Your iPhone Wants These 11 Essential Accessories in the New Year

If you decided that 2025 was the year to finally unload your cracked and slow old iPhone, you're going to want accessories to go with the new one. But what to get?

From chargers to cases to cables that are actually long enough to be useful (yes, they exist), these accessories complement your iPhone and make your mobile life easier. We talked to CNET's experts and discovered which add-ons they use and recommend.

Apple stopped including chargers with new iPhones a few revisions ago, which turned out to be an opportunity for us. Instead of adding another Apple charger to the pile, you can use one you already have.

But why settle for the basic single-port adapter? This $27 -- 10% off -- Anker Nano charger includes two USB-C ports that deliver 47 watts of power: 27 watts from one and 20 watts from the other, enough to charge the iPhone via fast charging and an iPad or Apple Watch. Apple's basic, and larger, USB-C Power Adapter delivers just 20 watts. The Anker's prongs also flip down flush with the case for easier storage in a bag or purse.

Yes, it's an extra cost, but the dual ports, foldable prongs and higher-capacity output are worth it.

Juggling a phone in the car is not only dangerous but frustrating as hell. We're years into the smartphone era, and yet in most cars when you want to use your phone for driving directions, you end up dumping it in a cup holder. Not ideal.

Instead, get the iOttie Auto Sense Qi Wireless Car Charger. This sturdy $50 -- currently 17% off for the Classic model -- phone mount clamps your iPhone in place and also charges it wirelessly with 7.5 watts of power. Position it at the best angle and lock it tight so even if Siri mysteriously takes you down an unpaved road, you'll still be able to see the map.

I love the basic concept behind MagSafe and Qi charging pads: You're bound to set your iPhone down on a surface, so why not pick up some battery power while it's there? For the price of Apple's basic $39 MagSafe charger, you can pick up three $15 Anker 315 wireless charging pads and put them wherever you tend to set your phone down, such as the bedroom, kitchen and living room table.

It provides 10 watts of power, enough to fast-charge many devices, and a charging cable is included. You'll need to provide your own wall charger.

If you buy an iPhone 16, you'll need a new case. That's because the new Camera Control button on the side needs a cutout. We haven't had the chance to check out many iPhone 16 cases yet, but based on the ones we liked for the iPhone 15, here are a couple of iPhone 16 cases that should be good.

Did you agonize over which iPhone 16 color to choose? Don't let your Apple device spend its days hidden under an opaque case. The $19 -- 62% off, plus a clickable 5% off coupon -- Spigen Ultra MagSafe Case shows off the iPhone's case color through its transparent durable material while also protecting the phone from dings and scrapes. Take an extra 5% off with a clickable coupon.

For when your iPhone 16 will have to navigate rougher environments -- even if that's just the kitchen or, well, anywhere gravity applies -- OtterBox has been the choice for cases that offer more protection. 

The $54 -- 10% off -- OtterBox Symmetry Series SoftTouch for MagSafe case includes bumpers around the cameras and corners as well as a MagSafe ring for easy charging and attaching other accessories.

(Be sure to click through the colors -- the pink case is currently 32% off at $41.)

The cable that comes with any iPhone is… well, let's just hope Apple is putting resources to better use elsewhere. Even with the iPhone Pro models, the cable is just 1 meter (about 3 feet) long.

Save that one for emergencies and instead get this set of two Anker USB-C Charger Cable 6-foot flexible braided charging cables on sale for just $13. Kick in an extra buck for bright red or white variations.

The USB-C cable coiled in the box behind the iPhone 15 and later models is... slow. Even though USB-C as a plug shape is near universal, not all cables can transfer data as quickly as others. And that one is really only good for charging, because it passes data at just USB 2.0 rates (480Mbps, or megabits per second).

That was an amazing speed -- nearly a quarter century ago when it was introduced. But if you want to back up your iPhone to a computer or record video to an external drive, you need a cable that can handle USB 3 speeds of at least 5Gbps (gigabits per second).

For that, pick up this 1 meter USB-C cable from Cable Matters, for just $13. It transfers data at up to 10Gbps, and it'll also pass 100 watts of power for charging and to run external devices.

But there's a catch: The higher speeds are available only on the Pro models -- the iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 15 continue to support only USB 2 speeds.

At its September 2024 event announcing the new iPhone 16, Apple did not release new versions of the AirPods Pro 2 wireless earbuds -- and yet it still managed to improve them.

They're already top of class in noise cancellation and easy connectivity to all of your Apple devices. But in IOS 18.1 and later, you can take advantage of hearing-health features such as automatic dampening of loud sounds, a "clinical-grade" hearing test and a new FDA-authorized hearing aid mode. AirPods Pro 2 are normally $250 but are currently $200 -- 20% off.

The MagSafe feature on the iPhone opens up true compact charging without the tangle of wires for those times when you need to top up the phone's battery on the go. The Anker 622 MagGo has proven itself as a reliable and easy to carry MagSafe charger that grips the back of an iPhone to charge. It's a worthwhile $32 -- 29% off -- though be sure to click the available colors for other prices, which tend to fluctuate.

A USB-C port is tucked into a corner for connecting non-MagSafe items like an Apple Watch charging cable. And above all that, the 622 MagGo can also double as a phone stand, strong enough to hold an iPhone 16 Pro Max in landscape orientation for Standby mode.

Does an Apple AirTag do anything directly for the iPhone? No. The Find My iPhone feature ensures that you can locate it from another device, such as your Apple Watch or even a web browser.

But AirTags feel like natural essential extensions of the iPhone to find everything else. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro include Apple's second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, which the Find My app uses to precisely direct you to your AirTags, not just play a locating chime.

A four-pack of AirTags costs just $70, or 29% off, which is more than worthwhile when you're trying to find essential items such as your keys.

I also put AirTags into my daily bags and make a point of putting them into my checked luggage when I travel. (Watching my suitcase enjoy some extra time in Paris while I dealt with jet lag after a trip was oddly soothing, and I especially loved being able to see when my luggage had arrived stateside.)

If there's one criticism I have of Apple AirTags it's that they're smooth little pucks. That's fine for stashing in a purse pocket but impractical for attaching to a key ring or dog collar.

That's why you'll also want to pick up some AirTag holders, such as Belkin's no-frills Apple AirTag Secure Holder -- currently just $9.25, or 29% off -- or Apple's own $35 AirTag Leather Key Ring. I've used the Belkin holder on my keys since the first batch of AirTags shipped and have had no problems.