible with your new Lightning devices. It’s not the ideal solution, but might be the perfect gift for new iPhone 5 users that can’t part with their old accessories. You can find others on Amazon as low as $20, some designed for a specific model of dock such as the Bose SoundDock.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.
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