Filming with your mobile phone has come a long way in such a short time. I watch many YouTube videos that claim they were all shot on an iPhone. Well, there is still a bit of post-production involved before the final product. Despite that, the footage from my iPhone SE 2nd generation is pretty nice. My mobile phone fits my present needs almost perfectly, except for the audio quality. There is only so much the built-in mike can do. If it’s breezy outside or you’re too far away from the microphone, the audio quality starts to degrade.

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Why use a Lavalier Mic?

That is where an external microphone comes in and I’m not talking about the big kind used by singers. I’m talking about a lavalier microphone. For mobile filming, I think there are some of the best options out there that are discrete and portable. When positioned just right, it’s almost impossible to detect.

Besides being discrete, they extend the reach at which you can record. These two benefits alone make them very popular for interviews, podcasts, and vlogging. Here is a quick comparison between two entry-level microphones I recently purchased.

Price

The $8 Bower lavalier smartphone microphone from Walmart and the $20 INCO GL-120 lavalier microphone from Amazon. In this article, we’ll take a look at the accessories included and do a quick comparison of the two.

In the box

Although both come with extra wind muffs and storage bags, the INCO package contains an extra lapel clip. Any decent microphones should come standard with these extra parts. These parts are small, delicate, and can get lost very easily. The wind muffs in particular tend to fall off the microphone when in storage or relocated.

Connectors

In today’s market, it is about cutting costs and removing anything deemed irrelevant. However headphone jacks are not extinct just yet, in fact, many decent phones still use them. For those iPhone users that don’t have one, you can purchase a 3.5mm lightning adapter for about $9.

The Bower mic comes with a standard 3.5mm. This can be seen as an advantage or disadvantage depending on your point of view. Headphone jacks are slowly being phased out on some of the major brands such as Apple and Samsung.

The INCO mic on the other hand has a lightning connector which is designed for use with most iPhone models. No need to buy or carry around an additional piece of equipment.

Cable length

The cable length on the Bower measures 47 inches, while the GL-120 comes in at almost 59 inches. I could see how cord length would play a role in a scenario where you or your subject needed to be further away from the camera. For the average user, the length of the Bower should give you enough room to play. Another noticeable difference between the two is cord thickness.

Quality

When compared, the Bower cord is much thicker than the GL-120. It feels like the Bower cord would break easier if caught on something so the thicker cord may have an advantage. In terms of sound quality, the thickness may play a role, but nothing major.

Using both outdoors I noticed a slight difference in the way they both sound. The results were both pleasing to me however, your opinion may differ. I have included a video comparing the sound of both.