Amazon and Monoprice Offering Certified, Low Cost Lightning-to-USB Cables

[MacRumors]

Both Monoprice and Amazon are now offering low cost Lightning cables, priced at $11.77 and $14.99, respectively, for a standard 3-foot cable.

That's a significant savings over Apple's official Lightning cables that are sold online and at retail stores for $19.99.

Monoprice is known for offering high quality generic cables at a deep discount. In addition to the standard 3ft cable, Monoprice is also selling a 6ft cable for $12.56 and a Slimfit cable for $12.73. The cables are all MFi certified Lightning to USB charge/sync cables, made to work with the iPad, iPhone, and iPod. The Slimfit cable from Monoprice is set to ship out in the beginning of March, with the other two cables following later in the month.

Amazon is only offering a 3ft MFi Certified cable at this time, but it is available to ship immediately.

While there are cheaper lightning cables available, the offerings from Amazon and Monoprice are MFi (Made for iPad/iPhone/iPod) Certified, which means they have been approved by Apple. Other low cost Lighting cable options are unofficial, which has introduced concerns about quality and compatibility.

Apple has been maintaining strict control over the Lightning connector and accessories that utilize the technology, insisting that Lightning-related accessories are manufactured in Apple-approved facilities. As a result, the introduction of lower-cost licensed Lightning cables has been slow.

Article Link: Amazon and Monoprice Offering Certified, Low Cost Lightning-to-USB Cables

[LimeiBook86]

Awesome news! Of course I just purchased a knock-off adapter, but these will be of a much better quality. I love Monoprice's cables I'll just wait for the exact measurements of the Monoprice cable, hopefully it will work with the iPhone 5 case I got from them as well.

[JarScott]

Isn't this something Apple would want to stop from happening? Don't they WANT people to pay £25 for an official cable?

[Inakto]

I bought $2.50 lightning cables from dealextreme and they work just as well as the originals

[dkersten]

Well its about time. Just goes to show the ridiculous profit margins Apple still makes on the new cables

[nutmac]

Originally Posted by dkersten

Well its about time. Just goes to show the ridiculous profit margins Apple still makes on the new cables

I can pickup Apple's official cable from any Apple Store at $17.50 with employee purchase plan (available to employees of many large companies). So for me personally, saving few bucks by choosing Monoprice ($14.57 with shipping) or Amazon ($14.99) isn't worth the trouble.

Even at full $19, we are talking about just $4 more per cable.

[oneMadRssn]

Originally Posted by japanime

You really don't believe the most of the cheap knockoffs aren't coming out of the back door of the same factory that makes the officially branded stuff? In other words, the same exact cable, minus the logo?

Have you actually compared the dealextreme/dailysteals cables to the real ones? They aren't similar at all. If they really are coming out of the same factory but through a different door, then I would expect them to be at least of similar construction. They are quite different, and therefore I suspect the cheap ones are inferior enough for the risk to be not worthwhile, in my opinion.

[noiseordinance]

Damn, at first I read this as a thunderbolt to USB cable. I was gonna say, I can finally make use of these worthless thunderbolt ports on my rMBP at last!

[Earendil]

Originally Posted by JarScott

Isn't this something Apple would want to stop from happening? Don't they WANT people to pay £25 for an official cable?

Originally Posted by dkersten

Well its about time. Just goes to show the ridiculous profit margins Apple still makes on the new cables

Apple doesn't care. Higher price is a tax on people that don't know any better. Anyone who looks at the price of the cable and goes "damn, that's expensive" will find an alternate option, and Apple is okay with that. Anyone that tosses it in their basket without a second thought is exactly who Apple (and any company) would love to exact a little more money from. Apple can afford to do this as a company because selling cables is not their business model, just like selling RAM

"Ad Ons" that aren't part of the business model are always sold for above market price by a company based on the convenience factor of purchasing it alongside the primary item. I'm not a business major so I don't know if this is business 101, but it seems like it should/could be.

