Smartphone Accessories That Bring Back Some Tangibility Into Our Digital Lives

Living in a world full of smartphones and digital everything, the PUI (Physical User Interface) series steps in to make our tech experiences more hands-on. Amid touchscreens and high-tech gadgets, PUI wants to remind us of the good old days when we could touch and feel things. This series of smartphone accessories, seamlessly connected via Bluetooth, redefines the way we interact with our devices, encouraging users to reconnect with the physical world.

Designers: Taeyang KimYujeong Shin, and JiHoon Park

We all love our smartphones for making life easier, but deep down, there’s a part of us that misses the real touch. PUI gets that and wants to bring back the emotions we used to get from physical things. PUI comprises a range of accessories designed to reintroduce physical elements into the user’s daily interactions with their smartphones. These accessories include the PUI Alarm Clock, Camera Shutter, Dial Lock, Recorder, and Volume Control, each contributing to a richer physical experience.

PUI Alarm Clock:

The PUI Alarm Clock makes waking up more fun by bringing back the cool dial feature from old clocks but with a modern touch. It’s a bit sad that some of the Gen Zs and Gen Alphas don’t know how to set alarms on those old clocks. This Alarm Clock is like a time-traveling buddy, keeping the old clock style but fitting into our modern lives. You can easily set the alarm by turning the bottom dial, adding a hands-on feel that you don’t get with digital screens. It’s a small thing, but it makes waking up a bit more enjoyable and real. The PUI Alarm Clock is like a time machine, connecting the past and today, making mornings a simple joy for everyone. The PUI Alarm Clock stands as a bridge between generations, seamlessly weaving the nostalgia of the past into the fabric of our dynamic present.

PUI Camera Shutter:

The Camera Shutter accessory brings back the joy of photography by integrating a zoom dial and shutter button. Users can smoothly adjust the frame size with the zoom dial, and the physical act of pressing the shutter button to capture a moment adds a layer of satisfaction often missing in purely digital interactions. It’s a real-life micro-interaction that enhances the user experience.

PUI Dial Lock:

Diverging from traditional rigid screen locks, the PUI Dial Lock offers a tactile locking mechanism. Users input their password by manipulating the dial in a specific sequence, enhancing the security experience with a touch of physical engagement, almost giving a feeling of opening a locker and improving the importance of the device.

PUI Recorder:

The PUI Recorder serves as an audio recording device that incorporates physical buttons for record, play, and stop functions. The act of physically interacting with the device during recording adds a visually and aurally rich dimension to the experience. Making every touch count and moment consciously memorable.

PUI Volume Control:

Adjusting the volume is now a hands-on affair with the Volume Control. Turn the dial to control the sound. This physical touch goes beyond just tapping on a screen, giving a sense of ownership and satisfaction.

PUI (Physical User Interface) is like a breath of fresh air in a world full of digital screens. It connects our smartphones with real, touchable experiences. In a time when everything is about ease and speed, PUI brings back the joy of feeling and interacting with our devices in a more personal way. It’s a cool bridge between the old and the new, making our tech time more enjoyable and real.

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Book-like foldable device concept replaces five computer and mobile accessories

Although our computing devices are getting more powerful and sophisticated, it is almost ironic that they are also causing us to buy more accessories and peripherals to use them more conveniently. Power banks and stands are almost standard companions for smartphones these days, while even those that use a laptop may bring along a mouse or a portable trackpad with them. If you’re the type that travels open, you can have as many as four or five such gadgets in your bag all the time. It would definitely be nice if you could just have one or even two to cover all the bases. That’s the kind of future that this unconventional accessory tries to offer, combining your peripherals into a single foldable gadget.

Designer: Anupria Singh

Office work has changed drastically in the past three or so years. Work From Home or WFH, as well as Hybrid Work, have been added to our vocabulary, and that meant being ready to do work almost anywhere. Such a person’s bag would probably include accessories such as a mouse, a power bank, or device stands, at the very least. Some bolder people might even bring a portable keyboard for their phones, allowing them to even leave the laptop at home or in the office for a short break outdoors. All these mean your bag will be filled with accessories that you might forget or lose, significantly affecting your productivity and mental state.

Move is a rather intriguing idea that combines not just two or three functions but five or even six into a single device that admittedly doesn’t look like it can do any of those at all. When unfolded, it looks almost like a miniature book with a tube for a spine, definitely not something you’d associate with those computer and phone accessories. The secret, however, is that each part and surface of this device hides a specific function that, again, isn’t immediately obvious from their form.

