From watches to robots, mobile phone accessories are entering the space age.Mark Prigg turns on and tunes in.
As the mobile-phone market has gone stratospheric in recent years, so has the market for accessories to plug into your phone. While Bluetooth headsets and headphone adapters may be nothing new, there’s now a choice of everything from photo frames, stereo speakers and even remote-controlled robots, all of which will let you use your phone in new ways. We guide you through some of the best acessories for your mobile.
SHURE MUSIC PHONE ADAPTER
£25
shure.com
As more and more mobile phones try to take on the iPod by including MP3-playing capabilities, remote controls have become a big market for accessory makers, particularly with the emergence of Apple’s iPhone. Shure’s MPA (Music Phone Adapter) is one of the best, combining basic music controls with an incredibly good-quality microphone.
Using it is simple – there’s just a single button. When a call comes in, click it and calls will be answered, allowing you to speak into the microphone port. When you’re listening to music, clicking the button once will pause the music, while double clicking will skip to the next track.
The music controls are a little lacking (a volume dial, for example, would be an excellent addition), but the unit is very small and the one-button approach means it’s not at all complex to use. For iPhone owners, there’s an added bonus – you can use any headphones with the MPA, not just Apple’s, meaning you can finally attach high-quality headphones to an
iPod in an elegant way – we’ve been using the MPA with Shure’s SE420 headphones, and it’s possibly the best-sounding mobile-music combination we’ve ever heard. Sound quality is surprisingly good when you’re making calls, even when you’re walking down the street.
Overall, for iPhone owners the Music Phone Adapter is undoubtedly an essential purchase. For other phones, it’s also well worth considering if you make a lot of calls out and about – the excellent sound quality on calls definitely justifies the price.
PROS Essential gadget for iPhone owners.
CONS Limited music controls.
SONY ERICSSON MBW150 BLUETOOTH WATCH
£180
sonyericsson.com
Bluetooth watches might at first glance seem far too Dick Tracy for the average user, but after a few weeks with the MBW150, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. It’s effectively a remote display and controller for your phone, meaning you can keep your handset tucked away.
The most useful feature is the large, easy-to-read display on the watch, which displays the name or number of whoever is calling. Additionally, it will also vibrate when a call or text arrives, so you can easily glance at it before deciding what to do – far more subtle than having your phone set to vibrate and watching it buzz across the meeting room table every time someone calls. You can mute calls by pressing the top right-hand button once or reject it by pressing the button twice.
If your handset is a Sony Ericsson you’ll also get some really useful music controls, such as the ability to control volume and change tracks, and the display will even tell you which song is playing. It’s also perfect for people who constantly forget their phones, as it will vibrate when it’s out of Bluetooth range of the handset.
Overall it is undeniably a bit gimmicky, and it is a really big watch in terms of size. But it is a very useful tool for people sick of taking their phone out to see who’s calling – if you can deal with the looks.
PROS Surprisingly useful.
CONS Chunky size.
PARROT BOOMBOX SPEAKERS
£140
parrot.com
As mobile phones get more and more music features, they start to become viable as a source of music at home as well as when you’re out and about – after all, if you’ve got most of your music collection on your phone, is there really any point switching on your PC when you want to listen to music at home?
Bluetooth has also made this a more viable option, as you have the added advantage of being able to sit on the
sofa and stream music via Bluetooth to your hi-fi. Parrot has taken this idea to its logical extreme, and has created speakers with built-in Bluetooth so you can stream music directly to them. Measuring 430 x 225 x 150mm and weighing in at a hefty 5.6kg, these aren’t something you would take on holiday with you, but they do make an excellent set of bedroom or bathroom speakers.
Sound quality is excellent and, although only volume controls are available, they’re certainly loud enough for most rooms. There is also a line-in, so you can easily plug in your iPod, and Parrot also supplies a USB Bluetooth dongle for your laptop or desktop, so it can stream music as well. The optimum range is around 10 metres (with a maximum of 30 metres) and we found the audio-quality excellent at this distance and even a little further.
Overall, these are well worth a look if you’re considering a set of speakers for the second room, although they’re not quite good enough yet to replace the living-room hi-fi.
PROS Easy to use.
CONS Lack of controls.
USB SIM CARD READER
£13
iwantoneofthose.com
Possibly the most useful phone accessory on the market, this little gizmo will back up the contacts on your SIM card to a PC. It’s really simple to use: simply load the software onto your PC, put your SIM card into the little gadget, then plug it into your PC – everything else is automatic. It will check for changes every time you plug it in, and should you lose the phone, it’s simply a case of putting in your new SIM and copying the stored data back to it. The only annoyance is having to take the SIM out of your phone, but other than that, this is a gizmo every phone-owner should get hold of.
PROS Incredibly useful, essential for any phone-owner.
CONS Needs a PC.
ALIPH JAWBONE BLUETOOTH HEADSET
£70
carphonewarehouse.com
Aliph’s Jawbone is probably the most high-tech Bluetooth headset you’ll find. It’s got three microphones, which adjust all audio over 380 times a second, and background noise-removal technology originally developed for the US military.
