虽然我们可以称它们为“智能手机”，但您口袋里的设备实际上是一台合适的通用计算机(purpose computer)。随着智能手机制造商开始接受这一事实，智能手机（当然还有平板电脑）已经开始拥有越来越多“合适”的计算机(” computer)属性。
借助USB-C等技术，智能手机上的端口是一条巨大的多车道双向高速公路。就像(Just)您的笔记本电脑或台式电脑(laptop or desktop computer)一样，可以连接各种扩展设备功能的外围设备。这是所有无线好东西的补充！
OTG 或On The Go配件是指智能手机USB端口的OTG 标准。(OTG standard)早期的智能手机与你插入的任何东西都有一种单向的关系。他们永远无法像计算机那样充当设备的“主机”。这款手机本身基本上被视为智能手机配件(smartphone accessory)。
支持OTG的手机（包括几乎所有现代手机）既可以充当主机，也可以充当客户端，具体取决于您将它们连接到什么。USB-C正在迅速成为标准，并且是OTG最无缝的实现方式，但许多仍使用较旧的微型 USB 端口(micro-USB port)的近期手机也可以与OTG设备一起使用，尽管可用功率和带宽更少。
外部存储(External Storage)
对于移动电话产品而言，对外部存储的支持很可能是最大的一笔交易。您现在可以购买开箱即用的具有 USB-C 或Micro USB 端口的(Micro USB port)OTG 闪存驱动器(OTG flash drives)。只需(Simply)将它们插入您的移动设备并(device and access)直接从文件系统(file system)或应用程序访问文件。
无线文件(Wireless file)传输是一种惊人的便利，但它比简单地将USB 驱动器(USB drive)插入手机并通过文件传输(file transfer)进行爆破(phone and blasting)要慢几个数量级。
机械外置硬盘也可以很好地工作，但一般来说，手机不会发出足够的电量来运行手机。因此，您可能需要一个有源集线器才能使此设置正常工作(setup work)。使用 2018 iPad Pro 12.9等大型平板电脑，我们可以毫无问题地使用便携式硬盘驱动器。将其从NTFS重新格式化为 exFat 后，就是这样。
外接麦克风和相机(External Microphones & Cameras)
现代智能手机内置的麦克风和摄像头令人印象深刻，但在分配的空间内您只能做这么多。
好消息是，如果你有一个质量好的USB 麦克风(USB microphone)，你可以将它用作OTG 设备(OTG device)。例如，这使您可以将最新的播客节目(podcast episode)录制在听起来很棒的东西上，而不是录制在锡罐内的东西上。
另一个有趣的可能性是外部摄像设备(camera equipment)的连接。现在有一些产品可以让您将第三方相机连接到您的手机以用于特殊用途。例如，Insta360 相机(Insta360 cameras)是将手机变成 360 度全景视频机器的一种经济实惠的方式。
然而，这还不是移动操作系统本身支持的东西。插入后，通常需要配套应用程序来操作这些相机。(companion app)
键盘、鼠标和显示器(Keyboards, Mouses & Monitors)
是的，通过连接通常插入米色盒子(beige box)的经典外围设备，基本上可以将您的手机变成台式电脑(desktop computer)。使用带有正确端口的 USB-C 集线器，您可以立即点击网站或编写您的杰作小说(masterpiece novel)。
当然，您必须处理移动界面。Android具有本机鼠标支持，iOS(mouse support and iOS)最近以实验性方式添加了它，但三星 Dex(Samsung Dex)或适用于Android的第三方桌面环境应用程序(desktop environment app)等定制解决方案可能会大大有助于使其成为满足您的计算需求的可行方式。
游戏控制器(Game Controllers)
iOS13 最近增加了对Xbox One S 和 PS4 控制器(Xbox One S and PS4 controllers)的支持，但在Android 方面(Android side)，你实际上可以使用USB OTG 技术连接(USB OTG technology)这些手柄中的任何一个。
在我们的测试游戏(game support)中，对此的支持相当广泛，尽管不如 Apple 的MFi 标准(MFi standard)在围栏的另一边强制执行的那样普遍。对于Android用户，只需使用OTG 适配器(OTG adapter)和短的微型USB 数据线(USB cable)，您就可以开始玩了。
结合漂亮的游戏手柄手机支架(gamepad phone mount)，您就拥有了一个非常棒的掌上游戏解决方案！
奇怪，利基，但有用的东西(Weird, Niche, Yet Useful Things)
由于USB-C是一种通用且用途广泛的技术(universal and versatile technology)，因此您可以连接一些可能不明显但非常酷的东西。
例如，USB -C 显示器是笔记本电脑大小的纸薄显示器，可与您的手机配合使用。用USB Midi 控制器(USB Midi controller)制作音乐怎么样？通过USB的(USB)以太网(Ethernet)也是可能的，这很奇怪，但在某些情况下也很有用。您是否考虑过将打印机连接到手机？根据型号，这是可能的。
一些数码单反相机(DSLRs)还允许通过手机进行通信。使用应用程序对设备进行远程有线控制。
iOS 用户呢？(What About iOS Users?)
iOS 用户的情况比OTG(OTG use)在Android上使用要复杂一些。这主要是因为苹果(Apple)已经从自家的Lightning 标准(Lightning standard)过渡到了 USB-C 。
某些东西是否可以通过闪电(Lightning)在旅途中发挥作用有点像一场赌博。人们已经成功使用Apple Lightning 相机连接套件(Apple Lightning Camera Connection Kit)和更新的USB 3 版本(USB 3 version)。
使用Google(Google)特定配件以及它们是否适用于此解决方案始终是一个好主意。对 iOS 设备上的外部存储的支持是最近才出现的，但我们已经看到很多确认它与这个套件配合得很好。
如果您有一台本机使用USB-C的(USB-C)Apple 设备(Apple device)，那么您就可以开始使用了！
Join The OTG Revolution!
