This video is brought to you by Shargeek We are roughly two months away from the iPhone
15 announcement so I figured it’s a great time to show you all my favorite iPhone 14
accessories, starting with the Marshall Emberton II - the most impressive portable speaker
I’ve ever tested that comes in a footprint no larger than the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Before
I purchased this speaker I was on a hunt and I was testing all sorts of portable boom boxes
that were at least 2x more expensive than this cream-coloured beauty. Then I turned
this joke of a size speaker and my jaw hit the floor when I heard
the sound. Don’t get me wrong, the magic you hear from this speaker doesn’t come
from the sound itself - it’s a typical Marshall signature after all - rich, clear and loud.
The magic, in reality, comes from assimilating that all this comes from just that. It’s
a 30+ hours, IP67 dust and water-resistant, leather and metal mesh marvel that fires from
all directions and lifts up the spirits no matter the occasion. You can even stack two
or perhaps more of these speakers and have a blast. I got this for an upcoming vacation
and I couldn’t be happier of my choice. I’ll link it in the description below as
well as all the items I am about to show you, the rest of which I’ve categorised in the
following way - cases, grips, power, mounts and miscellaneous because I can’t really
create a category for one item…or can I…BTW, if you end up enjoying this video, subscribe,
because WHY NOT?!? So, in terms of cases I have 3 favourites.
The one that I really like which ironically I am most disappointed of is the Apple Leather
Case in this Umbar color. I love it because it’s soft, decently protective and this
year’s black version of the iPhone in combination with this Umbar brown is a fantastic color
combo for me but you can see how it wears out. Some might call it a patina and I am
no expert, but I wouldn’t call it that since it only appears on the most exposed of places
and it kind of looks bad…great case though. The next favorite case of mine is the Pitaka
MagEZ case in this limited edition Pixel Game version, which Pitaka told me is extremely
difficult to manufacture. It’s super thin and light and this particular design is very
funky. I love the very unique look and the fact that there was an actual game that was
built around that case. The third case for me is Nomad’s Modern
Full Grain Leather Case in black. This is a case I’d put on with a suit (which I don’t
actually even have) but you get the point. On top of being very James Bond like, it’s
equally resilient with its 10ft drop protection. So with those cases, I usually have a matching
grip of some sorts - something I had to resort to since I switched to the largest iPhones
and now I find useful no matter the size…of the phone.
I have a few MagEZ Grips which are a great accessory no matter which case I go for. The
Pitaka grip is super slim and very fidgety in my option and comes in handy in those don’t-smash-my-face-while-in-bed-moments.
Plus, I can use the grip to- prop my phone and watch something.
Anker actually have a very similar Magnetic Phone Grip called 610 and I really can’t
say which one I like better the Anker or the Pitaka. If I am rocking a Pitaka case it’s
obvious I’d prefer to match them while for everything else, like the Nomad case, I might
grab the Anker Grip since it’s more serious looking. Both grips provide the same level
of tension of the ring and the angle at which I can place the iPhone. At this point it’s
more a matter of personal preference. A more interesting and versatile grip in my
opinion is the next one by Belkin. It’s actually not called a grip but a MagSafe mount.
Aside from the ability to prop the iPhone on the table and the obvious ring to use as
a grip, on the top, there’s a rubber lip that is used to prop the iPhone on the screen
of the MacBook to be used in tandem with Continuity Camera or the ability to use the large cameras
of the iPhone as a webcam. It’s very cool and versatile but no where as sleek looking
as the other two - plus it works only on laptops. The next item is less of a grip and more of
a wallet…with a grip. It’s by ESR and it’s very Apple Like Wallet that fits maximum
of 3.5 cards, coming in this lovely caramel color, costing as much as some overpriced
eggs Benedict. This wallet screams high quality, even though it costs only $20 and look - I
can get a hold of my phone. The next two iPhone accessories are some of
my favourites and they are from Shargeek. This is the Shargeek Storm 2 - the world’s
first transparent power bank. With its massive 25600mAh capacity, this gorgeous power bank
can juice up the iPhone up to 7 times or and an iPad up to 2.5 times. The Storm 2 needs
only 90 minutes to be fully charged and with its 100W PD Fast-Charging Ports I can fast-charge
multiple devices - no problem. The display is yet another feature I love since it visualizes
the battery life, output distribution, running temp, and DC voltage adjustment. The next
Shargeek accessory is the Retro 67W GaN Charger which I mentioned in my last EDC video. This
is the cutest, super compact power brick that packs a punch while paying tribute to the
classic Macintosh. With 3 USB-C ports and clever dynamic power distribution one can
charge a MacBook Pro, iPad, and iPhone at the same time. The real kicker here is the
Real Time Power Display that helps keep track of the state of the charge - Matrix style,
so don’t think twice and take advantage of the huge discounts that Shargeek has provided,
especially during Prime Day by clicking on the first links in description below.
