It’s no secret that Apple’s iPod has been a runaway success, commanding and essentially defining the market for portable media players. It’s also spawned a tremendous market for iPod accessories, peripherals, and services, ranging from replacement earphones to cases, electronic add-ons, portable (and not-so-portable) speaker systems, and even sportswear.
With the successful launch of the iPhone last week, accessory makers are quickly looking to tap into a new market for add-ons, complementary products, and must-have products to supplement Apple’s latest endeavor. Belkin is one of the first out of the gate, launching cases, an armband, and (of course) cables and stereo adapters to connect your iPhone to your existing speaker and stereo systems.
Belkin’s Acrylic Case for iPhone offers a hard acrylic case for solid protection against bumps, dings, and scratches, while still enabling full access to the phone’s hard keys, ports, and screen. The case also offers a pop-out kickstand for watching video on a desktop, table, or other flat surface, and the stand also doubles as a belt clip. Suggested price: $29.99.
Belkin’s Slim-fit Case for iPhone may not offer the solid protection of the acrylic case, but it’s premium leather, sports a mesh base which doesn’t interfere with the iPhone’s speaker volume and allows for easy removal of the phone. The Slim-Fit case is padded for comfort and protection, and comes with the removable belt clip. Suggested price: $29.99.
For the active set, Belkin’s Sport Armband for iPhone is a breathable, machine-washable way to strap your iPhone on for a run or workout, while still offering full screen protection and navigation access. The armband includes a pocket for earbud storage, and has a suggested price of $29.99.
If you’re just looking for a way to push music from your iPhone to a speaker system or stereo—after all, iPhones don’t sport the ubiquitous iPod dock connector—Belkin is also offering selection of cables and adapters which convert the iPhone’s headphone output to mini-stereo ($19.99) or RCA connectors ($14.99). If you’re looking to use some existing headphones with the iPhone, Belkin also offers a $10.95 headphone adapter.
