If you live in a household with both iOS and microUSB connected phones, then you might be interested in the ROMOSS Rolink Hybrid Cable; with a simple flip of the business end, it can sync and charge devices that use either a Lightning Cable or a microUSB cable.
At $7.99, the Rolink Hybrid is surprisingly inexpensive. At 3.28 feet long (or 100cm), it is a nice length with a hardy rubber coated cord. The ends are metal, and it seems like a well-built tabgle-free flat cable design that will last a long time.
But this replacement cable has a trick up its sleeve: rather than being simply a well-made microUSB or Lightning Cable, it is a well-made microUSB and Lightning cable.
Check it out: One side of the plug has the familiar Lightning pins, and the other side looks like … well, nothing much, actually.
That’s because the microUSB goodness is in the end of the plug — right where you’d expect to find it in a traditional cable.
The key to making the cables work for your iOS or microUSB device relies on you being able to read the engraved label on the plug — or learning to do the opposite of what you think will work for your device. For instance, if you have an iOS device, you want to hold the plug up so that the iOS label is showing (Lightning connector side down), and then you simply insert it into your device.
If you want to charge a microUSB device, you turn the plug so that the USB symbol is showing and the Lightning connector is facing up at you; slide it into your microUSB device, and it will work properly. It’s genius, really. You are giving up the slight locking mechanism that most microUSB cables employ — if you pull on the cable, it will simply slide out. But that’s not really a con, is it?
Surprisingly enough, the USB end is one way up only (the side with the USB symbol); it seems like an obvious omission to not make this end more convenient to use when the other one is so versatile.
In my testing, I found that the cable both synced and charged my Lightning and microUSB devices as advertised.
Now obviously, there are a couple of cons. For starters, output on this cable is only up to 2.1A, so it is not really powerful enough to charge the iPad Pro. Another thing is that because of its special design, it isn’t MFA certified; it hasn’t made a difference in my usage so far, but there is always a chance you’ll get one of those annoying iOS pop-ups saying something like “this accessory is not compatible with your device”; like I said, it hasn’t yet happened to me, but who knows if it may happen in the future. At 2.1A, this isn’t a quick-charge cable, but it certainly gets the job done.
I like the idea of having one cable that can handle many devices. With that in mind, I think that the Hybrid Cable is a great deal; it’s convenient, multi-talented, and best of all — inexpensive.
The ROMOSS Rolink Hybrid Cable retails for $7.99, and it is available from Amazon.
Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample
What I Like: Inexpensive; Well-Made tangle-free flat cable design with metal ends; Charges both Lightning and microUSB devices
What Needs Improvement: Due to its two-sided design, you will give up being able to plug Lightning cable in from both ways; USB end is one-way only; It is not MFI certified; It’s not QuickCharge; Won’t properly charge an iPad Pro
