3 accessories to make your iPhone X experience more complete
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The iPhone X is an incredible piece of technology. But if you want the "complete" iPhone X experience, you're going to need to open your wallet again for a few must-have accessories.
Take a look:
A good case
Business InsiderI'm not a big fan of cases, but owning a case is an absolute necessity if you own the iPhone X, which has both a glass front and a glass back.
There's one good reason you'll want a case: Repairing the iPhone X can be extremely expensive.
If you break the iPhone X's front screen, you'll pay:
• $29 if you bought AppleCare+
• $279 if you're not under warranty
If you break the iPhone X's back glass, it's even more costly:
• $99 if you bought AppleCare+
• $549 if you're not under warranty
That's not a typo — you will literally pay roughly half the price of your iPhone X if you don't have AppleCare+ and you need to get the phone's glass back repaired.
So please, for your own sake, get a case. My colleague Avery Hartmans rounded up the best iPhone X cases you can buy, but I would personally recommend you get a case from Apple (they make some very nice silicone and leather cases) or Society6, which has hundreds of thousands of different fun designs to choose from.
A wireless charger
Hollis JohnsonThe iPhone 8 and X models are the first iPhones to support fast charging and wireless charging, but given how fantastic the battery life is on these new iPhones, I wouldn't recommend a fast charger; they're expensive solutions for a problem you won't really have with the iPhone X. On average, I end each day with about 60% left on my iPhone's battery, so I personally don't have occasions where I need to quickly charge my phone.
Wireless chargers, though, are totally worth your money: Since your phone will almost certainly make it through a full day, you just place your iPhone X on a charging pad when you're ready to go to sleep, and by the time you wake up, it'll be fully charged. Or, you can put the phone down for a few minutes and pick it back up whenever you need. It's a much more fluid and elegant solution compared to continually unplugging and replugging your phone into a Lightning connector.
As for a specific charger, I would highly recommend buying Belkin's BoostUp wireless charging pad for iPhone X and iPhone 8 and 8 Plus. Belkin was kind enough to let me borrow a review unit and I'm thrilled with the product: It's simple, looks beautiful, and works effortlessly. You just plug a into a socket, connect the cord to the charging pad that rests on your table or nightstand, and you're all set! Just place your iPhone on the pad (in any orientation, just in the middle), and it'll start charging. It works instantly, feels very futuristic to use, and makes the iPhone X feel like a more complete experience.
If you'd like another option to compare, my colleague Steven Tweedie is a big fan of Samsung's wireless charging pad, which can also prop up your iPhone X at an angle on your nightstand.
AirPods (or any wireless headphones)
Hollis Johnson/Business InsiderThe iPhone X comes with a dongle in case you want to plug in your favorite pair of wired headphones, but honestly, it's almost 2018, and you should really own yourself a nice set of wireless headphones at this point. You can get wireless headphones for pretty cheap these days, and they offer a ton of great benefits — like not feeling tethered to a tiny device in your pocket. It's a freedom you need to try for yourself.
Of course, it's no surprise Apple products work best with other Apple products, so for wireless headphones I would recommend Apple's $170 AirPods, which are easily my favorite pair of wireless headphones and are worth that price; you could also consider Beats' way more expensive Solo3 ($330) or Studio3 ($400) headphones. All of those headphones sound excellent, and they come with Apple's proprietary W1 chip that enables near-instant pairing between your iPhone X and your headphones. When you turn on your headphones, they'll automatically connect to your device.
There are a ton of great wireless headphones out there — I love V-Moda's Crossfade Wireless as an over-ear option, but many people also swear by Sennheiser's HD-1 headphones — but I love AirPods and would recommend them to just about anyone. Forget how they look to other people; they're lightweight, sound excellent, and I find them very comfortable. For both listening to music and answering phone calls, to me, they're the ideal complement for the iPhone X.