Rockin around the Christmas tree..
Last week, we looked at iPhone accessories that come in at $55 or under. This week, we’re going slightly up the budget ladder to gifts between $55 and $200. Got your wallets ready? Let’s go shopping!
Kensington Windscreen Mount with Sound Amplified Cradle. $59.95.
Here we have a windscreen mount built specifically for iPhone that also boosts the volume of its sound output. It can accommodate iPhones in cases and can swivel between portrait and landscape aspects. Cheaper than the TomTom car kit by a long way, but of course does not contain a built-in GPS chip.
Kensington LiquidAUX Deluxe. $159.95.
If you’ve got an auxiliary input on your car stereo and you’re looking for the best way to channel iPhone sound through it, this could be just what you’re after. As well as the usual components to connect your iPhone to your stereo and charge it, this kit includes a nicely-designed wireless controller that clips on to your steering wheel, putting tactile and easy-to-reach music controls right in front of you. Perfect for the safety of those audiophiles who are on the road.
Belkin TuneBase FM with Handsfree. $189.95
If you’ve got no auxiliary-in on your car stereo, a decent FM-sender is a good option to pump your tunes around your car. This Belkin TuneBase FM finds the best available frequency and auto-tunes your iPhone to it, all you need to do is tune your car radio to the same frequency. It features a sturdy goose-neck stand for your iPhone and even acts as a speakerphone. When a call is received your music will fade out and the call will be routed to your car stereo speakers, and your voice picked up by the stand’s built-in mic. This is a great safety device for those looking for ways to comply with the amended road laws that came into effect this month.
Mophie Juice Pack. $159.95.
Reviewed back at the beginning of the month, this handy add-on will give you a claimed 270 hours of extra standby time. Heaven knows the iPhone drains its battery fast, so if you or someone you may be buying for is in a position where charging frequently is not possible, this could be a real life-line. It does add bulk to your phone, but what price can you put on power?!
Assorted Skins. $39.95 to $69.95.
You can’t go wrong with a case or skin – they’re reasonably cheap, there are dozens of styles to pick from, and you can never have too many. I’ll pass on the pink flowery one though.
Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic. $149.00.
For those that want their sound a lot clearer with punchier bass and richer tones, these headphones are a world away from the ones that came free with the iPhone. Designed to fit snugly into your ear canal and isolate your music from the sounds of the outside world, these headphones feature separate woofer and tweeter to deliver a much wider range than standard earbuds. Best of all, they still feature the in-line mic / remote that you know and love from the standard iPhone buds. Three sets of silicone buds are included to cater for small, medium and large size ear openings.
Contour Surface Sound Compact Car Kit. $174.95.
Need a Bluetooth car kit? Don’t want to settle for anything less than the best? This particular beasty features a panel speaker for clear, loud sound reproduction and easy-peasy setup. Battery life is a claimed 22 days (yes, days) of standby and 15 hours of talk-time.
Vestalife Ladybug II Speakers. $199.95.
Want a good quality speaker dock that doesn’t come with an over-inflated price tag or look like every other dock on the market? This neat dock folds up into a neat little sphere when not in use, comes with its own remote and is receiving some great reviews from all corners of the interwebs.
TomTom Car Kit. $199.
If you use turn-by-turn GPS on your iPhone (and it doesn’t have to be the TomTom app), then this is the King of the car-mounts. Yes, it is also the most expensive but that’s because it includes its own GPS chip that is superior to the one built in to your iPhone. If you want the best and are willing to pay for it, grab this!
All of the items in this guide are available via the Apple Store NZ with the exception of the TomTom car kit which will be available through Harvey Norman and Super Cheap Auto (to be confirmed).
Got any gift suggestions of your own that fit into this price bracket? Don’t keep it to yourself, share your tip in the comments!