However, for the more average consumer, the only thing you really need to know about the jawbone is that the sound quality is an absolute revelation. Traditionally, talking to someone via a Bluetooth headset was a nightmare, with static and background noise making normal conversations virtually impossible.
But with the Jawbone we found that on some occasions the calls actually sound clearer than if you’re holding up your phone. Although it is a little on the large side it is really stylish – it was designed by Yves Behar, whose award-winning team has worked on design icons like the BMW Mini and Birkenstock sandals.
It’s also simple to use and charging is quick. The only real problem, in fact, is the size – but given the incredible sound quality, we think that’s a price well worth paying.
PROS Sound quality is superb.
CONS Looks a little fragile, large size.
PARROT DIGITAL PHOTO FRAME
£100
parrot.com
Digital picture frames have enjoyed massive success in recent years and Parrot’s seven-inch offering is one of
the best. It’s incredibly simple to set up and sending photos via Bluetooth from either a phone or a laptop is
really straightforward.
The frame itself is available in several different colours and finishes, and looks great. There are some simple menu buttons on the back, but for the most part once you’ve set up the picture frame you won’t need them. It’s possible to set up slide-shows and even effects used between pictures.
Getting pictures onto the frame is simple: you can either send them directly from a phone via Bluetooth, or from a PC. Transfers are quick, and the pictures are automatically displayed once you’ve sent them. The picture quality is superb and colour is exceptional, with bright hues showing up particularly well. You’ll need to have the frame near a power supply, and the cable is a little intrusive, but other than that this is an excellent frame – a must to invest in for the home or office.
PROS Easy to use.
CONS Small dimensions.
PROPORTA MICRO MOBILE DEVICE CHARGER
£23
proporta.com
The most common nightmare of any gadget owner is running out of power when you’re out and about – particularly as it always seems to be just as you’re waiting for that all-important call that your mobile will start beeping about a low battery.
Proporta’s Micro Mobile Device could, however, come to the rescue. This is a small USB-powered battery which you can connect to your mobile phone to give you extra juice when it’s most needed. It’s really easy to use – just plug it into your laptop to charge, then switch it off and put it in your bag. When needed, it’s simply a case of turning it on and plugging it into your mobile, which will then begin charging.
It’s supplied with a full set of adapters for most mobiles (although obviously do check before buying) and connectors for iPods as well. To sum up, it’s a simple yet essential piece of kit for the seasoned traveller, and hard to fault.
PROS Incredibly useful.
CONS A little bulky.
MECCANO SPYKEE ROBOT
Around £200
spykeeworld.com
Science fiction has always promised us home robots, and from the unlikely source of Meccano, makers of build-your-own children’s toys, the Spykee might just be the nearest thing to an actually useful robot that we’ve seen.
Given that it is Meccano, it is supplied in kit form with 200 separate parts, and there are three different robot types you can build. However, don’t be put off by the appearance – while the Spykee is incredible fun, it’s also more than just a toy.
Spykee is fitted with a video camera, microphone, loudspeaker and two motors, and even returns to its recharging station automatically when its battery is low, making it ideal as a home-surveillance system when you are off on your travels.
You can direct it from any PC or mobile phone and watch live video-footage from your home. Built-in wifi also means you can use it as an internet phone, making Skype calls via the microphone and speaker. It’s an incredibly fun way to keep an eye on your home, and also possibly the oddest use for your mobile phone you’ll ever find.
Spykee is available now for pre-order, and is expected to launch in September.
PROS Every boy’s dream toy.
CONS Not cheap.
TOMTOM GO 920T
£350
tomtom.com
This TomTom satnav is the top of the range, and features pretty much everything you could ever wish for – maps of Europe and the US, traffic updates and even a remote control. It’s got TomTom’s superb mapping software and is incredibly simple to use and set up. Directions are clear and precise, and once you’ve managed to work out how to turn off the most annoying alerts (police sirens emanating from the device at 5am in the morning on a drive to Gatwick airport are not fun), it’s probably the best satnav out there.
As an in-car phone accessory, it’s superb. Once your handset is paired up, it will alert you to incoming calls and act as a hands-free kit, and will let you leave your phone safely in your pocket.
It also has a in-built FM transmitter, so can transmit directions to your car radio easily. You can also route audio to a Bluetooth headset if you have a preference for using one of those.
PROS Every feature imaginable.
CONS Noises can be intrusive.
SONY MDR-NC60 HEADPHONES
£160
sony.co.uk
Sony’s snappily titled MDR-NC60 headphones are probably the best noise-cancelling set on the market at the moment. They’re comfortable to use and we found them really good at blocking out the racket on even the busiest tube trains.
Because they are over-the-ear, DJ-style headphones you might feel as if you look a little odd wearing them on the tube every day on your way to work, but trust us – the sound quality is well worth it.
The technique they employ is simple – when you turn on the noise-cancelling switch, a small microphone goes into action analysing the external frequencies, which the headphones then block out. The sound quality really is stand-out, with the bass being particularly superb.
Overall, if you don’t mind the over-the-ear design, these are the best-sounding headphones for travellers we have ever come across.
PROS Excellent performance.
CONS A little bulky.
Mark Prigg is the Science and Technology Correspondent of the London Evening Standard
