So it is a good idea to have an arsenal of tools available to you that will allow you to use your iPhone to its’ fullest extent when you are away from home. And whether you are in your car driving to a destination or relaxing back at your hotel, there are simple, affordable items that can help make your time away from home a little more comfortable.
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1. An extra charging cable
Sure, you could just bring the charger that you use at your house, but what if you leave it plugged in at the hotel or the airport? A second (at least!) charger for your iPhone is always going to come in handy, and you can even leave it in your car or at work when you get back from your trip. The iPhone battery can typically last a full day under normal use, but if you are using more intensive applications like Google Maps or Netflix, which is very possible when you are traveling, then you are going to need your charger. Note that you will need both the Lightning cable and the power adapter. Check pricing on an iPhone lightning cable here. Check pricing on the power adapter here.
2. A portable charger
But if you are about to run out of charge while you are out on the road and you do not have access to anyplace where you can plug in your iPhone to charge it, then the solution is a portable charger. They are roughly the size of a lipstick case, but they hold a portable electric charge for your iPhone. The device has two ports; one that goes from the portable charger to the wall so that you can charge the battery within the charger, then one that allows you to plug your iPhone into the portable charger. It is a really useful thing to have around if you really need to use your phone, but you have run out of battery charge. View pricing and read more about this portable charger here.
3. An HDMI cable and adapter for the iPhone
We have written often about how great the iPhone works in conjunction with the Apple TV to let you watch videos from your phone on your TV, but it is a less practical option when you are traveling. One great replacement, though, is to use the Lightning digital AV adapter with an HDMI cable. This connects directly from your iPhone to an HDMI port on your TV, allowing you to stream videos from apps like Netflix or HBO Go. Check out the Lightning adapter cable here. Get an HDMI cable here.
4. Portable Bluetooth speaker
A Bluetooth speaker is a simple way to listen to your iPhone music anywhere you want, whether it is at the beach, in your hotel room or at a cabin. This Oontz Bluetooth speaker not only works flawlessly with the iPhone 5, but it is small, affordable, and sounds great. I use mine around the house all the time, so it is something that you will get use out of while you are home as well. See the Oontz speaker here.
5. Air Vent Mount
If you are going to be using your iPhone as your GPS while you are traveling, then it can be dangerous to just have it lying on the seat next to you as you periodically glance over. This vent mount allows you to situate your iPhone so that it is in a much more visible spot. This can also be a benefit if you are using a Bluetooth headset and want to see who is calling you. And since this mount detaches easily, you can switch it between your own car when you leave it at the airport and the rental car that you pick up when you land. Learn more about the Kenu Airframe vent mount here. If you have been looking to get more out of your iPhone at home, then the Apple TV is a great place to start. Not only can you use it to stream content from Netflix, Hulu Plus, HBO Go and more, but you can also mirror your iPhone, iPad or MacBook screen to your TV wirelessly. If you have an Apple TV and want to know how you can use the mirroring feature, check out this article. After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites. His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well. Read his full bio here.
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