5 Cool Gadgets Under $30 That Work With Your Android Phone – BGR

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One of the major perks of an Android phone over an iPhone is the wider degree of compatibility. Android’s open nature makes it easier to design both essential open-source apps and useful hardware that works with it and its various devices. In practical terms, this means you can find all sorts of neat gadgets that are compatible with your Android smartphone that won’t cost you a proverbial arm and a leg, including portable remotes, tracking tiles, wireless speakers, and more.

Thanks to both its inherent flexibility and available means of inter-device communication like USB connections and Bluetooth, you can connect a multitude of different gadgets, accessories, and utilities to your Android smartphone. This can help to improve your phone’s overall functionality and practicality, as well as simply add neat features that it didn’t have before. If you can get those extra features for a reasonable price, all the better.

All of the following Android-compatible products are readily available for purchase on Amazon. Each one costs less than $30 at the time of this writing and is bolstered by user ratings of at least 4 out of 5 stars.

It’s nice to lounge around the couch with your phone, scrolling through TikTok or reading an e-book, but it’s a bit less nice to have to keep reaching over to scroll videos or flip pages. Instead of adjusting from your comfy spot, just pair the FiKavi Scrolling Ring Remote with your phone. It’s available on Amazon for $19.99.

This finger-sized remote control can be paired with your Android smartphone via Bluetooth and used for easy navigation on most video and social platforms, including TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and more. There are three large face buttons for scrolling and pausing, which you can easily manipulate without having to look. In addition to video scrolling, you can use the remote to flip pages on e-books, as well as remotely activate your phone’s camera for making your own social posts.

At the time of writing, this compact remote is an Amazon’s Choice product, with a user rating of 4.2 out of 5. Users like how easy it makes scrolling and flipping while lounging in bed or on the couch. One user in particular appreciated how the ring comfortably fit on their larger fingers.

If you’re watching content on your Android phone, or engaged in a video call with a friend or family member, you can’t just leave the device lying flat on a table. You need a good stand to keep it propped up and at eye level, and if you’re going to get a stand anyway, it might as well be one that can improve your phone’s overall entertainment quality. That’s a job for the Frontsun Phone Stand and Bluetooth Speaker, available on Amazon for $29.99.

This gadget features an adjustable stand with a non-slip pad to keep your Android phone comfortably propped up at your preferred angle. In addition to that, though, it also features a combination speaker and microphone, connected to your phone with Bluetooth. Sound automatically reroutes to the speaker when it’s connected, which makes audio and video a little louder than the phone’s built-in speaker. For extra convenience, there are several intercom-style buttons on the front of the speaker, making it easy to adjust volume, scroll and skip, pause and play, and answer incoming calls.

This combo stand and speaker has both a 4.6 out of 5 user rating and an Amazon’s Choice badge, with one user impressed by how it aids with FaceTime calls with their grandchildren. Another user adds that it’s great for watching videos and movies on your phone with clearer audio quality.

When it comes to compact tracker tiles, the Apple AirTag is usually one of the first names on the board. Unfortunately, while Apple has an Android app for detecting nearby AirTags, you can’t pair an AirTag with your Android phone or use its advanced tracking features.  For a tracking tile that’s more readily compatible with Android, try a Life360 Tile Tracker, available on Amazon for $24.29.

This tracker is designed to be attached to important objects like your car keys and paired with your Android phone via Bluetooth and the Life360 app. If you ever lose track of the object the tracker is attached to, just pull out your phone and the app will help you track it down. Interestingly, this also works in reverse; if you press the button on the tracker, it’ll send an alert to your smartphone, which can be helpful for finding your phone. That function can also be set up to send alerts to friends and family in case you’re in danger.

The Life360 tracker has earned a 4.3 out of 5 rating from Amazon shoppers, with its popularity securing it an Amazon’s Choice badge. One user highly recommends this tracker for anyone with a habit of losing things, though they do note it’s a bit thick, so it takes some effort to cram it into spots like a wallet.

Something any Android user could use is a convenient way to keep their device charged up while on the go. Sure, there are lots of options here, and we even tested 67 portable chargers to find the best ones. But it would be even more convenient if such a gadget didn’t need to be plugged into your phone via a cable, helping to save space in your pocket. Luckily, that’s exactly how the iWalk Portable USB-C Charger works, and it’s available on Amazon for $26.99.

This portable charger is exceptionally small in size, no bigger than a tube of lipstick. It plugs directly into your smartphone via USB-C, with a 4,500 mAh internal power cell providing enough juice to get most smartphones to near-full battery capacity. The charger even supports pass-through charging via your phone’s regular charger, making it a breeze to refill both your phone’s battery and the power cell when needed.

Amazon shoppers have collectively given this portable charger a rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars, praising its compact size and convenient charging. One user said they had the best experience with this charger compared to similar products, particularly appreciating its LED power indicator.

The cameras on most Android smartphones are surprisingly powerful, good for capturing your daily escapades for social media. However, if you need a smaller, more flexible camera for more practical purposes, it’s less convenient trying to cram your phone into cramped confines. Instead, try plugging in the Papiblue USB Endoscope, available on Amazon for $26.99.

This nifty camera connects to your Android smartphone via USB-C or micro USB, displaying its view on the screen via the companion app. Despite its narrow size, it takes video in 1080p HD quality for ample clarity, perfect for checking out clogged pipes or inspecting tight corners that you wouldn’t want to stick your whole phone into. It also features a dual-lens toggle, allowing you to swap between front and side lenses by clicking the inline switch, expanding your line of sight.

This flexible camera has both an Amazon’s Choice badge and a user rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars. One user puts it best: It’s a reliable inspection tool that provides professional-level results, and it’s easy to set up and use.

Even if a reasonably priced gadget seems appealing on the surface, cost alone isn’t enough to determine any product’s quality. To ensure the preceding Android-compatible gadgets were worthy of making this list, we specifically focused on those with a user rating of at least 4 out of 5 stars. As a deciding factor when there were close calls between multiple options, we gave preference to items that had an Amazon’s Choice badge over those that didn’t.

Beyond that, we looked for accessories that offered unique or particularly useful functionality — the “cool” factor mentioned in this article’s headline. After all, basic accessories are everywhere — from the counter at your local gas station to the “recommended accessories” pop-up on a carrier site — so the ones worth highlighting are those that offer something distinctive you don’t quite see every day.