Welcome to the wonderful world of Android! We hope you greatly enjoy your new phone and the new ecosystem around it. If this is your first time on our side of the Apple/Google divide, there are a few items out there you'll probably want to consider picking up for your new phone. From to the and cables to keep your phone alive on those rotten days that just will not end, you can upgrade your Android experience with these accessories.
Staff Pick
PopSockets are part fidget toy, part phone grip, and part pop culture phenomena. If your new phone is larger and harder to use one-handed, you'll want a PopGrip on the back to easily reach the top of the screen. There are even licensed designs like Baby Yoda!
18W chargers don't get much smaller than this, and for topping off my phones, power banks, or headphones in a hurry, the Aukey PA-Y18 really is the best around. I carry this charger in my front pants pocket when I don't haul around a power bank, and it'll fit into crowded outlets easily.
Aukey's cables hold up over the long haul, and they come with a nice leather cable organizer that won't wear out like velcro straps do. This two-pack allows you to leave one at home while the other lives in your purse or backpack.
Samsung managed to pack in multi-day battery life, wireless payments, and great fitness features like automatic workout and heart-rate tracking into a lithe casing that you'll actually want to wear on your wrist. There are two sizes and three color options to choose from.
These are hybrid Bluetooth headphones, which reduce ambient noise up to 90% thanks to four active noise-canceling mics. They have 100% stronger bass using Anker's BassUp technology and 40-hour playtime on a single charge.
The Galaxy Buds Live deliver fantastic sound and active noise canceling in a sleek, bean-shaped design. They're built to last, with 8 hours of internal battery life and up to 29 hours using the charging case, and the Mystic Bronze and Mystic Red look divine.
Available in a dozen colors, this prehistoric phone stand can prop up your new phone while working in the office, eating dinner in the kitchen, or anywhere else. Plinrise also sells stands in other fun animal shapes like puppies, kitties, birdies, and the ever ferocious T-Rex!
No matter what Qi-compatible Android phone you have, this Qi charging pad should charge it at its top wireless speed, including the Pixel 5 with its somewhat picky tastes in Qi fast chargers.
This perfectly pocketable power bank can charge most phones from empty to full twice. RAVPower just upgraded this model to support 20W Power Delivery charging so that your iPhone 12-wielding wife can charge at top speed, too.
Like the Anker PowerWave 15, this is one of the few car chargers out there to wirelessly fast charge the Pixel 4 as well as it charges every other Qi-enabled phone. I prefer the air vent mounting system because AC keeps things cool, but a dash mount is also available.
Magnetic mounts are some of the smallest, easiest-to-transfer mounts on the market and they're perfect for frequent fliers to use in their rental cars. If your phone doesn't have Qi charging — magnetic plates interrupt Qi charging — grab this mount and slap it on.
This dual-port car charge offers up a Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 port for your older phones that don't support Power Delivery, and a 30W PD port for everything else. 30W is more than most phones need, and it'll even charge Chromebooks and Macbooks, though slowly.
There's a lot of ways to upgrade your Android experience, but three items here can give you peace of mind wherever life takes you and wherever you get suddenly stranded.
No matter if it's just a day trip to Epcot or a fortnight's flight back to the family, this power trinity is always with me. No matter how long my flight gets delayed and no matter how impossibly dense the crowds trying to get back to the parking lot are, I can rest assured that my phone will not die on me when I need it the most.
I've said it before and I'll say it again:
Protecting your shiny new phone isn't just common sense, it's an active investment in your phone and your hands, as putting a is far easier to do with a case than just sticking it to the slick glass back of your new flagship. A PopSocket or other you from cramping or permanently damaging your joints from mishandling your phone, something I am painfully familiar with since my left pinky yells at me whenever I skip the PopSocket on a new case I'm reviewing. Don't be like me; get a case and a PopSocket ASAP.
The variety of cases available vary greatly by model, but if you've got a relatively mainstream phone like a Pixel or Samsung, you've got a pretty good selection to pick from:
Screen protectors are also a worthwhile purchase for your new phone because if your screen breaks, your phone turns into a $600 paperweight, and no one needs that. Tempered glass screen protectors tend to feel better on your fingers and offer more durable protection against shatters, but even a thinner film protector can offer protection for scuffs and scratches.
Pop culture phone savers
Swappable PopSockets
Staff Pick
PopSockets are part fidget toy, part phone grip, and part pop culture phenomena. If your new phone is larger and harder to use one-handed, you'll want a PopGrip on the back to easily reach the top of the screen. There are even licensed designs like Baby Yoda!
Tiniest wall charger
Aukey PA-Y18 18W USB-C Wall Charger
18W chargers don't get much smaller than this, and for topping off my phones, power banks, or headphones in a hurry, the Aukey PA-Y18 really is the best around. I carry this charger in my front pants pocket when I don't haul around a power bank, and it'll fit into crowded outlets easily.