[afawcett]

I know people have been getting cheaper cables from various venders, but I've heard many complaints that these cables will charge but not sync. Hopefully these cables will have better quality control.

[jca24]

Originally Posted by Inakto

I bought $2.50 lightning cables from dealextreme and they work just as well as the originals

Most likely not for long. The cheap chi-com crap will burn you!

[japanime]

Originally Posted by jca24

Most likely not for long. The cheap chi-com crap will burn you!

You really don't believe the most of the cheap knockoffs aren't coming out of the back door of the same factory that makes the officially branded stuff? In other words, the same exact cable, minus the logo?

[cameronjpu]

Originally Posted by japanime

You really don't believe the most of the cheap knockoffs aren't coming out of the back door of the same factory that makes the officially branded stuff? In other words, the same exact cable, minus the logo?

That'd be nice. I bought 10 when I thought I saw a set that was highly rated on Amazon. 6 weeks later 3 have failed. 7 to go! I bought so many with a plan to provide them to my clients with new iPhones (I do computer repair/setup, etc) but clearly I can't give these things to my clients even for free. I got a refund of $12 from the seller (total cost was $45). The generics are not the same as the originals. Unfortunately that's because Apple went to such great lengths to make them hard to copy.

[Squilly]

Originally Posted by japanime

You really don't believe the most of the cheap knockoffs aren't coming out of the back door of the same factory that makes the officially branded stuff? In other words, the same exact cable, minus the logo?

Absolutely not. Look at Beats. They're counterfeited right over your shoulder. Granted, true Beats still have awful sound quality for the price, but there's a noticeable difference between them and counterfeit Beats.

[BvizioN]

Originally Posted by japanime

You really don't believe the most of the cheap knockoffs aren't coming out of the back door of the same factory that makes the officially branded stuff? In other words, the same exact cable, minus the logo?

I don't. One that i bought got broken in the first attempt to charge the phone. Another one lasted 4 weeks. So no... personally I don't believe on myths.

[Inakto]

Originally Posted by jca24

Most likely not for long. The cheap chi-com crap will burn you!

You're welcome to your opinion and empty wallet.

[santaliqueur]

Originally Posted by Inakto

You're welcome to your opinion and empty wallet.

A $20 cable will somehow empty your wallet out? Get a job.

[aziatiklover]

Originally Posted by Inakto

You're welcome to your opinion and empty wallet.

Lol @ empty wallet! So you bought an iphone for $700 tax included and can't afford an extra cable for $19.99? I'm just gonna start putting regular gas in my ferrari.

Not a single "F" is given to logic sometimes!

[Solomani]

The Monoprice "slimfit" Lightning cable.... me wants!!!

Finally, someone put some thought into producing a cable. In this case, it means the cable can be easily connected to the iOS device without having to remove it from a case.

[rmwebs]

Originally Posted by jca24

Most likely not for long. The cheap chi-com crap will burn you!

Been using my ~£2.00 one for 3 months now. I have one in the car and one in the kitchen for charging - both work fine. You'd have a hard time telling them appart from the 'official' ones.

[troop231]

Still enjoying my own DIY "made" 6 foot cables

[mscann]

Why is it so hard to make the connector head the same size as the apple ones? None of these cables work on closed bottom cases

[Noit21]

just got the Amazon one yesterday in the mail... works like a charm... charge and sync...

[walterg74]

Originally Posted by jca24

Most likely not for long. The cheap chi-com crap will burn you!

Right, cause cales just "stop working"...

Even if it lasts say six months, I can buy cables for YEARS before I reach what apple charges for ONE cable.. It's always been a blatant rip-off, and everyone knows it.

[Eriamjh1138@DAN]

If poorly built, wires will break from flexing. I've had some cheapies die on me. But they are so heap, I can get 4 or 5 for the ost of 1 apple cable. They are worth it.

Bring on the cheap cables.