In its unfolded state, for example, the side panels become touch-sensitive areas for use as a trackpad, with the groove in the middle serving as the scroll wheel. The detachable tube in the spine works as a Bluetooth remote control for phones, but it has another rather unusual feature as well. There is a laser projector that can display a keyboard on a flat surface, turning it into a fancy but arguably unreliable Bluetooth keyboard.

When folded, the device can magnetically attach to the back of a phone and act as a stand for both horizontal and vertical positions. It can even be a power bank, though it’s not clear how much battery would be able to fit inside its rather slim body. When partially folded like a tent, it can also be used as a mouse, though it’s not exactly clear how well it will move on a surface. At the very least, you can decide how high or how low that mouse will be for your personal comfort.

While intriguing, the concept design leaves a few questions unanswered, like how usable it would be as a mouse. It’s also difficult to imagine how all the electronics plus batteries will be able to fit inside. Move does provoke the mind into thinking about the possibility of reducing one’s baggage into a single device, especially one that can look as curious and attractive as this.

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This futuristic-looking phone controller puts a literal spin on shooting videos

Many of us today use our smartphones not only to take pictures but also to record videos. Some even use their mobile devices to play games that require them to point their phones’ cameras at certain things or people. In fact, some think that this kind of augmented reality or AR experience could become more commonplace in the future. Holding our phones in our hands for these seems like the most natural way to use them, but they might not be the most efficient nor the safest. Monopods, a.k.a. the notorious selfie sticks, at one point became so popular exactly because of that, while phone gimbals also started popping to give budding filmmakers a hand. AR gamers, however, don’t neatly fit these groups, so this concept of a gun-shaped phone controller tries to envision what their future could look like, presuming this type of gaming actually takes off.

Designer: Gihawoo Design (UGLY.DUCKLING)

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Tech companies, especially one particular social network giant, would have us believe in a future where augmented reality is the way we experience the world around us. Without comfortable and “normal” AR glasses, however, that future might still be a long time coming. In the meantime, there are already ways to experience a bit of that augmented reality, particularly through our smartphones. Games like Pokemon GO and navigation apps are just the tip of the iceberg, and there might still be a few other AR applications and experiences coming in the near future.

Holding a phone while using such AR apps might not be the most ideal. Sure, it’s fine for a casual game like Pokemon GO, but anything more intensive might require a more stable grip, not to mention more flexible controls. Telegun is a concept that delivers exactly that in a form that may make more sense considering its primary gaming application. It’s pretty much like a phone gimbal in the shape of a toy gun. Compared to a wand that you have to hold upright, pointing with this accessory feels almost like second nature, especially if you’re playing an AR game that involves shooting virtual objects overlaid on top of the real world.

Telegun’s use, however, extends beyond AR gaming, and it can also serve as a normal phone holder for shooting videos. A phone can be mounted either horizontally or vertically, and the joints make it easy to keep the phone stable at an angle rather than relying on your shaking arm. It also has its own built-in camera, so you can record videos even without a phone, though it might look more awkward that way, not to mention concerning for bystanders.

This phone controller is definitely a unique way to mount a phone, whether for gaming or recording videos. Its minimalist gun-shaped design almost makes it look like a prop from a sci-fi show. It’s arguable whether basing it off a gun is a smart or safe choice, but compared to a typical phone gimbal or monopod, it’s definitely a more ergonomic and convenient form.

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This compact smartphone gaming controller works equally well in portrait configuration too

Smartphones and gaming are closely knit together, as both casual and pro gamers prefer the convenience of pushing an app icon and enjoying high octane action on their mobile devices. The kind of processing power phones come with these days, ensures gamers don’t have to complain about lack of high-end graphics, crazy frame rates, or touch responses. This is especially true for flagships and dedicated gaming devices.

Most smartphones have gaming as a secondary function and mostly don’t have shoulder triggers or even cooling vents for hardcore gameplay for long hours. This calls for after-market accessories like controllers from Razer, SteelSeries, 8Bitdo, and other respectable brands. Most of these controllers are tailored for landscape orientation since most smartphone games are adapted to that configuration.

