With the latest smartphones pushing the boundaries of what to expect from image and video capture, there has been a dynamic shift in how people create content over the past few years. Where once creators ran around with DSLRs mounted to a monopod, today, creators are often hard at work capturing every moment on their favourite mobile device. Whether Apple or Android, there is a growing need for peripherals to support this latest generation of content creators. From microphones to external hard drives, there are many accessories that can improve and complement a content creator, photographer, or those simply looking to add quality of life to their favourite digital hobby.
At CGMag, we spend a lot of time testing phones, cameras, and their various accessories, always looking at new technology aimed at making content creation more accessible to people. With that in mind, this list of smartphone camera accessories is designed to complement and enhance the overall experience of creators. While it is far from exhaustive, the goal of this list is to help create awareness of the various types of accessories available and highlight some of the ones we have found useful.
ULANZI CG02 Shutter Handle Grip
Brand: ULANZI
Price: $24.95
Store Link: Amazon.com
Kicking things off is the ULANZI CG02 Shutter Grip. This compact accessory is designed to give your favourite smartphone a more traditional camera feel. Equipped with a detachable wireless shooting button, fill light, and cold shoe mount, the CG02 Shutter Grip is a great addition to your phone camera kit. With no additional app installation required and an easy-to-set-up Bluetooth connection, the Shutter Grip is a plug-and-play solution for photography.
Thanks to the ¼-inch female thread on the underside of the grip, the whole unit can easily be mounted to a tripod. When paired with the detachable shutter button, the grip becomes an all-in-one solution for great family or group shots. Constructed of sturdy ABS and silicone, the CG02 feels durable while still being quite light, weighing 118 grams.
Both the fill light and detachable shutter button house independent, rechargeable batteries, allowing for a truly wireless experience. When all these features are brought together, the result is an exceptionally handy, cost-effective accessory that adds quality of life to your photography experience.
Manfrotto MTPIXIMII-B, PIXI Mini Tripod
Brand: Manfrotto
Price: $32.88
Store Link: Amazon.com
On the note of tripods, there is no better one for phones than the Manfrotto MTPIXIMII-B PIXI Mini. This compact tripod comes with a well-constructed ball head, allowing for adjustable positioning of not only a phone but also a DSLR or mirrorless camera. Constructed of aluminum and plastic, the PIXI Mini is a sturdy accessory. Standing at 5.31 inches, it fits easily in any camera bag while offering a solid tripod solution.
The ¼-inch male thread makes it compatible with most shoe mounts, built-in camera mount threads, and mobile camera grips such as the aforementioned CG02. Due to its sturdy design, when closed, the PIXI Mini becomes an excellent handgrip for your phone, ideal for video recording and content creation.
Due to its compact design, it has become a go-to accessory while shooting time-lapse or long-exposure shots, often allowing me to position it in places that other tripods simply cannot fit. At a reasonably priced $32.88, the Manfrotto MTPIXIMII-B PIXI Mini tripod is a permanent fixture in my camera accessories bag while travelling.
ULANZI ST-03 Metal Smart Phone Tripod Mount with Cold Shoe Mount
Brand: ULANZI
Price: $15.96
Store Link: Amazon.com
The ULANZI ST-03 Metal Smartphone Tripod Mount with Cold Shoe Mount is an incredible accessory for those who need to mount their phone to a tripod or other ¼-inch threaded mount regularly. While there are many phone tripod mounts on the market, ULANZI’s ST-03 is perhaps the most compact and well-designed I’ve used. Constructed from aerospace aluminum, the ST-03 is both lightweight and durable, making it ideal for those on the go.
Leveraging a smart, space-saving design, the ST-03 easily collapses into an incredibly compact form factor that would fit in the front pocket of your jeans with ease. When opened and mounted to a tripod, the ST-03 becomes an incredibly versatile accessory. Using a turn-screw thread lock, the tripod mount can be adjusted to accommodate a wide range of phones, securely locking them in place once tightened.
For those needing to add other accessories to the setup, the ST-03 has an additional cold shoe mount located on the top of the unit. Lighting rigs or mics/receivers can be attached to the mount with ease, and once installed, feel secure. Being incredibly well-built, compact, and versatile makes the ULANZI ST-03 Metal Smartphone Tripod Mount with Cold Shoe Mount one of my go-to accessories for smartphone-powered content creation.
Saramonic BLINK500B2+ Wireless Lavalier Microphone
Brand: Saramonic
Price: $129.99
Store Link: Amazon.com
It has been observed that while people will give grace for poor video quality, poor audio quality is simply unforgivable. To help capture the best audio quality for your smartphone video creation, Saramonic has constructed the BLINK500B2+. This wireless lavalier microphone system offers a complete two-person recording package and includes two transmitters, a receiver, a charging case, and both clip and magnetic mounting systems.
With up to 16 hours of continuous recording time on a single charge, the BLINK500B2+ allows you to shoot all day long. With multiple adapter options for connecting to iPhone, Android, recorder or audio controller, the BLINK500B2+ offers the versatility needed to adapt to any filming situation. Throw in an impressive range of 150 metres, and the BLINK500B2+ becomes a top solution for your audio capture needs.
However, Saramonic doesn’t stop there and also offers a host of audio settings on the device, from noise cancellation to 17 steps of gain adjustment, allowing you to capture exactly what you want in your recording. As for the audio capture quality, it was the best-in-class audio capture I tested. The BLINK500B2+ from Saramonic is a personal recommendation for any content creator aiming to improve their audio capture quality.
DIGIERA 1TB Magnetic Portable SSD, External SSD
Brand: DIGERA
Price: $159.99
Store Link: Amazon.com
This final accessory is perhaps one of the most important for creators and photographers looking for a solution for both storage and moveable media. The DIGIERA 1TB Magnetic Portable SSD is a plug-and-play storage solution that is easy to use and simple to operate. Compatible with Android, iPhone (15 and newer), as well as any USB Type C-enabled laptop, Mac, PC or console, the Magnetic Portable SSD, offers quick access and easy storage.
With read speeds of up to 2000MB/s and write speeds of up to 1800MB/s, the Magnetic Portable SSD can handle any size file thrown its way. For iPhone users, the Magnetic Portable SSD is designed to allow for direct recording of 4K60 Pro Res capture, removing the need to store any footage on your phone.
The magnetic design allows for easy mounting to phones or other metallic surfaces, allowing your setup to remain compact and versatile. The DIGIERA Magnetic Portable SSD is an incredible storage solution that caters to a content creator’s need for flexibility and mobility. Priced at a competitive $159.99, this 1TB portable SSD is a great option for smartphone video capture.
Peak Design Mobile Collection
Brand: Peak Design
Price: $39.99-$79.95
Store Link: Amazon.com
While there are plenty of cases and solutions for mounting your phone onto different accessories, our favourite by far is the Peak Design Mobile collection of cases and accessories. This collection is perhaps the most comprehensive phone mounting ecosystem available to serious content creators and is the most complete third-party ecosystem we have tested.
At its core is the Everyday Case—a slim yet protective 2.4 mm profile case featuring Peak Design’s innovative SlimLink technology, which combines magnetic and mechanical connections for rock-solid mounting to any accessory in the ecosystem.
What really makes the collection stand out—and something we felt was worth highlighting—is its thoughtfully designed Mobile Creator Kit, which allows your smartphone to attach to tripods, GoPro mounts and other industry-standard equipment.
The system’s machined aluminum accessories, including the ingeniously compact Mobile Tripod, provide professional-grade stability while maintaining portability. It makes connecting your smartphone to your gear easy and reliable. The quality of the parts gave me peace of mind, allowing me to focus on creating great content without worrying about my phone falling or dropping while shooting.
The ecosystem’s versatility truly shines with its ability to mount your phone in both vertical and horizontal orientations—essential for creating content across various platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Etc. From out-front bike mounts for action shots to car mounts for travel vlogs, Peak Design has considered virtually every content creation scenario.
