These 12 Bluetooth Gadgets Work With Your iPhone Better Than You Might Think

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Bluetooth gadgets are pretty much everywhere nowadays. From fitness trackers to some of the best speakers worth buying, Bluetooth is what keeps them connected to your smartphone. Newer versions of Bluetooth have introduced several improvements, like lower latency and better efficiency. You no longer have to worry about connected devices draining your phone's battery or spotty connectivity causing streaming issues. 

We asked SlashGear writers what their favorite Bluetooth gadget is that works exceptionally well with their iPhone devices. These are gadgets all of us at SlashGear use regularly over a long period.While some of these gadgets add value to everyday life by extending your iPhone's functionality, others work in the background. In fact, some of these are standalone gadgets that can work without being paired to your iPhone, but they provide additional features when linked via Bluetooth. 

We've covered a wide variety of devices that appeal to various types of users, so there's everything from posture correcting buzzers that alert you when you slouch to night lamps that can narrate bedtime stories to your kids. Some of these gadgets even convert existing devices into smart versions, saving you the pain and cost of upgrading.

Chronic neck and back pain is one of the biggest issues for those who spend hours every day at a desk. This is usually caused by extended periods of poor posture. The issue is that most people tend to involuntarily slouch or bend after a while, causing damage to the spine. The obvious solution is to fix your posture and sit straight when working. However, that's easier said than done. Thankfully, there seems to be a smart solution that pushes you to fix your back. The Upright Go 2 is a necklace-type gadget that rests on your back.

The built-in sensors automatically detect when you bend your back or slouch when sitting. The gadget then vibrates gently to encourage you to straighten your back. The brand recommends using the device when working, walking, or even relaxing. The manufacturer claims that the Upright Go 2 can improve your posture in just 15 days. As for the Bluetooth functionality, the device connects to your smartphone and tracks your progress. If your work demands you to sit in front of a screen for hours every day, the Upright Go 2 might help relieve your back and neck muscles.

Most modern cars come with sophisticated infotainment systems. We're talking about built-in Bluetooth streaming, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay capabilities. However, if you have an older vehicle that only has a CD or cassette player alongside an FM radio — there's good news. You don't have to upgrade your entire head unit to enjoy the latest technology; you can use a gadget like the Unbreakcable Bluetooth FM radio transmitter.

This is a clever product that utilizes your car's built-in FM radio and the 12V outlet to add Bluetooth capabilities. The Unbreakcable transmitter needs to be set to a certain frequency. Then, set your car's FM radio to the same frequency. Lastly, connect your smartphone to the unit via Bluetooth. The best part is that you can even answer calls via your car's stereo with this hack.

The Unbreakcable transmitter also doubles as a car charger with two USB-A ports and one USB-C port. One of the USB-A ports can also be used to plug in a thumb drive via which you can play music. For under $25, this is an absolute bargain for those who drive older cars.

Clearly, AirPods work very well with an iPhone. Still, AirPods Pro 3rd generation enhance your iPhone experience in more ways than you may realize. For starters, the iPhone automatically displays the AirPods' battery levels as soon as you open the case. Also, the earbuds automatically connect to your iPhone every time and also switch to other nearby Apple devices. So, if you start watching a video on your Mac, the AirPods will automatically switch over. Want to listen to a podcast on your iPad? The AirPods will handle the switch without any manual input.

With the third-generation AirPods Pro, you also get features such as heart rate monitoring and live translations, so these earbuds are quite helpful even when working out or traveling to a new destination. In fact, Apple even lets you use your AirPods as a hearing aid, which is an excellent accessibility feature. Then, there's spatial audio, touch controls, wireless charging, and all the usual set of features you would expect from a pair of premium active noise-cancelling headphones. Not to forget, the audio quality is top-notch, the ANC is among the best in the industry, and the battery life is better than previous generations.

