Cool Apple Products That Apple Didn’t Build
Apple is a revered brand, but the company’s production of products and tools has always been purposefully limited. While this is a quality to be admired, it certainly leaves room for another layer of personalization—especially if you care about making your tech products totally your own.
We found six of our favorite products built to help you make your Apple products work better from both a utility and personal design standpoint. But, hey—try these at your own risk because once you start using any of them, your Apple products are bound to make everyone else’s Apple products jealous. :-)
1. Uncover
If you’re looking to make your Mac stand out in a sea of light grey computers and a little Apple logo light, look no further. You can have a personal logo laser-cut created by a designer. Uncover founder Nick Vanhorn says, “The inspiration came when I noticed that, when you turn down the brightness on a Mac screen, the backlit Apple logo also becomes dimmer. Previously, I always thought that it was lit by a special LED. But actually, it’s the screen’s backlight. That meant there was a massive light source behind the aluminum, waiting to be ‘uncovered’.”
After finalizing the design phase, the company embeds a piece of half-translucent plexiglass into the MacBook screen to be backlit. Then, the aluminum top cover is placed under an industrial laser cutter to literally carve out custom artwork. While this is quite a process, your laptop will be the envy of many once it’s done.
2. Apple TV Remote Stand
While the Apple TV remote is sleek and beautiful, it’s small—and therefore, even easier to misplace than the average remote. This stand is a great purchase if you keep losing yours. It’s milled from a piece of solid walnut and will stick to nearly any flat surface. On the bottom of the stand, you’ll find a micro-suction pad with tiny suction cups that adhere to just about any flat surface without leaving a gooey residue.
This is an example of minimal, beautiful design gone right.
3. MacBook Cord Organizer
Finally! There’s a MacBook cord manager that actually works. PowerPlay was made to keep the charging cable neatly wound beside the adapter, even while you’re using it. It’s made with European vegetable-tanned leather, and will help you keep your cord in great shape for a long time. You can find this power adapter in multiple colors, so choose one that suits you and watch everyone around you have cord envy.
4. Brik Book
The Brik Book laptop case was founded on Kickstarter in 2015, and it was a total hit. Over 1,600 backers pledged more than $91,000 to bring this product to life. This undeniably cool case is compatible with LEGO™, Mega Bloks, and KRE-O, allowing you to create your own fully customized 3D designs. This is an especially fun product if you have kids (or still want to be one yourself from time to time); it’ll look good when you’re working, but also become a cool building surface when your laptop is closed. No other laptop case can make you the life of the (work) party quite like this one can.
5. Blockhead
Have you ever plugged your MacBook charger into the wall, only to have it tip over or not even fit because of the awkwardly large adapter and charger angle? It’s the worst!
Enter: Blockhead. It snaps on to your Apple charger, allowing it to sit flat against the wall, making it easier to fit into any wall plug. At just over an inch thick, Blockhead brings its center of mass closer to the wall, reducing tension on the plug and making it a lot less likely to fall out. We love simple technology like this that solves a common (and annoying) UX problem.
6. Tabtag Stickers
The Tabtag allows you to personalize your MacBook with a sticker that uses the classic glowing apple as a light source. You can choose from a selection of designs, or have your own design turned into a custom decal. This is a great solution if you want to personalize your computer, but step up your game from the average computer sticker. Check out the selection and give your favorite design a try!
Looking for more great Apple products that Apple never even built? You can find the full collection on Product Hunt:
