Top 10 Must-Have Smartphone Accessories for 2017 - Gear UP^

Your smartphone has evolved into a digital Swiss Army Knife, of sorts, as they can do so much – it’s your phone, web browser, camera, camcorder, wallet, gaming system, GPS navigation unit, pedometer, and even your flashlight – but you can extend the functionality and longevity of your smartphone even further with a few good accessories.

Hey everyone, welcome to Gear Up, the WatchMojo series that looks at the latest in gadgets, gear and games. I’m Marc Saltzman, and in this video, we’re going to look at 10 recommended accessories for the one device you never leave home without.

Get rid of the earbuds that’s shipped with your smartphone or at least put them away in case you need them in a pinch. Instead, consider a pair of wireless Bluetooth earbuds like the Bose SoundSport wireless in-ear headphones. Featuring up to 6 hours of battery life and comfortable and secure tips – especially for those who like to be active with their music – these SoundSport earbuds also help block out ambient noise around you. Other features include sweat and weather resistance, bass-rich sound, an inline mic to take calls, and a Bose Connect app to help you manage multiple Bluetooth devices and offers a personalized audio experience.

Yes, it’s the Achille’s Heel of smartphones: battery life. The more these things can do, the worse the battery seems to be. So, for those who spend a lot of time on the go, and might not be in one place long enough to plug their phone into an AC outlet, a battery pack is a must. The piston power Pro 12000 is a small 12000 milliamp battery that can juice up a typical smartphone 6 times, and most tablets up to 2 1/2 times. In fact, it has two ports to charge two devices at once. The Smart IC chip automatically detects the optimum amount of current for the connected device. An integrated LED indicator tells you how much battery power if left before you need to charge this thing up. Cable is included.

Klutzy types might prefer a ruggedized smartphone case to protect their investment – for when – not if – they drop their phone. Available for popular smartphone models like iPhone and Samsung Galaxy, OtterBox’s Defender Series safeguards the phone in three ways: a clear membrane that covers the screen, a hard polycarbonate skeleton that surrounds the smartphone and a wrap-around silicone skin that absorbs bumps. These cases aren’t as bulky as they were a couple of years ago, so you don’t have to trade durability for convenience. These Defender cases also include a swivel belt clip that doubles as a small stand for viewing video.

Perfect for on-the-go types, a smartwatch of course captures activity data, vibrates to remind you of important calendar appointments, and gives you glanceable information on your wrist without you having to reach for your phone. Powered by the Android Wear platform, but works with both Android and iPhone, Fossil Q offers a number of styles – from touchscreen models that show you who’s calling, texting, emailing, to analog watches that look like classic timepieces. Digital touchscreen versions of Fossil Q also let you customize the watch faces, see map information, load airline boarding passes, check on sports scores, and much more.

We all know people who could benefit from a gadget like this: Tile Mate is small, white and Bluetooth-enabled tracker that help you find lost items. Simply attach, stick or place these on everyday items – like house keys, your wallet or a purse -- and if you can’t find them, open up the iOS or Android app, tap the name of the item (like “Marc’s Keys” or “Kellie’s purse”) and it’ll ring loudly. On the flipside, if you can't find your phone, double-tap your Tile Mate to make your lost phone ring — even if it's on silent – or log into the app or website on another device. These are sold separately or in packs of 4.

Yes, we all know iPhone doesn’t let you expand your storage – and this can be a pain for those who like to shoot a lot of photos or 4K video, which uses up a lot of space – but you don’t have to complain about running out of storage with a product like Leef’s iBridge3. This small flash drive snaps into the lightning port of an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, and then automatically backs-up all of the device’s photos and videos, and lets you safely remove the media off the iPhone to begin taking more photos. Or shoot photos directly to the iBridge3, if you like. Starting at 16 gigabytes of storage (and going all the way up to 128GB), this small drive can also back-up documents, contacts, and other content, too.

If you need to get a little school work or office work done while on the go, but don’t want to lug a laptop, the aptly-named Microsoft Universal Foldable Keyboard is an ultra-thin, lightweight mobile accessory that unfolds to a full-sized QWERTY keyboard, and can be simultaneously paired with two Bluetooth devices – be it an iPhone, iPad, Android device, or Windows tablet or phone. Lighten your load by leaving your PC or Mac at home, and take this spill-resistant clamshell companion with you, with a rechargeable battery that lasts up to three months.

The compact XB40 is portable, powerful, and water-resistant audio system for any Bluetooth-enabled device -- plus there’s a line-in aux jack for non-wireless players. The “XB” stands for “extra bass,” with a dedicated button on top for when you want to punch up the low frequencies. These colorful speakers also include: NFC tap-to-pair functionality with compatible devices; a daisy chain feature to add another speaker (for stereo or double sound); a USB port to charge up your smartphone; and a built-in mic for hands-free calls. Battery life tops 24 hours between charges.

You already know about Google’s Chromecast – that small device you plug into your TV’s HDMI port, and lets you wirelessly mirror what’s on your compatible smartphone, tablet or laptop on the TV. But as the name suggests, 4K Chromecast Ultra supports up to 4K Ultra HD picture quality – for 4 times the resolution of HD on a compatible television – but it also supports HDR, or high-dynamic range for better contrast, brightness and colour. The 4K Chromecast Ultra includes a faster processor for smooth streaming, and optional built-in Ethernet adaptor in case you’d rather go wired instead of wireless. The Backdrop feature showcases content like your photos, social media, news headlines and more.

AirSelfie is a pocket-sizes flying camera that connects with your smartphone to let you take HD photos of you, your friends -- from the sky. Its turbo fan propellers can thrust up to 20 meters in the air, letting you capture wide photos and videos on your device, seen through the AirSelfie app for iOS and Android. The 5-megapixel camera and anti-vibration shock absorber ensures highest quality images. And its ultra-light 61-gram body slips into a special phone cover and charger, which means you can keep AirSelfie on you at all times. Selfie cameras may be cheesy. But a flying selfie camera is a different story altogether.

Hey, thanks for watching Gear Up; I'm Marc Saltzman. Let us know in the comments section what tech products you’d like us to review going forward on WatchMojo. And for more tech-tastic lists, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com. Ciao for now.