For the longest time, I’ve been interested in augmenting my smartphone experience and pushing it to its limit. Apps and services are one way to achieve that, but there’s also room for accessories — tangible objects you connect to your phone — to take things to the next level. Some of these you link wirelessly, others you plug into a port on your device, and some need to be physically attached. The problem is there’s not always something to latch onto.
I watched accessory makers struggle for years to solve this last one. They used washable sticky gel pads to attach wallets and power banks to the back of phones. Then they came up with weird clamps to add tripods and lenses and brighter LED flashes. They were brave enough to suggest permanently attaching ring holders and stands. They fought over dozens of sizes and shapes for metallic plates and magnetic accessories. Heck, they even tried tiny suction cups.