Tested: Five smartphone accessories NOT for the iPhone 5S or 5C

Hubbub.

That’s what it is. Apple releases some new phones (same size as the old phone) and the world goes nuts with accessories. Nuts. Bonkers. Insane. All in the name of SEO.

Fact is, most people don’t have an iPhone 5S, or a 5C or a FIVE in general. And we still get plenty of shipments of products that are not related to the fiver, fivers, or fivesee. Here’s five.

Kensington Proximo

Not directly related to the latest generation of Apple iPhone, it works with everything. The Kensington Proximo is the “Find My iPhone” of the rest of the world. Using an intuitive app and conveniently small fobs, you can literally keep tabs on luggage, cameras, vehicles, other smarthphone accessories, and, yes, phones, using Bluetooth. Proximo is not a GPS tracker, and it’s a bit redundant for modern smartphones. Nonetheless, it’s a cheap and handy way to minimize your own forgetfulness.

Pros: Small, handy. Extra fobs are only $20. Can be set to alert you if you walk away/leave your item behind.
Cons: App only tracks 5 fobs. Not a GPS tracker — Bluetooth. Not really necessary for modern smartphones.

PowerSkin for BlackBerry Z10

The poor, poor BlackBerry Z10. Not it’s fault, and we’re not going to get into it.

Bottom line, we like PowerSkin as a brand. We tested it on a Z10 and loved it. At just around 5 ounces, it doesn’t add a TON of weight to your phone, but it adds a tone of time. You can also sync with the case still attached, and the proper cable is included. We maxed out at about 50 hours of extra standby time.

Pros: A nice case with a battery without weight.

Cons: Some people on Amazon have complained about poor battery performance. We did not have a problem, but you should be aware.

Neptor/Eagle Tech 5600mAh External Battery Pack

This might be one you have to look around for (UPC: 810540020013) but the Eagle Tech battery pack is a light, easy to carry solution that can charge an older iPhone up to three times before it, itself, needs charging. It also has the 2.1 amp capacity to charge iPads and other tablets.

Pros: Light, powers phones and tablets. Doubles as an LED flashlight..handy! Comes in a variety of bright colors, but no word on lead. Battery is reliable. Might save your life, as far as smartphone accessories go.

Cons: $50 puts it at the higher-end. Hard to find in stores.

Kinivo BTH 240 Bluetooth Stereo Headphones

These headphones are advertised as smartphone accessories, but they could just as easily be any set of Bluetooth headphones, with a microphone attached.

Our women’s site already approved of Kinivo in principle, and like Bombshell, we also verified Kinivo’s battery life claims. You’ll get just over 10 hours of wireless music and talk time on the BTH240’s battery.

Pros: Great sound quality. Excellent battery life. Microphone cancels background noise as well as anything else. Headphones have good passive noise suppression.

Cons: A bit of an earful — they’re huge compared to most smartphone devices. The plain design leaves something to be desired.

Neptor/Eagle Tech Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard

Neptor/Eagle Tech Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard smartphone accessory

For a “generic” product that you’re not going to see on many store shelves, the Eagle Tech bluetooth keyboard is pretty stylish. The fold-up keyboard is accented with leather stitching on the outside casing, and the folding mechanism clicks closed with a magnet. The battery is reliable, but it’s also user-replaceable, which extends the useful life of the product. We like.

Pros: Super-stylish. Good feel when typing. User-replaceable battery. Auto off mode.

Cons: Still not nearly as comfortable as using a regular keyboard, and for young adults and teens, it’s not going to be nearly as comfortable as typing on the actual phone. No case included to protect the sleek design. Heavy — around a pound.