Best accessories for households with Android and iPhone
What are the best accessories for Android and iPhone?
If you live in a home that uses both iOS and Android devices, it doesn't have to mean constant fighting, fanboying, or fracas (alliteration so hard). The two can coexist peacefully, and they can even use the same accessories provided you find the right ones. DJ, cue it up:
Here are the best accessories for homes that want the best of both worlds.
Amazon Echo
Amazon Echo is Amazon's personal assistant speaker. It comes in four variations: Echo, Dot, Tap, and Show. Each has a somewhat different use, but all of them use Alexa, Amazon's virtual assistant.
The best part of Alexa is that it has no allegiance to Android or iPhone — it just works with both. There's an Alexa app for each, so both iPhone and Android users can use it to control smart home devices like Philips Hue lights, Nest thermostats, and more. You can also ask for weather and news updates, make calls, order dinner, and so many more things.
If you want an unbiased virtual assistant, then Amazon Echo is the way to go!
Amazon Echo vs. Dot vs. Tap vs. Show: Which should you buy?
Google Home
Google Home is Google's smart speaker, using Google Assistant as its virtual assistant. It can play music from Google Play, Spotify, and other services, control your smart home devices, provide news and weather updates, and tons more. It's right in line with the Amazon Echo, but with an obvious lean toward Google, which is perfect if you already use your Google account to its fullest. Google Home also recognizes multiple voices and accounts, so everybody can use it the way they want to.
Getting a Google Home may seem like a compromise in favor of the Android users in your household, but with Google apps available for iPhone and Google Assistant on iOS, there's no reason a Google Home shouldn't have a place in your bi-platform home.
Sonos
Sonos is a wireless speaker system that can be as full and well-rounded as you want or as minimalist as a single speaker. Connect a single Sonos speaker to your home Wi-Fi network and it creates its own network, off of which can run up to 32 speakers. You can create an entire home theater system with the Playbar, SUB, and a couple Play:1s, or you can enjoy music anywhere in your house with a Play:5 or Play:3 or any combination of the lot.
The best part is the Sonos Controller app is available for both iOS and Android, and it supports Google Play Music and Apple Music, so everyone can listen to their tunes and control the Sonos setup from the comfort of their own phone. Sonos also supports Spotify, Pandora, and a ton of other streaming services and radio stations.
Bose SoundLink III
If you want even simpler, more portable wireless tunes, check out the Bose SoundLink III. It's one of the best-sounding Bluetooth speakers available and it can connect to iPhone or Android via Bluetooth and the Bose app (it does not support AirPlay).
This little speaker packs a hell of a punch, with warm bass tones, a present midrange, and crisp highs. I might even venture so far as to say it's the best Bluetooth speaker around (in terms of sound quality).
Bose QC35
With your Bluetooth speaker, you might also consider grabbing a pair of Bluetooth headphones for the house. The Bose QC35 active noise-canceling headphones are the best of the best. These will connect to both Android and iPhone via Bluetooth, which is perfect for all the phones that are abandoning the headphone jack.
These over-ear headphones have a well-rounded sound and best-in-class noise cancellation. They're on the expensive side, but you can grab a pair for everyone to share so that enjoying music or videos in peace is more than doable — even when everyone's being too loud.
Tile Mate
Losing your keys (or anything important, for that matter) is a real pain in the ass. Tile Mate is designed to eliminate the problem completely. Simply attach the Tile Mate to anything you'd rather not misplace, like your keys, and then use the handy Bluetooth app to locate it.
The Tile app is available for both Android and iPhone, making Tile Mate an ideal accessory for multi-platform households. Can't find your phone? Click the button on your Tile to make your phone ring, even when it's on silent.
If you're constantly misplacing keys, bags, or whatever, then grab Tile Mate — you can pick up a four-pack for around $70 or a single Tile for around $25.
Photojojo magnetic lenses
With excellent cameras on both sides of the floor, a great lens is an added luxury that can take your phone photography to new heights.
Photojojo makes awesome lenses that fit on just about any iPhone or Android phone. You can change up your photos with a super fisheye lens, a wide-angle, a macro lens, fisheye, telephoto, and a polarizer. These simple magnetic lenses snap on in a jiff and away you go.
You can pick up individual lenses or pick up packs — whatever works best for you.
And you?
Do you have Android and iPhone in the same household? Which accessories do you use to bridge the gap? Let us know in the comments below.
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