Designer: Thiago Viana

However, for people who like portrait orientation games simply because they prefer one-handed use, there’s a better way to do it. Yes, a smartphone gaming controller that allows you to play games in both orientations with equal dexterity. Meet Moby, a smartphone controller that brings the nostalgic Game Boy archetype to the fore. A compact controller designed to make playing games the utmost fun with an old-school appeal rooted in the gaming DNA of the 90s.

I like the aesthetics of the Moby controller as it does not elongate the controls when in landscape mode, and hides the shoulder trigger buttons behind the device. The joystick and input buttons are placed ergonomically for people with small hands who find it awkward to play games with other gaming controllers that have a gaping divide between the left- and right-handed controls.

All the user has to do is to slide in the Moby’s small tether attached to the back of the phone onto the main controller unit. Once that’s done, the accessory automatically connects to the Bluetooth and you’re ready for non-stop fun. The cherry on top is the three peppy colors the Moby gaming controller comes in, with a selection of different snap covers to customize.

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GoDonut MiNi smartphone stand lets you kick back and relax anytime, anywhere

Stop stressing over whether to bring a phone stand with you or not because now you can always have one on your keychain.

We have become so dependent on our smartphones to help keep up sane in the midst of the chaos of life that it is no longer unusual to see people, young and old alike, glued to their smartphones. Some take their entertainment while standing, but others prefer to give their bodies a break while enjoying a good laugh or a tearjerker on a small screen. This in itself can also be a source of stress, though, especially when you find yourself scrambling to find a way to prop your phone upright for a more comfortable viewing experience. Smartphone stands exist for that purpose, but most of them are not convenient to take around with you. The new GoDonut MiNi takes away all those worries, concerns, and internal debates because now you can have a stand that is small enough to be buddies with the keys in your pocket.

Designer: Nina Seyedabadi

Click Here to Buy Now: Pack of 5 for $40. Hurry, less than 72 hours left!

Smartphone stands come in all shapes and sizes, and a lot of them try to aim for portability. Some are slim enough to fit in your bag, but that requires you to always have a bag with you in the first place. There are also those “rings” that work both as smartphone grips and makeshift stands, but they mar the beauty of your smartphone by having something stuck to its back permanently. In contrast, the GoDonut MiNi’s solution is so simple that you’ll probably be surprised why no one capitalized on the idea before.

Just like its award-winning larger sibling, the GoDonut MiNi’s selling point is its simplicity. Taking the shape of its namesake snack, the accessory is pretty much just a thick circle with a hole in the middle and a crevice on one side for the phone. As the name suggests, this smaller variant shrinks the formula down to size to the point that it’s trivial to add it to your keychain or any other thing that you always keep with you anywhere you go. Now you no longer have to scramble for a stand or stack up books just to prop up your phone. Simply unhook it from your keychain, place it on a flat surface, and your ad hoc entertainment center is good to go.

The GoDonut MiNi is the epitome of the “small but terrible” expression but in a completely good way. Despite having only a radius of 2 inches and a 3/4-inch height, the stand can accommodate any phone up to half an inch thick, including a case. Despite its size and weight, it uses the same weighted technology that will keep your phone from toppling backward. The alloy steel metal carabiner also ensures it won’t just fall off accidentally from your keychain. Like its namesake as well, the GoDonut MiNi is available in a variety of delicious colors, including red, teal, and fuchsia, though you can also try to look professional with black, white, and gray hues.

While watching videos immediately comes to mind when talking about smartphone stands, there really is no limit to what you can use the donut-shaped stand for. Set your phone upright for video calls, or use your device’s large screen as a reference while sketching on paper or following instructions on how to cook your favorite dish. Whatever the need or situation, the GoDonut MiNi frees your hands and your mind to do what you need to do, whether it’s binging on a video or taking a video call at a relaxing outdoor cafe.

Click Here to Buy Now: Pack of 5 for $40. Hurry, less than 72 hours left!

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This Anti-Glare Umbrella for Smartphones Is a Real Product That Exists

Because if you make it, somebody, somewhere, is going to buy it, VIVOUNITY has created the Phone Umbrella Suction Cup Stand (affiliate link), a device that acts as both a smartphone sunshade as well as a stand. Wow, what will they think of next? Hopefully, something more practical and less ridiculous looking.