We've been using the Meta Ray-Ban glasses ever since they launched back in 2023, and they've been one of the best investments to date. The fact that a wearable accessory can perform so many functions seamlessly is a turning point. The Meta Ray-Ban glasses have a camera that can shoot first-person PoV footage that can be posted straight to Instagram either as a story or a post. In fact, you can even stream live content from the glasses. The camera can also be used to make WhatsApp video calls. Of course, there's also the AI add-on, which means you can ask Meta AI for more details about what you're seeing, or even ask it to translate documents or signboards in a foreign language to your local one.

Then, there's the fact that the glasses come with built-in speakers and mics, which means you can use them for voice calls and listening to music. The speakers are surprisingly good with little to no sound leak. The quality of videos from the camera is also excellent, especially considering the small form factor. Notably, there have been recent reports of privacy breaches involving the Meta glasses. It's best to put the glasses away in sensitive areas and use them purely for posting content on social media.

The popularity of mobile gaming is on the rise, with games like "Fortnite," "PUBG Mobile," and "Genshin Impact" providing excellent graphics and gameplay on mobile devices. Not to forget, you can even play AAA titles like "Assassin's Creed Mirage," "Resident Evil 4," and "Death Stranding" on the latest iPhones, taking mobile gaming to a whole new level. 

While modern smartphones definitely have the hardware capabilities to handle these high-end games, the on-screen controls are often limiting. Imagine covering the majority of the screen real estate during an intense scene. Not ideal. That's where an accessory like the GameSir G8 Plus Bluetooth mobile game controller comes into play.

The controller resembles an Xbox controller, only it has a wide panel between the handles where you click your iPhone into place. Once secure, you connect the controller via Bluetooth, map your controls, and you're good to go. GameSir includes hall effect joysticks for precise controls, along with a six-axis gyroscope for movement-based games. You also get haptic feedback from the controller with realistic vibrations and button position adjustment. Since the controller connects via Bluetooth, it can be used with a wide variety of devices, including the Nintendo Switch, PCs, Android tablets and phones, etc.

Content creation is on the rise, with lots of people creating videos for platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels, focusing on short-form content. Some creators upload vlogs about their everyday life or when traveling. Regardless of the type of content, a high-quality video requires sophisticated gear, such as the DJI Osmo Pocket 3. This is a standalone camera mounted on a gimbal, making it the perfect fit for everything from still footage to action shots. The video quality is excellent, with our DJI Osmo Pocket 3 review calling it an all-in-one camera for solo filmmakers. Now, you may be wondering what a standalone camera has to do with Bluetooth.

Well, you can connect the Osmo Pocket 3 to your iPhone using Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. You may want to do this for several reasons. For starters, you can update the Pocket 3's firmware when it's connected to your phone. DJI also lets you control the camera's functions while it is linked to your phone. For instance, if you've placed the camera on a tripod, either for a group selfie or a time-lapse, you can use your phone to control the camera. So you can use your phone as a remote shutter to click pictures, or even pan the camera's gimbal via the companion app. 

The Google Pixel Buds 2a are strong AirPods rivals. One might assume that the Pixel Buds 2a would work best when used with a Google Pixel smartphone, and they wouldn't be wrong. After all, you would miss out on the ecosystem features if you decide to use the Buds 2a with an iPhone. Moreover, Google's Fast Pair functionality and the ability to check the battery level of the earbuds would certainly be missing on iOS.

Despite that, we would recommend the Pixel Buds 2a for their excellent audio quality, lightweight design, fun color options, and $100 price tag. Google promises up to seven hours of battery life on a single charge, plus 13 hours from the charging case. If you're not deep into the Apple ecosystem, in the sense that you don't have a Mac, an Apple Watch, or an iPad, the Google Pixel Buds 2a work surprisingly well with an iPhone.

If you don't know your way around cars, it's hard to make sense of certain vehicle error messages. For instance, you may see the check engine light come on randomly. Instead of guessing or rushing to your local dealership, try the Veepeak Bluetooth OBD II scanner. The device plugs into the OBD port inside your vehicle and detects any issues or errors. Once you have connected the device to your smartphone with Bluetooth, you can review the error codes and the steps to resolve them.

