A giant knob you can stick on the back of your phone is taking off with celebrities — and it's on track to sell 30 million this year (2024)

• The PopSocket, an expanding stand and phone grip, has skyrocketed in popularity and has become atop-sellingsmartphoneaccessory.
• The company plans to sell as many as 30 million PopSockets in 2017, andhas plans to ramp upits international market next year.

Over the past year, youmayhave noticed more and moresmartphonessporting one increasingly ubiquitous accessory: a colorful, rubbery knob attached smack dab in the center of their backs.

Turns out, the knob has a name. It's called a PopSocket, and for the past year, it's been taking thesmartphone accessory market by storm, with the trend even catching on with celebrities.

The craze has spread, it seems, because of thegadget's infinite usefulness: itscollapsible, accordion-stylestem serves as one-part grip, one-part phone stand, and one-part headphone wrap. This allows users toeasily shoot off one-handed texts, while also ensuring that you'll never accidentally drop your phone mid-call ever again.

Check out Amazon's list of best-selling smartphone accessories, and you'll find PopSockets listed as their fourthmost popular item.This year alone, the company has sold 25 million gadgets and they plan on selling an additional 5 million more before Christmas.

In 2014, PopSockets were sold exclusively online out of the garage of their inventor, David Barnett, who first created the accessory as a way to keep his headphones from tangling. Now,thePopSockets brand is available in Target, Walmart, Best Buy, and every major wireless provider's outlets nationwide. Additionally, the gadget issold in 40 other countries andthe company hasplans for further expansion overseas. Barnett says PopSockets has barely scratched the surface of the international market, but just this month, thecompany will open offices in Finland and Singapore.

Now, there's an infinite number of different PopSockets available in every color and design imaginable (you can even design your own on the company's website).

Barnett says he has ambitious plans forthe company's future and that thePopSocket is only the beginning. PopSockets LLC, which has productionfacilities in China, Korea, Mexico, and Seattle, will roll out a set of car vent mounts and PopSocketsthat double as wallet holders over the course of the next few months, with even more smartphone accessories in the works that are currentlyunder wraps.

You can see some examples of celebrities showing off their PopSockets below: