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iPhone Lens Kits in 2025: Are They Still a Scam?

Okay, so we're slapping extra lenses on our phones in 2025. Still? Seriously? Are we really still doing this? I thought the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max were supposed to have solved all our problems with their "advanced camera technology." Guess not. Give me a break.

The Usual Suspects – And Their Bullshit

Let's run down the list. Moment lenses, the "best overall," according to… who, exactly? Their marketing department? Sure, they're "high quality" and "compatible." Translation: they're expensive and they work on multiple phones so you can keep using them when you inevitably switch from your busted iPhone to something else. And the Moment Anamorphic? "Cinematic look with lens flares?" That's just a fancy way of saying it makes your videos look like a J.J. Abrams wet dream. Lens flares aren't cinematic, they're distracting.

Then we've got Sandmarc, the "almost as good as Moment" lenses. But wait! The Sandmarc tele lens is sharper? At a lower price? So, uh, why are we even talking about Moment again? Oh, right, brand recognition. It's like paying extra for the name-brand cereal when the generic tastes exactly the same. Idiots.

And ShiftCam? Only makes cases for iPhones? What is this, 2010? Android users get stuck with some garbage universal clip mount? That's not just bad design; it's insulting. It's basically Apple saying, "We don't care about you unless you're already in our walled garden." I’m not even an Android user, and that pisses me off.

Freewell's 45x Macro lens? Microscopic magnification and a built-in LED ring light. Okay, that's kinda cool, I guess. But how often are you really going to use a macro lens? Unless you're a botanist or obsessed with photographing your nose hairs, it's probably going to collect dust in a drawer.

Thermal Vision and Tele-Macros: Gimmicks Galore

The TOPDON TC002 thermal lens? Turning your phone into a thermal camera? Seriously? Who asked for this? What am I, Predator? Measuring temperatures from 4-1022°F? That's… specific. I guess if you're an electrician or a firefighter, it might be useful. But for the average person? It's just another expensive gadget to show off to your friends. “Hey, check it out, I can see how hot my coffee is!”

And finally, the Apexel TM6 TeleMacro, the 2-in-1 lens for "casual photographers on a budget." Translation: it's cheap and probably takes mediocre photos. A telephoto and macro lens in one? Jack of all trades, master of none, am I right? It's like those multi-tools that are supposed to do everything but end up being useless for everything.

Offcourse, the review process involves comparing images taken with the smartphone's built-in lens and with the external lens, assessing sharpness, distortion, focus, background blur, and optical distortions. But let's be real, most people buying these things aren't pixel-peeping for sharpness. They're slapping them on their phones to take Instagram photos and feel like "real" photographers.

It all boils down to this: these lenses are band-aids on a bullet wound. They're trying to compensate for the limitations of the iPhone's sensor. They add more layers of optics, which inevitably degrade image quality. They’re not completely changing the optics, just adding to them. It's like putting a spoiler on a Prius and thinking it's a race car.

And let's not forget the compatibility issues. Moment works on everything, Sandmarc is iPhone-only, ShiftCam hates Android… It's a goddamn mess. Why can't these companies just play nice and make lenses that work on all phones? Oh, right, because capitalism. My bad.

So, What's the Real Story?

Look, these iPhone lenses aren't completely useless. The best iPhone lenses in 2025 - Tom's Guide can be fun to experiment with. But are they worth the money? Are they really going to transform your iPhone 17 Pro into a professional-grade camera? Hell no. It's all marketing hype and wishful thinking. Save your money and buy a real camera, or just learn to use your phone's built-in camera better. Maybe I'm just getting old and cranky, but this whole thing feels like a giant ripoff.