5 Aftermarket Phone Accessories That Eat The Official Versions For Breakfast – BGR

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We spend hours debating and comparing before buying a brand-new smartphone, and while that is usually the biggest expense you will incur in your smartphone ecosystem, the accessories you get around it have a vital say in what your smartphone experience will ultimately be day to day. However, while it may seem that smartphone accessories such as chargers, power banks, and even phone cases from official smartphone manufacturers such as Apple or Samsung would be the best in their lineup — and that’s why they have a slightly higher price tag than third-party products — that’s actually not true.

Given that smartphones nowadays barely come with any accessories in the box, the accessories market has ramped up, with several third-party manufacturers launching products that are not only cheaper, but also offer a superior experience to the official smartphone brands. However, one of the reasons people still buy official brands is just because of how convenient it is. You know instantly that it’s a high-quality product, and you avoid all the confusion that comes with having to pick a reliable third-party product from a sea of options.

But we’ve done the hard work for you and picked five smartphone accessories that are significantly better and offer way more value for money than their official counterparts. Plus, you can rest assured that all of the third-party brands we’ve selected products from are reliable, with plenty of positive reviews from both experts and everyday users. They’re also all readily available for purchase on Amazon.

Samsung, like many smartphone companies, doesn’t include a charger in the box. It sells them separately, with the most popular choice being the 45 W Wall Charger, priced at $24.99 on Amazon. But while it can juice up many Galaxy smartphones and tablets at their maximum speed of 45 W, it doesn’t do justice to the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s support for 60 W wired charging. The Iniu 65 W Charger, at just $19.76 with a 4.6-star rating on Amazon, is a better option. Not only does it let you charge your smartphone or tablet, including the S26 Ultra, the latest iPhones, or, most importantly, any future Galaxy device that supports 60 W charging, but it can also charge MacBooks.

The standout is that it can charge multiple devices at the same time. Unlike the Samsung charger’s solitary USB-C slot, it has three charging ports: two USB-C and one USB-A. The topmost USB-C port can deliver power at 65 W when it’s the only one in use. That comes down to 45 W when another port is in use, be it the other USB-C port (20 W max), the USB-A port (18 W max), or all three together. So, at any time, you’re still getting Samsung-level speeds, but with the ability to charge two more devices simultaneously.

Sure, Samsung also sells a 60 W power adapter, but that only has one USB-C slot, costs a whopping $59.99, and doesn’t come with a cable. Another plus for the Iniu charger is its compactness. It comes with foldable pins, plus its GaN technology means it’s able to cram the same performance as bulkier chargers into a much smaller space. One reviewer said that it’s “compact enough for daily commute … and replaces a lot of more space-hogging alternatives.”

While the Apple MagSafe charger’s 25 W is the fastest wireless charging speed available on the North American market, its $39.99 price tag — for only a puck — means that there are several third-party alternatives that provide better value. Our top recommendation here is the Belkin Qi 2.2 25 W Wireless 2-in-1 Foldable Fast Charging Station. Sure, it costs $59.99, but it’s a better deal than Apple’s MagSafe charger for several reasons.

First, it can charge up to three devices simultaneously: a Qi 2-compatible smartphone like an iPhone or a Google Pixel at a maximum of 25 W (same as Apple), a pair of AirPods or earbuds at 5 W, and an Apple Watch or another smartwatch via the extra 5 W USB-C port on the side. Moreover, you get the same magnetic attachment as Apple’s MagSafe charger and support for older iPhones. However, unlike the Apple one, you also get the ability to mount your phone at an angle. It allows both landscape and portrait orientation, letting you use your phone while it’s charging.

Next, it comes with a 45 W charging adapter included in the box, whereas the Apple MagSafe charger does not. That improves Belkin’s value even more, especially when you consider that you need at least a 30 W charger to support Apple’s 25 W wireless charging speed. That will cost you no less than $15 were you to get one separately. One reviewer noted, “The fact that it comes with the brick to plug everything in is handy and cost-effective.” Apple’s MagSafe charger, albeit lightweight, is inconvenient to carry around because of its integrated USB-C cable. But the Belkin wireless charging station folds into a 4.17 x 2.36 x 0.94-inch footprint, making it better for travel.

Apple’s iPhone Air MagSafe battery has a below-par 3.8-star rating on Amazon, and rightly so. You cannot comfortably use it on any other iPhone because of its weird magnet placements as well as its nearly five-inch length. It, in a way, reiterates why Apple stopped making battery packs. Worst of all, it costs a whopping $59, only offers 12 W wireless charging, and has a capacity of 3,149 mAh. The Baseus Picogo AM52 MagSafe Power Bank, then, beats the MagSafe battery pack by a huge margin. For starters, it costs nearly the same at $63.99, has a much higher 4.3-star rating on Amazon, and most importantly, is Qi 2.2 certified.