The silicone suction cup stand was designed to look like a little pig (the one that went to market or stayed home?), and the umbrella slides between its buttcheeks to prevent glare and/or unwanted eyes and judgment while you lose at Wordle. Me? If I don’t guess Wordle on the first guess, I just close the window. I’m a perfectionist. Also, I’m terrible at word games.

The umbrella is available in a variety of different colors and patterns to ensure you’re able to recognize your phone after the wind catches the umbrella and blows it down the street. Or to Oz. You just better hope it doesn’t land on a wicked witch, or her sister is going to come after you with her flying monkeys. Trust me; I’ve seen movies. Mostly scrambled ones on Cinemax! Please don’t tell my parents.

[via DudeIWantThat]

This CES Award-winning smartphone stand is tiny enough to fit on your keychain

With not one, but two CES Awards under its belt, the folks behind the GoDonut have now unveiled the GoDonut MiNi, a tinier version of their classic, flagship EDC phone-stand that has a minimalist simplicity that’s surely worth admiring. The GoDonut MiNi is a donut-shaped device that lets you prop your phone up on nearly any flat surface and can accommodate smartphones up to a half-inch thick (protective case included). It weighs less than 2 ounces and measures only 2 inches in diameter making it tiny enough to fit on your keychain and intuitive enough that practically anyone could use one.

Designer: Nina Seyedabadi

Click Here to Buy Now: Pack of 3 for $25. Hurry, only 34/100 left!

Everything you need to know about the GoDonut MiNi’s patented design lies in its name. The little gizmo assumes the shape of a mini donut and it comes in a variety of ‘delicious’ colors too! There is a groove running down its body wide enough to dock almost any phone into it and the donut’s circular form acts as a stable base. It is now quick and easy to prop up your phone in either landscape or portrait mode while you are on the go or at home.

Gone are the days of finding large objects to rest your phone against while streaming your favorite shows or video-chatting with family, friends, or co-workers. The GoDonut MiNi makes life a bit simpler as it lets you use your phone hands-free. It’s small enough to fit into your bag or even in your pocket and comes with its own steel carabiner in case you want to hook it to your keychain or backpack. Priced at just $10 for its Early Bird supporters, the GoDonut MiNi begins shipping in June 2022.

Click Here to Buy Now: Pack of 3 for $25. Hurry, only 34/100 left!

The post This CES Award-winning smartphone stand is tiny enough to fit on your keychain first appeared on Yanko Design.

Modular power bank concept uses a series of wireless snap-on battery ‘bookmarks’ to give your phone 30 hours of charge

Battery Pods is a smartphone charging system comprised of a smartphone charging case and magnetic battery strips to supply your smartphone with 1400mAh worth of charge.

Everyone needs a charger, but no one wants to carry one around. Battery packs are bulkier than your smartphone and wire chargers depend on an outlet to actually work. So the question of how our phones will get battery remains. PS Design Studio, known for conceptualizing smartphone accessories, tried their hand at a solution with Battery Pods, magnetic battery strips that charge your phone by attaching to an accompanying phone case.

Similar to the battery pack of Airpods, Battery Pods come in a convenient carrying case that charges on the go. Complete with seven battery strips, each Battery Pod comes with enough battery to keep your phone charged throughout the day.

To get your smartphone all charged up, Battery Pods comes with a removable phone case that latches onto your phone and leaves a landing strip where the battery packs can magnetically attach. Once the stirp to attached to the phone case, users can charge their smartphones on the go.

Each battery strip comes stocked with 1200 mAh, which, on a full charge, typically gives you 6-7 hours of phone usage time. The actual charging phone case comes with 3000 mAh worth of charge, giving you up to 30 hours’ worth of phone usage.

Conceptualized in an array of different colors, each battery strip keeps a color of its own, making it easier for users to decipher which battery strips have been used and which could still supply some charge.

Designer: PS Design

Seven magnetic battery strips fill the Battery Pods’ charging basin.

An accompanying phone case leaves a landing strip where the magnetic batteries can attach.

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This wireless power bank ditches bulk for a slim build and attaches to your smartphone via micro-suction cups!

Wireless Power Bank with Suction Cups

Adsorb is a wireless power bank that attaches to the back of your smartphone with micro-suction cups and replaces the bulky design of current power banks with a slimmer build.

