The $30 million toe in the water

Clip-on gadgets, once considered cheap or inferior, have become a game-changer for tech enthusiasts. These affordable upgrades can dramatically improve video call quality, address smartphone camera limitations, and provide portable audio solutions. According to a recent report , the clip-on gadget market is expected to reach $30 million in revenue by the end of the year.

The term "clip-on" has developed a bit of a bad reputation. The clip-on versions of some things are often considered cheap or of inferior quality. Think of a clip-on tie or clip-on sunglasses. People think of these as half-hearted attempts at the real thing, with very mixed results.

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However, when executed well, being clip-on can be a strength, not a weakness. The clip-on ring light, for example, dramatically improves video call quality by providing even lighting. this is especially important for portrait photography and talking-head videos, where harsh directional shadows can be a major issue.

According to professional photographers and videographers, lighting matters more than camera hardware in many cases. It's better to photograph a beautifully-lit scene with a mediocre camera than a poorly-lit scene with an expensive, high-quality model .

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Another standout category is the portable Bluetooth speaker with a built-in clip. Bluetooth speakers are a massive, multi-billion-dollar market, and it's not hard to see why. Since most people in the world have some sort of device capable of sending Bluetooth audio, a compatible speaker is a versatile and genuinely useful thing to own.

As good as smartphone speakers have become, they still can't compete with the audio quality and richness of even a small external speaker, and headphones aren't much use when more than one person needs to hear the sound.

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Finally, we touch on the broader context of smartphone storage limitations that make expandability solutions relevant. Smartphones have advanced to the point where they're powerful multifunction computers and creaive devices, with amazing cameras, graphics processing ability, and enough performance to meet the needs of just about anyone.

At the same time, modern phones have also regressed somewhat in some areas. For example, many manufacturers removed the traditional 3.5mm headphone jack, and the vast majority of phones also lost their SD card slots. This means that whatever storage your phone ships with is the amount of storage you'll have to live with until you buy the next one.

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While not a direct clip-on gadget, this regression highlights the value of accessories that can add functionality without permanent modification, a principle at the heart of the clip-on ethos. The clip-on lens for smartphones, for example, addresses a persistent hardware limitation by providing a true wide-angle lens that can be easily attached and detached.

Available for $39.99 on Amazon, this kit lets you add a wide-angle lens to your smartphone (or tablet or laptop) using a literal clip. With just a pinch of your fingers, you can boost your phone's light-gathering abilities and capture more of the scene in front of you, and with added depth, to boot.

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The JBL Clip series of speakers is a poster child for this type of speaker, and the brand has been a favorite since the beginning, garnering a 4.8-star rating on the strength of nearly 8000 customer reviews. Expert reviews of the Clip 5 note that it's a decent improvement over the Clip 4.

The clip's built-in carabiner makes it easy to simply hang on a backpack, a hotel door, or inside a shower. yes, it's completely waterproof (rated IP67), and who doesn't like listening to a podcast during their morning ablutions?