That means it delivers 25 W wireless charging — the highest wireless charging speed in Western markets — to supported iPhone models. Macworld‘s testing found that it can recharge an iPhone 16 Pro from 0% to 50% in 36 minutes. While it’s not as slim as the Apple MagSafe battery pack, it’s “as thin as [it] can get for this capacity and comfortable to hold when attached to the iPhone,” as AppleInsider put it. Moreover, it has a 10,000 mAh battery, more than three times Apple’s MagSafe battery.

Another major highlight is the built-in USB-C cable that supports 45 W wired charging. And because the cable is short and attached to the power bank, you always have the option to connect it to your iPhone. Additionally, it comes with one more USB-C port. So, in total, you can charge three devices at the same time: one wireless, two wired. Baseus claims that it also offers “advanced heat management,” and this has been backed up by real-world reviews. One reviewer noted that it “stays remarkably cool compared to other portable chargers I have used.”

Agreed, smartphone screens have only gotten better and more durable with time, to the point that some might say there’s no need for screen protectors anymore. Still, if you’re shelling out upwards of $450 for Samsung’s latest A-series phone, the Galaxy A57 5G (2026), it makes sense to get a screen protector for extra peace of mind. However, in our research, we found that Samsung’s official Galaxy A57 5G screen protector costs a whopping $11.99, whereas the New-C Samsung Galaxy A57 5G Screen Protector is available for just $6.89 on Amazon. And given that it enjoys a near-perfect 4.6-star rating after more than 104,000 reviews, it’s certainly reliable.

Despite its low price, though, it comes with three screen protectors, as compared to two from Samsung. One reviewer noted, “The pack includes extras, which is helpful in case of mistakes during application.” Each one is made from tempered glass with a 9H hardness rating and features hydrophobic and oleophobic coatings, so they’ll safeguard your screen against not just high-impact hits and drops, but also scratches, wear and tear, and oily fingerprints — all while maintaining the color accuracy, sensitivity, and brightness of your phone’s screen.

That last bit is possible because the manufacturer claims these protectors offer 99.99% transparency, and this has been backed up by real-world reviews. An Amazon reviewer stated that “The screen remains clear and responsive to touch, with no loss in sensitivity.” Most importantly for a DIY screen protector, it’s easy to install. Plus, you get all of the necessary accessories along with the package. This includes a detailed installation guide with images, clear wipes, and dust absorbers. There are also options for a variety of other Galaxy A-series phones, all with better affordability than Samsung’s own screen protectors.

Apple’s official iPhone 17 Pro Clear Case with MagSafe is frequently available for $39.99 on Amazon, and it’s even more expensive — $49.99 — on Apple’s official online store. Compare that to Spigen’s iPhone 17 Pro Case, which only costs $14.99 and offers various color options, including white, black, dark blue, and orange, for the MagSafe magnetic alignment ring — which Spigen says has been purposefully designed to offer “optimal magnetic strength.” Apple’s case, on the other hand, has a single large white opaque rectangle, which ruins the look a little bit, in our opinion.

The Spigen case is made from polycarbonate, which is what Apple uses for its covers as well. It’s also among the most popular iPhone clear cases, as is evident from its high 4.6-star rating and more than 330,000 reviews on Amazon. As with Apple, Spigen offers similar cases for all other iPhone models. We also like that the cover’s edges are slightly taller around the camera plateau, offering the camera area strong protection against scratches. Another nice little touch is the cutouts in the bottom two corners, which let you attach lanyards and straps if you so please.

Spigen says the case offers “military-grade drop protection,” and that’s a fair shout given that its air-cushioned corners have been drop-tested more than 100 times. Moreover, it preserves the sensitivity of the Camera Control button by using a thin TPU layer over it. One reviewer said that “All the buttons are protected and Camera Control works well without any problems.” It also promises anti-yellowing, and a long-term user on their second Spigen case verified this by stating that “over time, it has not turned yellow.”

While looking for aftermarket phone accessories that are better than their official counterparts, our first memo to ourselves was to pick products from brands that are reliable and have been around for a long time. That’s why we selected Iniu, Belkin, Baseus, and Spigen. Next, when it came to actually finding items that we wanted to include in this guide, we had two major criteria.

First, we looked at the price of the third-party rival. Our general guideline was to pick products that offer better value for money. As such, a specific cheaper price tag wasn’t our only consideration. Better value for money means the product should offer better, if not at least the same amount of functionality as its official version. However, as you have seen, many of these third-party products are actually better when it comes to features while also being either around the same price or much, much cheaper.

During our evaluation, we also considered the reviews and ratings these products have received, from not only expert testers such as Macworld, but also real-world reviews on Amazon. We also focused on finding third-party rivals for accessories from primarily Apple and Samsung, since they are the two most popular smartphone brands. Lastly, we avoided third-party products that are difficult to find or aren’t readily available. Everything in this guide is easily available on Amazon, and you can order them right now.