Charging our smartphones while we’re out is always an uphill battle. You either have to ask the waiter or bartender if they have a charging cable or available outlet for yours. Your only other option is a bulky power bank that weighs and measures three times the weight and size of your phone, which is no fun carrying around. Alas, we need that juice. Slimming down its bulk and outfitting it with silicone suction cups to attach to your smartphone, industrial designer Wenjie Zheng gave the classic power bank a much-needed makeover, calling it Adsorb.

Wireless Power Bank with Suction Cups

Wireless Power Bank with Suction Cups

In conceptualizing Adsorb, Zheng hoped to swap out the conventional power bank’s heavyweight and large size for a much slimmer power bank that attaches to the back of your smartphone, requiring no wires for operation. Since we tend to use power banks only when we’re desperate for battery–like when we’re at 1% but need to seal that uber ride before the screen goes dark–Zheng cut down the size and output of the power bank to allow for a slimmer build.

Wireless Power Bank with Suction Cups

Wireless Power Bank with Suction Cups

In conceptualizing Adsorb, Zheng also aimed to give the power bank a more emotive and appealing look, ditching the industrial tech look of typical power banks for a simultaneously eye-catching and discreet final look. Without the need for wires, Adsorb attaches to the back of your smartphone via a grid of suctions, adhering to and merging with your smartphone to look like a purposeful design.

Wireless Power Bank with Suction Cups

Wireless Power Bank with Suction Cups

Adsorb was designed by Zheng to appeal to everyone, with his conceptualization showcasing an array of different colors ranging from marbled yellow, to sky blue, dual-tone orange, heather gray, and even violet. Considering the antiquated design of most power banks on the market, Zheng’s visualizes a wireless power bank that attaches to the back of your phone and rises to the quality of technology it powers up.

Designer: Wenjie Zheng

Wireless Power Bank with Suction Cups

Using micro-suction cups, Adsorb attaches to the back of your smartphone to charge it.

Wireless Power Bank with Suction Cups

Discreet by design, Adsorb blends into your smartphone like a charging case. 

Wireless Power Bank with Suction Cups

Wireless Power Bank with Suction Cups

Coming in blood orange, Zheng conceptualized an Adsorb for every taste.

Wireless Power Bank with Suction Cups

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These fidget-friendly strips stick to your gadgets for discreetly relieving stress





Each of us has a different way of reacting during stress and anxiety or when under pressure or in a conversation. While most people are overly composed, some of us tend to fidget around – biting on a pen cap, shaking the legs, moving around in the chair, or doing what not! Though it is customary to fidget, your constant movement can be distracting and annoying to people everywhere. Enter Fidget Strips; designed primarily to provide the fidgeting hands a light rubbing, scratching the surface; these strips are essentially unnoticeable to others.

There are many types of sensory toys, fidget spinners on the market that have been helpful to people – children and adults – in coping with their fidgeting habit. However, suppose you typically fidget with your fingers. In that case, these colorful and different textured Fidget Strips will provide you satisfying feeling without distracting those around you in a board meeting, office cubicle, classroom, or even when traveling back home.

Unlike the other sensory toys that are noticeable and make noise, Fidget Strips offer a quiet way for you to satiate your urge to fidget. Made from durable material and employing strong adhesive on the back, the strips can stick fittingly to a smooth surface. Once stuck in place, you can gently touch, rub, or scratch them with your fingertips whenever you feel fidgety.

The Fidget Strips can stick to smartphones, laptops, tablets, notebooks, tables, armchairs, or any other smooth surface for your convenience. These are offered in two textures – satin and rough – to meet different requirement sets. The rough textured strips have a rubbery feel that one can scratch or rub on, whereas the satin finish is more like a snuggly blanket you can touch and feel for relaxation.

Measuring an inch wide and about 4-inches in length, these non-intrusive strips allow you to manage and control fidgeting without leaving a mark on the surface it is adhered to. Interestingly, the strips are reusable, so you can easily remove one from the laptop and stick it to the phone’s back if needed. The Fidget Strips are offered in black, blue-green, and yellow-red colors and patterns for visual stimulation in addition to their tactile simulation.

The easy-to-maintain strips can be wiped clean with a damp cloth, and they come in a pack of five, priced at $9.99. So when you need to focus under stress, come up on top in anxiety, just touch or scratch over the Fidget Strips and instantly restore the feeling of calm without worrying about being judged while fidgeting. No one’s going to notice that constant movement anymore!

Designer: Fidget Strips

Click Here to Buy Now!