The innovation of smartphone accessories far outpaces that of the devices. In electronics shows every year, there are dozens of eye-popping phone accessories. 2017 has not been short on innovation and accessories keep turning out at an awesome rate. What are the trends that have been observed in 2017 to give a hint of where phone accessory technology is heading to?
Upgraded phone cases
Phone cases have progressed from the days of cheap vinyl covers. Phone cases have become robust protective gadgets designed to protect your smartphone from water, dust and shock. Waterproof phone cases are now able to withstand high pressure water at great depths. Some will keep your phone safe in 30 feet of water for over an hour. Phone cases are also coming out with more function with storage for other items like the passport and money.
Virtual Reality
VR is making big inroads into smartphones. Google is ahead with Google Daydream which can integrate with high end android smartphones. VR is getting better and more functional for applications in gaming and movies. 2017 going forward will see better streaming into VR sets as smartphone chips get faster.
Better hands free
Hands free accessories are reducing in size over time. Hands free ear buds are tiny and very comfortable to wear. The sound clarity is streaming over Bluetooth 5. Wearable gadgets have become more functional connecting over wifi to complement the apps on the smartphone. Trends in these gadgets include voice command to ease their operation.
Higher capacity powerbanks
Powerbanks have made huge strides in the last 2 years. The weight has come down to under 200 grams while their storage capacity has gone up by multiples. There are monsters that are able to handle 30,000 mAH able to charge continuously for up to 30 hours. 2 charging ports have become standard in powerbanks today.
Bigger memory cards
External memory cards are getting bigger by the year. While 8GB and 16 GB memory cards were standard in the last two or three years, 64 GB memory cards have become standard in 2017. Flash memory sticks are going up to 1 TB.
Better screen protection
2017 has seen big strides in screen protection. Tempered glass is clearer but more rugged offering better touch capability. Scratch proof feature is standard in screen protectors today. Screen protectors will become even thinner but stronger for protection against shock like dropping.
2017 has seen great phone accessories on offer. The year is halfway gone and more amazing products will undoubtedly appear before the year ends.
