By Joshua Boyles
Copyright manchestereveningnews
The iPhone 17 is officially here with Apple bringing a whole host of new upgrades to the 2025 model. From an improved selfie camera to the 120Hz screen making its way to the base phone models, there’s a lot to be exciting about this generation. Of course, part of the excitement of picking up a brand new phone is decking it out with cool accessories to truly make it your own. From personalised cases to gadgets that make taking photos easier than ever, I’ve rounded up a bunch of cool accessories that can elevate your iPhone 17 experience. Best of all, you don’t necessarily need to own an iPhone 17 to use most of these gadgets – a lot of them can also be used with older iPhone models, breathing new life into a potentially ageing smartphone. While the latest iPhone screens are perhaps the most durable iPhone’s ever made, they’re not indestructable. As such, it’s always a good idea to whack on a decent case that will protect it from accidental drops and falls. Casetify has a massive range of phone cases that all fit the iPhone 17, many of which can be customised for a personal touch. Once shoppers have chosen their colour and design, they then have the option to add printed text to the back of their phone, making it truly theirs. Prices start at £66, with custom designs increasing from there. Shoppers can browse the range here. Phone theft is on the rise, especially in major cities like Manchester and London. It can be a devastating crime with many of us keeping our personal and banking information stored on our phones, with criminals able to deal a huge amount of damage if they get their hands on our devices. One way that shoppers are securing their devices is by opting for a crossbody phone lanyard . This secures your phone around your body while in use, preventing it from easily getting snatched out of your hand while using it out on the streets. Amazon has some great options, like this model for £12.99 . It comes in a variety of colours to it can match plenty of outfit styles. The iPhone 17 has great battery life, but there are some days that just require that extra juice while out and about – especially while travelling on public transport. A MagSafe power bank is an excellent investment with this Anker model capable of charging up an iPhone two times over thanks to its 10,000mAh capacity. It uses magnets to attach to the back of the iPhone 17 with it staying securely in place while in a pocket or bag. There’s also a handy kickstand attached to the back so your phone can be propped up on a table for watching videos on the go. Much like a case, a screen protector should be the second item to prioritise picking up for your brand new phone. The iPhone 17 uses Apple’s Ceramic Shield 2 glass on the front, but it’s still breakable when dropped from a height onto sharp corners, but this can be avoided by tempered glass screen protectors. These are relatively inexpensive at £8.49 and come with a handy installation tool to ensure there’s no bubbles under the screen. All shoppers need to do is clean the front of their phone, place the applicator on top and pull the tab to remove any excess debris and install the protector perfectly every time. This pack from Amazon also includes a second protector just in case the first installation goes awry, or if the first one smashes and you need to install a second one at a later date. Alongside the iPhone 17, Apple also announced a new version of the Apple Watch SE . This third generation includes an always-on display and improved battery life which Apple claims can last up to 18-hours on a single charge. It also provide the same benefits as other watches before it, like workout tracking and other health insights. A new addition with WatchOS 26 is Sleep Score, which provides a handy percentage score based on how well you sleep during the night. An Apple Watch isn’t an essential accessory to pair with the iPhone 17, but it can act as an excellent extension of your new phone with it displaying notifications and calls straight from the wrist. There’s also the Series 11 which starts at £369 , but the SE has all the basic features at a lower £219 price point. A huge upgrade for the iPhone 17 is the new selfie camera which has a much larger 18 megapixel square sensor. However, to get good photos, you also need to provide the cameras with enough light to work with. One way to always ensure that you’ve got the perfect lighting is to add a ring light to the MagSafe slot on the back of your phone. This gadget folds out from the back of the phone to provide an even ring light to your face for those perfect selfies. There’s also a mirror located in the middle which is not only great for double checking your appearance in a pinch, but it’s also great for framing yourself with the back cameras. This lets shoppers use the higher quality rear cameras to take an even better selfie than the front camera, ideal for budding influencers or those who want their Instagram grid to look its best. Speaking of taking photos, the iPhone 17 once again retains the dedicated camera button on the right side of the device. However, the phone’s thin profile still makes it a bit tricky to hold, especially in chaotic scenarios. That’s where this camera grip comes in, with it magnetising to the back of the iPhone 17 and providing a much more bulky grip to hold onto while framing your shots. It has a couple of programmable buttons which make taking photos a breeze. What’s more, there’s also a battery pack built into the camera grip , adding a small amount of juice to your phone on long days taking photos. It can also double up as a stand for placing the phone down on a table while reviewing shots or watching back videos. Did you know that if you turn your iPhone 17 sideways while charging, it can use the always-on display to show a nightstand clock? Tech fans will need a MagSafe charger that holds it in the upright position for the screen to appear, and there’s a great one reduced at Amazon right now down to £19.97. This little UGREEN Puck is a great little wireless charger that holds the phone at the perfect angle while working at a desk. There’s also a secondary little charging pad that can juice up a pair of AirPods or Apple Watch while on the go, too. A phone and wallet are the two main things that most of us carry around with us each day, so it makes sense to combine the two and only have one thing to remember. There are plenty of MagSafe wallets out there, but this one from Amazon is proving popular among shoppers at a price point of £19.99. It has room for five cards in total with three out the outside for quick access and two more on the inside. The whole case is RFID blocking keep your card data safe while out and about. Thanks to its folding design, this wallet also acts as a phone stand for when you want to prop the phone up and use it to watch TV or movies – ideal for taking on flights. If black isn’t your style, there are several other colours to choose from at Amazon. Last up, we have another gadget that Apple released alongside the iPhone 17. AirPods are the most popular wireless earphones on the market, and they just got a big upgrade with the AirPod Pro 3 ‘s. These devices boast improved noise cancelling that are twice as good as the AirPod Pro 2’s, and four times as good as the originals. Apple has also introduced foam into the ear tips for a better, more comfortable seal in the ear. iOS 26 also brings live translation to the buds , which lets them automatically translate languages into your native tongue on the fly. This is ideal for someone who travels a lot and has trouble conversing in local languages.