Veepeak says the scanner is compatible with almost all cars launched in the U.S. after 1996. Apart from diagnosing issues, the Veepeak OBD II scanner can also display the car's speed, odometer reading, data from various sensors inside the car, battery voltage, fuel level, efficiency, and other such parameters. For just $30, the Veepeak Bluetooth OBD II scanner is an excellent device to keep in your trunk at all times.

If you're looking to build healthy sleep patterns for your young ones from a tender age, the Hatch Baby sound machine is an excellent gadget to have on their bedside table. It looks like any other night lamp, but has a bunch of smart features that make it extremely useful for building a sleep routine. You can customize the light and sound output to provide cues for your toddlers to sleep at the right time and wake up on time. For instance, you can tell your toddler it's time to go to bed when the light turns warm and the lamp starts to play a certain bedtime tune.

Similarly, you can set a gentle alarm tune for the baby to wake up to in the morning. You can also listen to baby sleep guides and chat with sleep consultants via the companion app for guidance. Once you link your iPhone to the sound machine, you can pick the colors and tunes of your choice. As per the brand, the Hatch Baby sound machine includes science-backed tunes that naturally induce sleep at night and wake toddlers up in the morning, making it an effective device.

If you've been following the best action cameras and 360 cameras, you would know that Insta360 has been doing a fantastic job with its products. The Insta360 X series of cameras used to be our default recommendation for pretty much anyone looking for a 360-degree camera, until we tested the GoPro Max 2. In our GoPro Max 2 review, we said that it's the new best 360 action camera out there. The video quality is excellent, and the Max 2's durability and repairability are among the best in the industry. 

Just like the DJI Osmo Pocket 3, connecting the GoPro Max 2 to your iPhone via Bluetooth is useful for viewing your recorded footage on a bigger screen and controlling the camera remotely. You can also import the footage into the app and edit the clips to create a video straight from your iPhone. The app also lets you upload your footage to GoPro's cloud services.

Whether you're running a small business or you're a fan of stickers, the Munbyn Bluetooth thermal label printer is a must-have on your desk. If you're not aware of thermal printers — these printers don't use ink cartridges or refills to print, so you don't have to worry about buying replacements. Create labels, stickers, or pretty much any image you want to print, and send it to the printer via your iPhone. As per the brand, the print size can range from 1.57 inches to 4.25 inches in width. There are more than 1000 label types to choose from in the app, based on your requirements.

Munbyn claims that the print head can last up to three years, after which you can replace it. This is one of the few thermal printers with replaceable print heads, which means you can continue to use the device for life. We felt that the Munbyn thermal printer is an extremely fun gadget to have, which is also functional for a lot of purposes. You can print cool stickers for your laptop, create a sticker wall, or even hand out custom labels to your friends.

We all have that one pair of wired headphones we got a long time back and are extremely dear to us. Unfortunately, with disappearing headphone jacks from smartphones, those headphones are now irrelevant — or so you thought. With the help of gadgets like the Fiio BTR3K Bluetooth headphone amp, you can resurrect your old pair of wired headphones and use them with the latest iPhone. The way this works is that you connect your headphones via the 3.5mm jack on the amp, and then connect the amp to your iPhone via Bluetooth. This essentially converts your wired headphones to a wireless pair.

Thanks to support for codecs such as aptX HD and LDAC, you can expect excellent sound quality when listening to music via this particular amp. You also get in-line volume controls for precise adjustments. Since this connects to any 3.5mm or 2.5mm connector, you can use it with external speakers or even your car stereo to convert the setup to a wireless one. Whether you have audiophile-grade headphones or a pair of gaming headsets that are super comfortable when worn for long durations, the Fiio BTR3K amp is a sound investment for under $70.

All the gadgets mentioned above have been used and tested thoroughly by SlashGear writers. We use these gadgets regularly with iPhone devices as well as Android smartphones, since most Bluetooth devices work across operating systems. We've carefully picked gadgets that cater to a wide set of users, including devices that either use Bluetooth for their core functionality or connect to an iPhone via Bluetooth to enable an extended set of features.