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iPhone 15 Pro accessories I actually use!

9:46 video

Over the last month, I traveled to see family and took a road trip of almost 3,000 miles, and my iPhone 15 Pro Max was my companion for navigation, entertainment, restaurant menus and more. Here are the iPhone accessories I take on a trip. (Most people would start with a laptop bag to stay organized, but I just use a 15-year-old backpack, so send suggestions.)

Nighttime charging: Twelve South Butterfly

A dual charger with full MagSafe for the iPhone and an Apple Watch puck. I used to use Apple’s MagSafe Duo, which works great but gets beat up and gross after a couple of years and runs on Lightning, which I want to avoid with the iPhone 15.

The Butterfly has 15 W magnetic charging, a 5 W watch puck that lifts up for single-piece bands, folds up for a bag, and works for StandBy mode. It’s aluminum and vegan leather and comes with a 30 W charger, all for $129. That’s a lot, but the MagSafe Duo was also $129 with worse materials and no charger.

The charger brick: a single-port 30 W brick isn’t the best. I’d rather bring Apple’s dual USB-C 35 W charger, or even better the UGREEN Nexode 100 W with four ports, because you’re bringing more than an iPhone: a laptop, an iPad, headphones. One charger for everything beats several.

Power on the go

By mid-afternoon of a day of directions, photos, and finding places to eat, your battery is low. I used to recommend Apple’s MagSafe Battery, but it’s Lightning, and the iPhone 15 got rid of that. Now I bring two Anker batteries:

  • Anker PowerCore Magnetic 5K: a 5,000 mAh MagSafe battery about the size of Apple’s, a little shorter and thicker, with USB-C. I like that it can charge and pass through power at the same time. Maybe you don’t have an Apple Watch, so this can be your overnight charger and afternoon top-up.
  • Anker Nano Power Bank: also 5,000 mAh, but with a direct USB-C connection, charging up to 27 W versus 7.5 W for the magnetic one.

I tested both starting at 19%, and each added about 60% to my iPhone 15 Pro Max before running out. The difference is time: the USB-C Nano finished in 1 hour versus 2 hours for the PowerCore Magnetic. If you want a quick top-off, the Nano may be better. I take both.

Docks and cables

CalDigit sponsored this video. Their docks and hubs work with the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro.

  • SOHO: a 10 Gb/s USB-C dock with two USB ports for drives and microphones, and dual SD card slots, perfect for moving photos and video from my big cameras to my iPhone. Connect a 4K display to watch a movie or play on a bigger screen. Pass-through charging up to 18 W.
  • TS4: the same, with more USB ports and up to 27 W for the iPhone 15 Pro.
  • Thunderbolt 4 cables support 40 Gb/s and video, compared with the USB 2 cable in the iPhone box.

A portable SSD

You take lots of photos and video on a trip, and backing them up on hotel Wi-Fi is almost impossible. I connect an SSD to the iPhone and copy photos over, in case I break or lose my phone. The Samsung T7 isn’t exceptionally fast or special, and it’s not USB4 or Thunderbolt, but I’ve used mine for more than three years and it’s solid. It’s compact and thin and reads and writes up to about 1,000 MB/s, and its consistent write speed is more than enough for ProRes video from an iPhone 15 Pro.

A game controller

After kicking off my shoes in the hotel, I wind down with Call of Duty. The best, or maybe only, USB-C controller for iPhone is the Backbone One. It’s not my favorite design: the buttons line up vertically with the thumb sticks instead of being offset like real controllers, which is less ergonomic, and the buttons don’t feel like an Xbox or PlayStation controller’s. But I want a USB-C controller I don’t have to pair or charge. If there’s a better one, drop a link below. And it really is nice when you earn that nuke.

AirPods Pro

Maybe the most important one. Besides my iPhone and wallet, I never leave these at home. If I realized I’d forgotten my wallet, I might not turn around, but I’d go back for my AirPods. They’re the second-generation AirPods Pro. I use them hours every day: standing in line, shopping, walks and runs, calls, podcasts, news and music. No other fully wireless earbuds have a case this compact, so I can keep it in my pocket and get one in my ear in about three seconds. I charge the case once or twice a week, adaptive transparency is great for hearing cars and bikes, noise cancellation on a plane is fantastic, and the integration with my devices is seamless. If the Pros don’t fit you or cost too much, regular AirPods have most of the same benefits.

I’ve looked at more, like Moment camera lenses, but haven’t pulled the trigger. I didn’t mention a case; for my thoughts on the Apple FineWoven and Silicone cases after three months, see the separate video.

Some links in this post are affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I may receive a small commission. See my ethics statement.

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