Why My Must-Have Phone Accessory Is a Cheap Stand

howtogeek.com:

First, you buy a phone. Then you buy stuff for your phone. Fortunately, one of the best accessories you can buy costs less than a case or screen protector. It's a phone stand. And like phone chargers, I now have stands spread throughout the house, in my bag, and on my desk. Why?

There's Now a Phone Stand In Every Shape, Size, and Style

Do an Amazon search for phone stands and you'll find they come in just about any form you could want. Some are sleek and made of metal. Some have telescoping poles that can raise your phone to eye level. Some are transparent so that you don't pay them much attention when they're not in use. Some are even tall enough to put on the floor. You're bound to find one that looks so awesome that you actively want to go out of your way to use it.

I chose one that was cheap (but didn't feel cheap), didn't come with branding, and could fold small enough to slip into a pocket. It came in a two-pack for only $10, which was a nice bonus. My wife took a liking to them, too, so we now have at least six in various places.

Videos Are Better When Your Hands Are Free

I don't own a TV. When I want to watch a movie on a larger screen, I hook my phone up to a portable external monitor or plug in a pair of AR glasses. It's for that reason that video out is one of the specs I make sure not to overlook when buying a phone. Still, most of the time, I watch videos directly on my phone's screen. That's probably true for most of us.

Holding a phone for the length of a 30-minute video isn't great, and enduring a feature-length movie is almost a non-starter. For this reason alone, it's worth getting a stand. I can pop my phone on a stand on the kitchen counter to watch repeats of Boy Meets World while I do dishes or stream YouTube on a stand in my bedroom while I fold clothes. A phone stand also holds the phone when eating in a car or riding on a plane.

Get More Fun Out of Mobile Gaming

Many mobile games, especially ports, play much better with a