With the mobile phone market growing at a rapid rate and already being so huge, it should come as no real surprise to learn that the mobile phone accessories market is also growing and very valuable. This incorporates a large range of different products, including Bluetooth accessories (keyboards etc.), cases, stands and more. This post will explore this market and how it is evolving.
Mobile Phone Accessories Market
Mobile phone accessories are additional accessories that can be used in order to gain more functionality from a smartphone. These include cases, stands, Bluetooth accessories and more.
There are a number of reasons that mobile phone accessories are popular and a number of reasons this market is such a big one, which we will explore here.
Style and Personalization
The PC might have the name ‘personal computer’ but in reality, there are few items that are more ‘personal’ than the smartphone. These devices hold all our images, our contacts and many games and other things we will use for fun.
Smart Phones as a Reflection of Us
First of all you of course need to pick a phone that looks smart. Not just smart as in clever, but smart as in smart. That means something with a good build quality - no iPhone 5cs for you and no Samsung's with plastic cases. Think about phones with aluminum cases and brushed finishes. Think about phones that still retain a reasonable portability, and demonstrate attention to detail.
You can also pick phones that have some kind of brand power in the same way that Nike trainers will always be a hit. For instance, iPhones are some of the most popular stylish phones and that's partly down to the Apple branding. Similarly, the Samsung Galaxy S8 has a cool design with its ‘infinity display’, and the Note series is one that has a little prestige above other Samsung devices for those that want to be seen as productive or artistic with the S-Pen and added internals.
Do you want to fit in? (iPhone). Are you a business type? (Blackberry Priv). Or are you a sound buff? (HTC).
People choose the phones that best express and reflect their personalities and then add extra customization from there with the best mobile phone accessories. This explains the appeal of the mobile phone accessories market.
Find more statistics at Statista
Cases
Next you need to personalie your device. This means adding a case, changing your wallpaper (and your launcher even if you're using an Android device) and it means adding decals and other stylish features. I keep my smartphone in a leather case that also acts as my wallet and this additionally allows me to carry less in my pockets most times.
Note as well that you can have more than one case to match your various outfits if you really want to show off. Women might choose to use a red iPhone case when carrying their red bag for instance and their brown one at other times. It's a subtle touch, but when people notice you will win serious kudos.
At the same time you should also think about how to work your tech and about what you're going to wear to go with it. Having a great bag with the necessary compartments is one way to make your tech a little more stylish, while if you choose to you can even go the whole 'geek chic' route and base your whole look around your propensity for tech.
As well as cases, it is also possible to personalize a device with decals and ‘skins’ from popular companies like DeBrand. Users that want to go the extra mile to make their technology completely unique can even use 3D printing to create their own cases.
Functionality
While you might use mobile phone accessories to personalize your devices, you can also use them in order to add extra functionality. For instance, a mobile phone can be transformed into a fully-functional ‘mobile PC’ with a few of the right pieces of technology.
For instance, a power bank will give a user significantly more juice to get through a productive day. A Bluetooth keyboard will allow them to type without using the awkward touchscreen. Android devices also support mouse input via a Bluetooth mouse. A stand or a case with a phone stand built in allows the device to remain upright while being used this way. Various dongles are also useful for adding more ports and this way a mobile phone can use other accessories designed for PCs – such as USB sticks, SD card readers and more.
Media consumption can also be enhanced with the right tech. Bluetooth headphones of course allow us to enjoy music in better quality and especially if you invest in noise cancelling headphones and other innovations.
A Chrome cast can be used to cast media to the TV for enjoying remotely, while crowdfunding sites have introduced a wide range of different tools for mobile phones: from 360 camera accessories, to wider angle lens adaptors, to time-lapse devices, to additional ‘buttons’ that work via the headphone jack (for those devices that still have headphone jacks that is!).
Smartphones can now even be used as the monitors for new VR headsets like the Daydream View, the Gear VR or Google Cardboard.
Gamepads allow users to use their smartphones as gaming devices. Wireless charging stations and docs (like the Samsung Dex) allow us to charge our phones conveniently and once again use them like computers at the same time in the latter case.
While some accessories might seem cheap and throwaway, others transform the way we use these devices we have on us all the time. Thus it is a vast and growing market and one to watch carefully.
