Those of us who use Apple’s mobile products have entered into a transitional period. The devices we had prior to this fall all use the company’s 30-pin dock connector but, as you likely know, all of their new products use a much smaller, and thankfully reversible, connector.
If you have old cables, it means you either need to buy new ones or get one of Apple’s pricey adapters if you want to charge on the go. Thankfully Belkin has been first to step in and release new products that use the updated connector.
They sent me one of their Car Charger with Lightning Connector for iPhone 5. (They also offer a great-looking dock that is specially designed for the iPhone 5, but itvis BYOC-Bring Your Own Cable.) Let’s take a look.
From Belkin:
Small but Powerful: Charge your iPhone 5 on the road with the Belkin Car Charger with Lightning connector. Get unlimited play and standby time with the low-profile design that sits flush in your dash.
Charge at the Speed of Lightning: Charge your iPhone 5, iPad mini or iPad with Retina Display (4th generation) at the fastest possible speed with the smaller, more durable Lightning connector. It’s reversible, which makes plugging it in easier than ever.
Power up your iPhone 5: The Lightning connector has a reversible design for quick and easy connections.
Small, Compact and Easy to Insert and Remove: Low profile design fits easily in your dash. Rubber grips allows you to insert and remove your lightning car charger with ease.
Know You’re Charging: Green indicator light easy to see your device is charging.
There’s nothing very exciting about this cable. It is, after all, simply a car adapter with a cable and the new smaller connector. It doesn’t need to be exciting, though. Thanks to its lightning connector, I am able to keep my iPhone, iPad mini and iPad charged on the go, and that’s what matters most; it is available now.
Features:
Ultra-compact
Plugs into any car power outlet
2.1 Amp/10 Watts
4′ cable with reversible Lightning connector
It’s great to see accessory manufacturers beginning to roll out products that work with the new adapter. If you have an iPhone 5, one of the new iPod touches, or the iPad mini, then you’ll want to check out the company’s offerings. They are first out of the gate, and that means… they win. Check it out here.
MSRP: $29.99
What I Like: Belkin’s products are always made with quality; Works with all of Apple’s current products; Here now
What Needs Improvement: Nothing- this is an essential accessory for anyone buying into Apple’s current lineup
Personally I’d rather spend $5 for a generic car power plug and $20 for the Apple USB-to-Lightning cable, because I can use the cable to connect to a laptop or A/C adapter. That’s just how I roll, a single device with multiple purposes.