Travel-ready cable
Aukey 6.6ft USB-C to USB-C Cable (2-Pack)
Aukey's cables hold up over the long haul, and they come with a nice leather cable organizer that won't wear out like velcro straps do. This two-pack allows you to leave one at home while the other lives in your purse or backpack.
Best watch for Android users
Samsung GalaxyWatch Active 2
Samsung managed to pack in multi-day battery life, wireless payments, and great fitness features like automatic workout and heart-rate tracking into a lithe casing that you'll actually want to wear on your wrist. There are two sizes and three color options to choose from.
Ready to rock
Anker Soundcore Life Q20
These are hybrid Bluetooth headphones, which reduce ambient noise up to 90% thanks to four active noise-canceling mics. They have 100% stronger bass using Anker's BassUp technology and 40-hour playtime on a single charge.
The magical buds
Samsung Galaxy Buds Live
The Galaxy Buds Live deliver fantastic sound and active noise canceling in a sleek, bean-shaped design. They're built to last, with 8 hours of internal battery life and up to 29 hours using the charging case, and the Mystic Bronze and Mystic Red look divine.
Old school nerdiness
Plinrise Dinosaur Phone Stand
Available in a dozen colors, this prehistoric phone stand can prop up your new phone while working in the office, eating dinner in the kitchen, or anywhere else. Plinrise also sells stands in other fun animal shapes like puppies, kitties, birdies, and the ever ferocious T-Rex!
Go wireless
Belkin Boost Charge 15W Wireless Charging Pad
No matter what Qi-compatible Android phone you have, this Qi charging pad should charge it at its top wireless speed, including the Pixel 5 with its somewhat picky tastes in Qi fast chargers.
No outlet? No problem
RAVPower 10,000mAh Power Bank
This perfectly pocketable power bank can charge most phones from empty to full twice. RAVPower just upgraded this model to support 20W Power Delivery charging so that your iPhone 12-wielding wife can charge at top speed, too.
Latest in Qi car chargers
iOttie Easy One Touch Wireless 2
Like the Anker PowerWave 15, this is one of the few car chargers out there to wirelessly fast charge the Pixel 4 as well as it charges every other Qi-enabled phone. I prefer the air vent mounting system because AC keeps things cool, but a dash mount is also available.
Best mount for car-hoppers
Meidi Magnetic Air Vent Car Mount
Magnetic mounts are some of the smallest, easiest-to-transfer mounts on the market and they're perfect for frequent fliers to use in their rental cars. If your phone doesn't have Qi charging — magnetic plates interrupt Qi charging — grab this mount and slap it on.
Charge on the drive
RAVPower 48W 2 Port USB-C Car Charger
This dual-port car charge offers up a Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 port for your older phones that don't support Power Delivery, and a 30W PD port for everything else. 30W is more than most phones need, and it'll even charge Chromebooks and Macbooks, though slowly.
Make yourself the ultimate power kit
There's a lot of ways to upgrade your Android experience, but three items here can give you peace of mind wherever life takes you and wherever you get suddenly stranded.
- For whenever you need to top off in the office or the cafe you're meeting your girlfriends for coffee, snag the ultra-compact . It's small and sturdy enough that you can just stick it in your pants pocket with your keys on your way out the door.
- When you're stuck with a low battery away from outlets, keep the charged up and handy. Because it's compact and lightweight, this is a power bank that's actually portable enough to carry every day.
- Of course, you need a cable to use either of these, and the with its included velcro cable wrap is the most practical solution to keep your cable tidy enough to avoid kinks or breaks while it bangs around in your purse or gear bag.
No matter if it's just a day trip to Epcot or a fortnight's flight back to the family, this power trinity is always with me. No matter how long my flight gets delayed and no matter how impossibly dense the crowds trying to get back to the parking lot are, I can rest assured that my phone will not die on me when I need it the most.
CYA: Cover Your Android
I've said it before and I'll say it again:
Protecting your shiny new phone isn't just common sense, it's an active investment in your phone and your hands, as putting a is far easier to do with a case than just sticking it to the slick glass back of your new flagship. A PopSocket or other you from cramping or permanently damaging your joints from mishandling your phone, something I am painfully familiar with since my left pinky yells at me whenever I skip the PopSocket on a new case I'm reviewing. Don't be like me; get a case and a PopSocket ASAP.
The variety of cases available vary greatly by model, but if you've got a relatively mainstream phone like a Pixel or Samsung, you've got a pretty good selection to pick from:
Screen protectors are also a worthwhile purchase for your new phone because if your screen breaks, your phone turns into a $600 paperweight, and no one needs that. Tempered glass screen protectors tend to feel better on your fingers and offer more durable protection against shatters, but even a thinner film protector can offer protection for scuffs and scratches.