Built with high-quality materials, including weatherproof nylon canvas and aircraft-grade aluminum, these accessories feel as durable as they look. For creators seeking a cohesive, reliable mounting solution that can grow with their creative needs, the Peak Design Mobile Collection is an investment in both quality and versatility.
At CGMagazine, we highly recommend this collection. The only downside is that you need a case that supports the SLIMLINK connector, which is currently limited. Fortunately, the $29.99 USD Universal Adapter allows compatibility with non-supported cases, making it easy to dive in and give it a try.
Seagate Ultra Compact SSD
Brand: Seagate
Price: $79.99 (1TB), $179.99 (2TB)
Store Link: Amazon.com
Have you ever been in the field and run out of storage space or needed an easy way to transfer files from your phone to your laptop? This is where the Seagate Ultra Compact SSD comes in—a solution that works exceptionally well, especially given its compact size.
This portable drive is an excellent addition for mobile content creators who need reliable, high-speed storage in an incredibly portable package. This keychain-sized SSD delivers impressive transfer speeds of up to 1,000 MB/s, allowing you to quickly offload 4K videos and high-resolution photos from your smartphone without filling up your device’s storage.
What sets this SSD apart is its true plug-and-play functionality with direct USB-C connectivity—no cables required. Compatible with most modern smartphones, tablets and computers, it seamlessly integrates into any mobile workflow. The robust aluminum design offers exceptional durability, with three-metre drop protection and IP54 dust and water resistance, making it perfect for creators working in challenging environments.
At just 24 grams and smaller than most thumb drives, the Ultra Compact SSD disappears into your pocket or attaches directly to your keyring, ensuring you always have ample storage space wherever your content creation journey takes you. Since we started using it at CGMagazine, we have brought it to all major events, giving us a new way to offload footage and share content more easily than any method we have tried before, and the fact it can fit into your pocket means it is ready when you are.
TP-Link AX1500 Wi-Fi 6 Travel Router
Brand: TP-Link
Price: $59.99
Store Link: Amazon.com
If you’re like me, you’ve been at an event or capturing content and needed to use your phone’s hotspot feature to ensure your team can get online. This drains your battery and can be limited at times. This is where a travel router like the TP-Link AX1500 comes in.
This Wi-Fi 6 travel router delivers professional-grade connectivity in a remarkably compact package. This pocket-sized router transforms unreliable public Wi-Fi or mobile connections into a secure, high-speed private network, ensuring seamless uploads of even the largest 4K video files when deadlines are looming.
What makes the AX1500 particularly valuable for mobile creators is its versatility. The multiple operating modes—router, access point, client—allow you to adapt to virtually any connectivity scenario you encounter. When working from remote locations, the ability to establish a stable connection for cloud backups and live streaming becomes invaluable.
The dual-band Wi-Fi 6 technology provides speeds of up to 1,500 Mbps, eliminating the frustration of throttled upload speeds when sharing your latest masterpiece. It even includes a USB port, allowing a team to share a single storage device while out in the field or at a hotel.
For content creators who understand that opportunity doesn’t wait for reliable Wi-Fi, the TP-Link AX1500 is an essential tool that removes connectivity barriers regardless of location.
Pitaka Cases for iPhone 16 Pro
Brand: Pitaka
Price: $49.99 – 69.99 USD
Store Link: Amazon
In all aspects of the daily creator hustle, your smartphone serves many purposes, and whether you’re using it to capture footage, communicate with business contacts, or post your content at the end of the day, you need to keep it protected. Pitaka’s line of smartphone cases, like those for the iPhone 16 Pro, offer a wide array of stylish and practical options to suit your individual needs–while also feeling like the lightest cases on the market.
The basic Ultra-Slim Case, Tactile Woven Case, and Military-Grade Protective Case are all woven from an aerospace-grade aramid fiber. This allows Pitaka to offer some truly unique and artistic phone cases, a step above the usual plain or garish cases. Perhaps best of all, Pitaka’s Amber Magnet Film technology allows the magcharging ring to sit flush within the case itself, helping keep the case as thin as possible. Yet they also offer the protection you need for the most important device you carry with you everywhere, thanks to an optimized design that fits the grooves of your iPhone 16 Pro.