虽然智能手机作为独立设备绝对令人惊叹，但如果你忽略了那个不起眼的小充电端口的潜力，你就会错过很多。因此，大胆尝试，插入一些智能手机配件，扩展您的移动视野。
The Best On-The-Go Accessories for Your Smartphone
While we may call them “smartphones”, the device you haνe in yоur poсket is actually a proper general purpose сomputer. As smartphone manufacturers have started embracing thiѕ fact, smartphones (and of course tablets) have started taking on more and more “proper” computer attributes.
Thanks to technology such as USB-C, the port on your smartphone is a massive, multi-lane, bi-directional highway. Just like your laptop or desktop computer, it’s possible to connect all sorts of peripherals that expand the functionality of your device. That’s in addition to all the wireless goodies!
OTG or On The Go accessories refer to the OTG standard for smartphone USB ports. Early smartphones had a one-way relationship with whatever you plugged into them. They could never play the “host” for devices the way that a computer does. The phone was basically seen as a smartphone accessory itself.
Phones that support OTG (which includes nearly all modern phones) can act as both a host and a client, depending on what you hook them up to. USB-C is becoming the standard quickly and is the most seamless implementation of OTG, but many fairly recent phones that still use the older micro-USB port also work with OTG devices, albeit with less available power and less bandwidth.
External Storage
Support for external storage is quite possible the biggest deal when it comes to on-the-go phone goodies. You can now buy OTG flash drives that already have a USB-C or Micro USB port out of the box. Simply plug them into your mobile device and access the files from the file system or an app directly.
Wireless file transfer is an amazing convenience, but it is orders of magnitude slower than simply plugging a USB drive into your phone and blasting through a file transfer.
Mechanical external hard drives also work pretty well, but in general a phone won’t give out enough power to operate one. So you might need a powered hub to make this setup work. With a large tablet such as the 2018 iPad Pro 12.9”, we had no issue getting a portable hard drive to work. After reformatting it from NTFS to exFat, that is.
External Microphones & Cameras
The mics and cameras that are built into modern smartphones are incredibly impressive, but there is only so much you can do within the allotted space.
The good news is that if you have a good quality USB microphone, you can use it as an OTG device. That allows you to, for example, record your latest podcast episode on something that sounds amazing, rather than something recorded inside a tin can.
Another interesting possibility is the connection of external camera equipment. There are now products out there that let you attach a third-party camera to your phone for specialized uses. The Insta360 cameras, for example, are an affordable way to turn your phone into a 360-video machine.
However, this is not yet something that’s natively supported by mobile operating systems. A companion app is generally required to operate these cameras once plugged in.
Keyboards, Mouses & Monitors
Yes, it’s possible to basically turn your phone into a desktop computer by attaching the classic peripherals that normally plug into a beige box. Using a USB-C hub with the right ports, you can be clicking away at a website or writing your masterpiece novel in no time.
Of course, you’ll have to deal with mobile interfaces. Android has native mouse support and iOS recently added it in an experimental fashion, but bespoke solutions such as Samsung Dex or a third-party desktop environment app for Android could go a long way to make this a feasible way to satisfy your computing needs.
Game Controllers
iOS13 recently added support for Xbox One S and PS4 controllers, but on the Android side of things you can actually hook up either of these pads using USB OTG technology.
In our testing game support for this was pretty widespread, although not as universal as Apple’s MFi standard has enforced on the other side of the fence. For Android users, it’s as simple as using an OTG adapter and a short micro USB cable and you’re ready to play.
Combined with a nice gamepad phone mount, and you’ve got a pretty great handheld gaming solution!
Weird, Niche, Yet Useful Things
Since USB-C is such a universal and versatile technology, you can hook up some things that may not be obvious, but turn out to be quite cool.
For example, USB-C monitors are paper thin laptop-sized displays that can work with your phone. What about a USB Midi controller to make music? Ethernet via USB is also possible, which is very weird but also useful in some cases. Have you ever considered connecting a printer to your phone? Depending on the model, it’s possible.
Some DSLRs also allow for communication through your phone. With remote wired control for the device using an app.
What About iOS Users?
The situation for iOS users is a little more complicated than OTG use on Android. This is mainly because Apple has transitioned to USB-C from its own in-house Lightning standard.
Whether something would work on-the-go via Lightning has been a bit of a gamble. People have had success using the Apple Lightning Camera Connection Kit and the newer USB 3 version.
It’s always a good idea to use Google specific accessories and whether they work with this solution. Support for external storage on iOS devices is pretty recent, but we’ve seen plenty of confirmations that it works just fine with this kit.
If you have an Apple device that natively uses USB-C, then you’re pretty much good to go!
Join The OTG Revolution!
While smartphones are absolutely amazing as standalone devices, you’re missing out on a lot if you ignore the potential of that unassuming little charging port. So go ahead and be bold, plug some smartphone accessories in and expand your mobile horizons.
