This tiny USB-C mic is the iPhone accessory I didnt know I needed (and its beginner friendly)

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If you use your phone for vlogs or social media videos, but find that its built-in microphone degrades video quality, it might be time for an upgrade. Shure’s MV88 USB-C is a great option if you want an easy-to-use solution that offers more customization than a cheap mini lavalier mic.

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However, if you’re looking for a microphone that works from far away, this one isn’t it. The MV88 USB-C easily upgrades your phone’s microphone, keeping your recording’s audio level consistent while reducing background noise. At $160, there are less expensive options, but they might not offer the same production features. Here’s what to know before you buy.

The MV88 USB-C is about the size of my palm, so it’s easy to throw in a bag or carry in your pocket when it’s not in use. You can plug the MV88 into your smartphone’s port and start recording. Additionally, there are five audio presets for your audio recordings: speech, singing, flat, acoustic, and loud.

These presets can be customized, but I found myself sticking to the original settings. I used speech mode for recording voice-overs, which was especially helpful in minimizing the room tone from my home office’s heater in my recording.

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I also used the MV88’s Auto Level Mode while recording daily vlogs at CES this year, a feature that promises to stabilize the microphone’s gain or sensitivity. With this feature on, combined with the real-time denoiser, I didn’t have to worry about the ambient noise from large crowds interfering with my audio.

While recording with the MV88 and walking the streets of the Las Vegas Strip, the cars honking made it into the mic’s audio features, but it was dampened enough to add color to my recording rather than distract from my voice.

All of these features can be toggled in the Shure Motiv app, including adjusting the microphone’s polar patterns and the direction in which it captures audio. The MV88 features a mono cardioid pattern, which records audio directly in front of the microphone with less emphasis on rear- and side-facing audio. This pickup pattern is the most useful for vlog-style recordings, so I didn’t stray from it.

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The Shure Motiv app saves your preferred microphone settings, even when you disconnect the MV88 from your phone, so you don’t have to fiddle with settings each time you want to record.

The MV88’s only limitation is that it must be tethered to your phone when recording. If you’re conducting an interview, you’ll need to use the bidirectional pickup pattern and stand relatively close to your interviewee. If you want a wireless microphone or a device that performs well for recording at a distance, the MV88 won’t work for you.

ZDNET’s buying advice

The Shure MV88 USB-C microphone is an incredibly simple and beginner-friendly solution for budding content creators or anyone who makes videos. It significantly improves your audio recording over your phone’s built-in speakers and allows more customization to add a layer of professionalism to your videos. Even more, the mic easily fits in your pocket or bag without weighing you down.

However, the MV88 USB-C is only a feasible solution for people who shoot exclusively with their smartphone and prefer vlog-style videos. It’s not a wireless device, and its performance significantly decreases when trying to capture clean audio from afar.

If you’ve upgraded beyond shooting most of your videos on your phone and no longer find yourself speaking directly into it, consider more advanced options.