CES is not just about huge televisions, washing machines, and refrigerators. While like every year they did dominate the scene, CES 2018 also saw plenty of other interesting devices being launched. More importantly, we saw a number of accessories related to MacBook and iPhones being unveiled at the event as well. Additionally, we also saw a number of HomeKit accessories being unveiled at the event as well.
These are not your run of the mill accessories and are in line with the 2018 design trend and technology. With smart home market expected to take off in the near future, we saw a number of interesting HomeKit accessories being unveiled at this year’s CES.
Best iPhone Accessories Unveiled at CES 2018
Belkin Wireless Chargers
Belkin announced a range of wireless chargers at this year’s CES. The Qi-based wireless chargers are compatible with iPhone X and iPhone 8 and since they have a 10W output, they are capable of fast wirelessly charging the handsets as well.
Belkin’s range of Boost Up wireless chargers are available in a variety of shapes, sizes, and needs.
- Boost Up Bold Wireless Charging Pad
- Boost Up Wireless Charging Stand
- Boost Up Wireless Car Charging Mount
- Boost Up Dual Wireless Charging Pad
- Boost Up Wireless Charging System
Belkin is also making its wireless chargers available in a variety of colors so that it matches perfectly with your iPhone and table. The wireless chargers will go on sale in the summer or spring of 2018.
➤ Belkin
Osmo Mobile 2
DJI unveiled the Osmo Mobile 2 at CES this year. The handheld stabilizer/gimbal meant for smartphones now features double the battery life, simpler controls, and a significantly cheaper price tag of $129. In comparison, the original Osmo Mobile had a 4-5 hours battery life and a $299 price tag.
Unlike the original Osmo, you can mount your smartphone in portrait mode on the Osmo Mobile 2 as well. Other features of the gimbal include ActiveTrack, Motionlapse, and Zoom Control.
The Osmo Mobile 2 will first go on sale exclusively through Apple.com from January 23.
Satechi Dual Charging Station
If you own an Apple Watch and an iPhone, it can be pretty frustrating having to plug them in separate chargers at night. To solve this problem, Satechi has released a dual charging station for the iPhone and iPad. The dual charging station is made from silver or space gray aluminum and features two separate docks.
This is a charging station so you will have to insert your Apple Watch charger puck into one of the slots and a Lighting cable in another.
The Satechi Smart Dual Charging station will distribute 15W of total power between the phone and the smartwatch. It will be available for $64.99 from spring 2018.
Best MacBook Accessories Unveiled at CES 2018
With Apple switching entirely over to USB-C on its MacBook lineup, USB-C docks have become a necessity. At CES this year, we saw a number of USB-C docks being launched for the MacBook and MacBook Pro packing plenty of ports in a compact form factor.
Elgato Thunderbolt 3 Mini Dock
The Elgato Mini Dock connects to your 2016 or 2017 MacBook Pro over a single Thunderbolt 3/USB-C port. And in exchange for that, it offers an HDMI port, DisplayPort, USB 3 ports, and a Gigabit Ethernet port.
The mini dock does not require any external power source to work which makes it easier to carry. The dock also features a slot at the bottom to easily tuck away the Thunderbolt 3 cable when not in use. It will be released to the public in spring of 2018.
➤ Elgato
InCase IconConnected PowerSleeve
The InCase IconConnected PowerSleeve comes with a 14,000mAh built-in battery and a USB-C port. It is capable of charging your MacBook Pro more than once and your iPhone and iPad a number of times. For the latter, there is also a USB-A port included in the sleeve. There is also a slot in the sleeve to safely secure a USB-C cable.
The only bummer here is that it cannot charge your MacBook Pro while it is inside the sleeve. The InCase PowerSleeve will be available for 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro with its price starting from $199.95.
➤ InCase
Best HomeKit Accessories Unveiled at CES 2018
A number of HomeKit compatible accessories were unveiled at CES this year. Some of them were pretty interesting while others pushed HomeKit integration to a different level altogether.
Belkin Wemo Bridge
Belkin is finally getting around to making its Wemo series of smart plugs and other electrical accessories compatible with HomeKit. It is making this possible through its Wemo bridge which plugs into your existing Wemo device. You can then use Siri or the Apple Home app to control the product, set up scenes, schedules, and more.
➤ Belkin
Kohler Sensate Faucet
If for some reason you have always wanted a smart faucet in your home, Kohler has finally stepped up its game and ready to fulfill your dream. The company unveiled the Kohler Sensate faucet featuring HomeKit, Alexa, and Google AsisstAssistantration. Thanks to this integration, you can control the faucet, keep a tab on water use, prevent leaks, and more. You can even ask Siri to pour you two cups of water.
Luxury? For sure. Practical? Not really. What do you think? The release date or price of Kohler Sensate faucet has not been revealed for now.
➤ Kohler
Philips Hue Entertainment
Philips’ Hue series of bulbs already feature HomeKit integration but the company is now further refining the experience with its Philips Hue Entertainment. This feature will allow Hue light to sync and react to games, movies, music, and more. Philips is partnering with a number of companies for this. Additionally, the company will unveil a rebranded Hue app for iOS later this year. Along with this, it will release a Hue Sync app that will allow Mac owners to create and customise light scripts for movies, games, and music.
The company also unveiled Philips Hue bulbs meant for outdoor use so that you can keep the lights inside and outside of your house in sync.
➤ Philips
What were your favorite HomeKit, iPhone, or MacBook compatible accessories unveiled at CES? Do you plan on buying any of them when they are released later this year?
