The Galaxy S6 is a real looker and it’s not just a pretty face because there’s plenty of power in that brushed metal body, but you don’t get everything that you might want in the box with it. We’ve already looked at the best Galaxy S6 cases, in this roundup we’re going to widen the net and highlight some handy Galaxy S6 accessories to help you make the most of your new smartphone.
Updated on 7-22-2015 by Simon Hill: Added accessories by Rokform, Google, Ventev, Sol, and Samsung.
and ($40 and $60)
If you pick up a Crystal v3 case from Rokform, you’ll get a magnetic mount with it that you can stick on your car dash, or wherever else you might want to mount your Galaxy S6. Pair this case with the Rokform Bike Mount and you’ve got a reliable solution for cycling with your S6. The bike mount is really lightweight and fits any bicycle that accepts 1-1/8 inch thread-less steer tubes. The case locks into place on the mount securely, so there’s no way it’s coming loose, and you can adjust the angle to suit you.
Google Chromecast ($30)
Samsung ditched MHL support on the Galaxy S6, but if you want to mirror your phone screen on your big TV, you’re better off with wireless anyway. If you have a Samsung TV you can probably mirror using the Smart View 2.0 app. If not, the Chromecast is a good alternative. The Chromecast is affordable, easy to set up, and easy to use. Stick one in a spare HDMI port on your TV, then install the Chromecast app on your Galaxy S6. Unfortunately, there’s no option to cast your screen in the notification shade, so you’ll need to open the Chromecast app, tap to open the menu at the top left, and choose Cast screen.
Ventev Powerdash Car Charger and Battery ($32)
This is a pretty clever idea from Ventev. We all have basic car chargers that plug into the socket and offer USB out for charging up our smartphones, but the Powerdash also includes a wee 900mAh battery in it. It’s a rapid car charger for your S6, but you can also take it with you when you reach your destination for a little top-up when required. It has a micro USB input as well, so you can charge it up with a standard charger and cable if you prefer.
Sol Republic Shadow Wireless Earbud Headphones ($100)
If you like the earbud style, but you’re sick of tangled wires, these headphones could be right for you. They are in-ear headphones with a kind of necklace component that supports Bluetooth pairing with your Galaxy S6. The sound quality is surprisingly good, considering they come in at just under $100, and the battery life is around 8 hours between charges. Check out our hands-on video to learn more.
Official Samsung Charging Desktop Dock ($33)
If you don’t fancy going wireless for charging, you might like the look of this dock for your nightstand. It’s an official Samsung offering, and the cradle fits your S6 perfectly. It can also be folded away into a neat little box. It plugs into your wall charger with a micro USB cable. You could also employ it as an entertainment stand because there’s a speaker line out port in the back. It sits your S6 at the perfect portrait angle for use.
Incipio Offgrid Portable Backup Battery ($50)
A lot of people were disappointed to find that the Galaxy S6 doesn’t have a removable battery. What do you do when it runs out? You could consider an external battery pack. This straightforward option from Incipio has a single USB port with a 2.1A output, so it can recharge your S6 quickly. The battery is rated at 4,000mAh, so you can expect a little more than a full charge of the S6 battery, which is rated at 2,550mAh. The Offgrid comes in a choice of colors and it has a nice soft touch finish that makes it really comfy to hold. You’ll also find a power button and four LEDs to give you a rough idea of the remaining power.
Kukaclip Car Mount ($16)
If you want a minimalist solution for mounting your Galaxy S6 in the car then check this out. There’s a small clip with a magnet on it, designed to slot into one of your car vents and an adhesive pad that you can stick to the back of your phone or onto a case. The pad has an iron disk in it that will stick to the magnet and it can hold up to 2kg, which means your phone is not going to shake loose. Once in place, it’s an invisible car mount that’s super easy to use without any fiddling. Kuka also makes a range of cases with the metal already fitted, and you can get a version with adhesive instead of the clip if your vent isn’t in the right place.
Tylt Vu Wireless Charger ($70)
Samsung shrugged off the wireless charging war by supporting both popular standards in the Galaxy S6, but you don’t get a wireless charging dock with the phone so you’ll need to buy one to take advantage. Our pick is this Qi charger from Tylt. It doubles up as a stand, so it’s easy to place your S6 on it. Thanks to the three coil system it will charge in landscape or portrait and doesn’t have to be aligned perfectly. It’s ideal for the nightstand and it comes in four different colors. It’s not going to charge as fast as a wall charger, but if you’re using it overnight then it doesn’t have to.
Kristall Liquid Screen Protector ($30)
If you want to make sure that your screen stays free of scratches and reduce the chance of cracks, then you really need to think about buying a screen protector. The problem with most screen protectors is that they’re difficult to fit without bubbling, or specks of dust geting trapped underneath. This solution is a liquid that you apply with a pad and it dries to a hardness rating of 9H which matches the top screen protectors on the market. It also reduces smudging and fingerprints.
Sony MDR-10RBT Bluetooth Wireless Headphones ($200)
These over-the-ear
($6)
There are plenty of options for cheap USB OTG cables on Amazon. These cables will plug into the Micro USB port on your Galaxy S6 and give you a normal USB at the other end which you can use to attach external storage, keyboards, mice, or other devices. It’s very easy to use and it broadens your options considerably, making it easy to boost storage, transfer files, and more.
($28)
If you’re upset at the lack of a MicroSD card slot on the S6 and you want a single external storage solution, instead of pairing a USB OTG cable with an external storage pack, this might interest you. SanDisk’s solution is really portable and you can pick up smaller 16GB ($13) and 32GB ($18) varieties. It plugs directly into your Galaxy S6’s Micro USB port and there’s a standard USB 2.0 port at the other end, making it ideal for backups and file transfers.
($70)
This is an impressive wee bit of kit that gives you 85 percent of the typing space of a traditional keyboard. It’s 9 inches long and folds up to a rectangle that’s only 2.5-inches across and half an inch thick. Magnets hold it closed so it won’t pop open in your pocket or bag. The quality feels good, there’s a bit of travel in the chiclet keys, and there’s a small holder for your Galaxy S6. It’s easy to pair via Bluetooth and there’s a standard Micro USB port for charging it up, though Zagg claims it can go two years between charges. There’s a green LED to tell you when it’s on, and it powers off automatically when you fold it up.
($300)
If you want to snag a smartwatch to go with your new Galaxy S6 then the Gear 2, also from Samsung, may seem like a natural choice. It has all kinds of fitness tracking features built-in, it can relay your notifications and calls, and there’s a camera too. It will also sync seamlessly with your S6. Samsung is bound to offer some combo deals on this that might make it more attractive, but if you can stand to wait a little longer we like the look of the new Huawei Watch and the LG Watch Urbane, both of which will work with your S6, too. You can check out our Samsung Gear 2 review for more details.
Samsung Gear VR ($200)
This version of the Gear VR headset is 15 percent smaller than the original Note 4 version and it works with the S6 and S6 Edge. It will work with the content in the Oculus Store, and it has a USB port, and a bunch of sensors in it. You slot your Galaxy S6 or S6 Edge into it and you can enjoy an immersive virtual reality experience. There’s also the Samsung Milk VR service offering all kinds of 360 degree video content. You’re probably going to want to get a Bluetooth game controller to go with this.
That’s all the Galaxy S6 accessories we have for now, but we’ll update this roundup with new information and new entries as we uncover them.
Article originally published 3-20-2015.
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