4 unique MagSafe accessories that are actually worth buying

• 1 Xteink X4
• 2 Belkin Stage Power Grip
• 3 Ohsnap MCON
• 4 Clicks Keyboard

Apple’s MagSafe connector has turned out to be one of the more influential technologies introduced on the iPhone. Included from the iPhone 12onward, MagSafe is named after the MagSafe magnetic charging connectors Apple used on its MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro laptops to make it easier to plug in and unplug a computer without damaging it. In its new form as a smartphone component, MagSafe is one of the easiest ways to attach your iPhone to something or charge it.

MagSafe’s influence comes not only from its convenience, but because it serves as the basis of the Qi2 wireless charging standard, which uses magnetic mounting as a way to get more efficient wireless charging. Unfortunately, now several years in, most MagSafe-compatible accessories aren’t all that interesting. You could sort nearly everything into wallets, cases, batteries, and charging stands, which is especially sad now that Google’s attempted to make Pixels compatible with most MagSafe accessories by introducing its own take on the feature: Pixelsnap. Luckily, there are exceptions. MagSafe accessories that really do try to work with your smartphone in new ways, or add legitimately new features to your phone. Here are four of the most interesting accessories that show what MagSafe is capable of.

1 Xteink X4

An e-reader for the back of your phone

Reading is a great alternative to scrolling on your phone, so any smartphone accessory that improves that experience is welcome. The Xteink X4 makes reading even easier to avoid by being a tiny e-reader that can magnetically attach to the back of a smartphone (the device works best on iPhone Pro and Pro Max models but includes adhesive magnets so it can work anywhere). The X4 isn’t as fully-featured as a Kindle, but it’s still a neat way to squeeze some extra reading in while quite literally preventing you from using your smartphone.

The Xteink X4 is rough around the edges in a way a device from Amazon or Rakuten would never be, but if you want something more interesting to attach to the back of your phone, it rules.

Getting books on the device is as simple as dragging and dropping EPUB files onto its included microSD card. Once your books are onboard, there’s physical page turn buttons for navigating each book, a rare inclusion for most modern e-readers these days. The Xteink X4 is rough around the edges in a way a device from Amazon or Rakuten would never be, but if you want something more interesting to attach to the back of your phone, it rules.

2 Belkin Stage Power Grip

An external battery that doubles as a camera shutter

One of Belkin’s best MagSafe accessories not only acts as an external battery for your phone, but also a tool for taking better photos and videos. The Belkin Stage PowerGrip works with MagSafe-compatible phones like modern iPhones and the Pixel 10 by magnetically attaching to the back of the phone and adding an extra grip for steadier shots. The built-in grip charges your phone while you use it, but can also be reoriented to capture different angles or act as a stand.

There’s also a camera shutter button built into the grip itself that connects to your phone over Bluetooth. Pressing it lets you capture a photo or start a recording without having to touch your smartphone’s screen. That adds to the convenience of the whole setup and makes it feel a lot more like an actual camera.

3 Ohsnap MCON

A MagSafe controller that turns your smartphone into a PSP Go

The MCON smartphone game controller was developed by indie creator Josh King and phone grip accessory maker Ohsnap. Its primary goal, other than letting you control smartphone games with something other than onscreen buttons, is to turn your smartphone into a PSP Go, by hiding the controller behind your smartphone when it’s not in use. The MCON magnetically attaches to MagSafe-compatible phones, and ones that don’t already have magnets inside via an adhesive magnetic ring that comes with the controller. The whole thing is a little thick, but surprisingly convenient.

The MCON doesn’t charge your phone over MagSafe, but it can be charged by your phone over USB-C.

Playing games on the controller feels better than the original PSP Go did thanks to its two nearly fully-sized sticks, and the spring mechanism that slides your phone over above the controller is satisfying to use. Better yet, the MCON has plenty of other features, too, including the ability to pop off the top half of the controller (with your smartphone attached) and prop it up with a built-in kickstand, and fold-out wings that make the controller more comfortable to hold. The MCON is not quite as comfortable as a normal controller or some other phone attachments, but it feels great to use something so flexible that still feels purpose-built for the iPhone and MagSafe.

4 Clicks Keyboard

A MagSafe keyboard case that revives the dream of the Blackberry

Since the release of the iPhone, modern smartphones have never quite felt like they were missing physical keyboards, but that doesn’t mean the keys of a Blackberry weren’t nice. Enter Clicks, a MagSafe phone case that adds a physical keyboard to the bottom of a Pixel, iPhone, or Razr. Clicks’ keyboard is undeniably a little goofy (it makes your smartphone very long) and it doesn’t necessarily need MagSafe to work, but the fact it does means you can keep charging your phone or mounting it on a stand without removing the case.

Clicks isn’t the most exciting implementation of MagSafe, but it is an example where supporting the feature makes everything else more convenient.

Besides a tactile typing experience, Clicks also supports keyboard shortcuts, which gives you another way to quickly launch an app or trigger a feature of your smartphone. Clicks isn’t the most exciting implementation of MagSafe, but it is an example where supporting the feature makes everything else more convenient.

MagSafe is a resource just waiting to be tapped

Innovative MagSafe accessories might be in short supply, but with more devices adding magnets to support Qi2, there should hopefully be more reason for hardware makers to create new accessories. There will always be some limits to what MagSafe can do because of how it’s designed, but being able to attach and power your phone is useful in many ways.