Accessories For iPhone

Although many new smartphones offer waterproofing as standard, they're not of a standard whereby they could be taken deep underwater for the purpose of, say, snapping photos or capturing videos. However, despite the fact that the Apple iPhone lags behind the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S5 in the waterproofing stakes, one third-party accessory maker has come through with a waterproof case that, incredibly, remains semi-functional even when the user is some 300ft below the surface.

With Apple reportedly toying with the idea of bringing its own fleet of smart home products in the near future - a speculative project that may or may not see the light of day - more and more companies are looking to stake a claim to this emerging market. Google's acquisition of Nest has sparked a marked rise in start-ups relating to smart home technology, and Beddit, which started off as an IndieGogo campaign raising over half a million dollars last year with its sleep monitoring pitch, has since benefited from the guidance of established outfit Misfit. Today, we get an insight into 'Beddit', the fruit of this collaborative union between Misfit and Beddit, and on first impression, it's a product that could truly revolutionize the way we approach sleepy-time.

The Philips Hue really brought the idea of a smartphone and tablet-controlled lighting system to the mainstream, and since then, we've not looked back. The only problem with Hue and several other alternatives that have since spawned is that, by and large, they're pretty expensive. However, if you want the convenience and undeniable "cool" factor that comes with controlling an LED bulb using only your handset, then this new, app-assisted solution for iPhone not only energy-efficient, but also price-efficient as well.

One of the major improvements Apple added with the iPhone 5s was to boost its low-light credentials by adding the so-called "True Tone" dual-LED flash, but even though this has undoubtedly enhanced the quality of snaps captured in dark places, there's always room for improvement. After all, there's only so much that Apple can do to improve the device itself, and third parties - Olloclip, for example - have regularly demonstrated how the point-and-shoot experience can be stepped up a notch or two. The new Nova iPhone light offers a bigger, more versatile LED light that can be readily configured, and if you're accustomed to taking snaps at times when light isn't at a premium, it's the kind of accessory that you will need in your arsenal.

Since Apple announced and subsequently rolled out official support for third-party controllers, the vendors of said peripherals have been very much on their game. I mean, sure, the iOS device using community mightn't have taken to this new product group as keenly as Apple may have anticipated, but nevertheless, the constant flow of MFi controllers spawns at least one new model per week. Today, SteelSeries has taken the wraps off its new Stratus XL MFi controller, which, as you'll see in a moment, looks very much like the game pad of Microsoft's Xbox 360.

While there were smartphones before the iPhone, none had quite managed to garner the same success as the iconic Apple handset. Gone are the days where phones are just there to make and receive calls, and the iPhone is the prime example of the handheld device that encroaches on other areas of our lives. If you've ever looked at the accessories that take iPhones and turn them into other things that would normally be a whole separate device, then you'll know what we mean.