Next up is the Pitaka MagEZ Slider 2. I’ve talked about this ultra versatile slider many
times in the past, but I am willing to revisit the item and talk about it again because this
is the second version. So, to understand what this new version is all about, you first need
to understand the concept of the slider. Out of the box, it’s a 2-in-1 charger that can
be used to charge the iPhone and your AirPods for example by simply snapping the magnetic
lip on the back and placing the AirPods there…but that’s far from the essence of this product.
If you get the optional Power Dongle it becomes a 3-in-1 charger that can also top up the
Apple Watch. Also, the MagSafe portion on the front is actually a removable battery
and the dongle BTW, can be carried as a separate tool to use in other chargers or usb-c ports.
The port where it plugs into on the side, can be use as yet another charging solution
and all this while rotating in a very satisfying manner. So apparently, someone complained
about version 1 and version 2 now comes with this iPhone like toggle to lock the slider
and prevent it from rotating. Was it even necessary?
The next charger is by Anker model 623. It’s a bit of an older model, but just as useful
if you don’t really care about charging your Apple Watch. It’s a 2 in 1 charger
that looks very sleek, designed to be heavy with the intention of staying in place. You’ll
still need to use both hands to detach the iPhone though, because the magnets on the
main charger are very strong. Once the top charger is tilted at 60 degrees, which is
a great angle for keeping your phone facing you while working, on the back you can place
your earbuds to top them up. On the bottom of the base itself, there’s an LED that
indicates the status of the charging process. Unlike most chargers these days, this one
comes with an included 20W USB-C charger and a 5 ft (1.5 m) USB-C to USB-C charging cable.
I’d classify it as a cool gift which again, I’ll link below.
OK…let’s talk mounts. The first mount that I find tons of use of is by Moment and
it’s called Tripod Mount. To me, this is the most essential mount that you can grab
and utilise for content production since it takes no time to snap the iPhone via MagSafe…plus
it doesn’t matter which size MagSafe iPhone you use. In a nutshell it’s a simple stick
where on one side you have a very strong magnet and on the other a tripod screw. The optional
cold shoe attachment might come in handy for those of you you who like to integrate an
external mic for example. The next mount comes in different names in
the world of Mr. Bezos and the one I purchased is called CloudValley Magnetic Mobile Phone
Stand and other keywords for Amazon optimisation. Honestly, I was a bit sceptical about the
application of this little magnetic contraption but at this point I see the benefits of flanking
the laptop with my iPhone as my notification | calls assistant. Combined with the Belkin
Mount, I can be very productive no matter the location so if I were giving this thing
a rating, I’d give it 6 out of 7. Let’s MISC! This is the Insta360 Flow Gimbal
and it’s honestly so feature packed that a separate video might not be enough…but
I’ll do my best to be concise. It’s an AI tracking stabiliser that can collapse to
an almost comfortable pocketable size. When fully expanded, it can turn into a stand-alone
AI tracking tool that you can use for shots that will normally require a second set of
hands. If a hand is not enough, you can pull the telescopic mechanism to turn into a selfie
stick, all without needing to screw, attach or detach additional accessories…and I am
not even getting into all the software that’s packed into this thing. You can use it as
a robot film maker, you can stay in frame while in meetings, presenting something, you
can create crazy steady shots on the fly…really, really cool product.
Aside from my AirPods Pro v2, I recently started testing the Beats Studio Buds +. Although
you might be thinking that I have a problem with earbuds, I want to defend myself and
clarify that I am working on a comprehensive earbuds guide, so stay tuned for that. The
Studio Buds + are a great iPhone companion and a cheaper alternative to the AirPods Pro,
that sound really good. With the Shargeek charger, you might see that I am buying into
the transparency bandwagon. The Studio Buds + provide 36 Hours of Listening Time with Charging
Case and one-touch pairing and easy support on both Android and iOS. So far, I find them
very comfortable, but I am not sure I’ll get over the massive case. We’ll see.
BTW, I didn’t mention any controllers this time around, because if I had to mention the
ultimate one, it would be this one from 8bitdo, which I talk about in my favorite iPad Pro
accessories video here. So go ahead and check it out.
Like & Subscribe to the channel, as well as my newsletter, and as always, it’s been
an absolute pleasure, This is E
Over & out