Building on the Buzz: Utah companies thrive in the device accessories ecosystem.

• Author: Andra, Jacob
• Position: Business Trends

Every year, the likes of Apple, Samsung, Google, LG, Microsoft and Lenovo push out their latest and greatest personal device. For the past few years, it's been mostly smartphones. Before that, smartphones and tablets. Next, who knows? Whatever the gadget of the day, however, it spawns a whole industry of accessories. And several large players within the accessories sector have their headquarters here in Utah.

Located in the center of the Salt Lake Valley, ZAGG Inc specializes in protective coverings for personal devices. "Smooth, tempered glass protects all the possibilities that fit in the palm of your hand," the site proclaims in its description of its "glass+" line. "Glass+ features new Ion Matrix technology," the site explains, "the most advanced impact and shatter protection available."

Bodyguardz, in turn, specializes in phone cases, along with screen protectors. BGZ Brands owns the company; both BGZ and its flagship brand, Bodyguardz, claim Thanksgiving Point as their home base.

Where the products proffered by Bodyguardz and ZAGG are designed to accommodate (or be accommodated by) an electronic device, Skullcandy's offerings complement the device without the necessity of a precise fit--with the obvious exception of headphone jacks, which tend toward universality anyway.

Each of these three firms faces compatibility challenges of one sort or another, whether that be of physical conformity or of some other sort of interface prerequisite. Additionally--just as with the primary devices for which they're designed--they must stay abreast of style trends and changing customer preferences. At least if they want to remain profitable.

The mania for new releases

Steve Jobs was the master techno-showman, staging product launches with theatrical mastery. Apple product releases gained a newsworthiness normally reserved for terrorist attacks, high-profile infidelities and election-cycle mudslinging. Even now, some six years after Jobs' death, Apple products get the lion's share of buzz; the October 2018 iPhone X preorder sold out minutes after opening, while scalpers flooded eBay with $1,500 iPhone X preorders. To less fanfare, Apple's competitors regularly release their (arguably better, in many cases) device iterations. But a device is less, well, device-y without its accoutrements and augmentations, most of which come from third-party manufacturers.

To be sure, many smartphone manufacturers offer accessories to accompany their devices. Case in...