Unofficial Lightning USB Cables and Adapters Launching Soon at Significant Discounts

[MacRumors]

Earlier this month, we pointed to a new iPhone 5 Flash Lightning Dock from iPhone5mod.com, one of the first unauthorized Lightning-equipped products to surface on the market. At the time, iPhone5mod told us that it was using genuine Lightning connectors sourced from Apple's supplier, but noted that it also had cracked versions that were working properly.

The company is now pressing forward with its efforts to release accessories based on these unofficial Lightning connectors to the public, introducing a new Lightning to USB cable.

iPhone5mod's cable is priced at $9.90, nearly 50% less than the official $19 cable from Apple. Shipping for iPhone5mod's cable starts at $4 per item to the United States.

iPhone5mod tells us that orders will begin shipping on November 3.

The company has also introduced its own version of Apple's cabled Lightning to 30-pin Adapter. iPhone5mod's version is priced at $19.90 plus $4 shipping to the U.S., compared to Apple's $39 price tag.

Finally, iPhone5mod is launching what it calls a Lightning 3-in-1 Starter Kit Set, bundling a USB cable, 30-pin adapter, and a Lightning dock for $39.90 plus $7 shipping to the U.S.

Both items are currently being quoted 10-14 days processing time plus international shipment, which can take a fair amount of time at the cheapest rates.

iPhone5mod's Lightning 3-in-1 Starter Kit

A chip-level teardown of Apple's official Lightning cable has revealed that while the connector does require several chips to handle the dynamic assignment of the eight contact pins, it does not appear to contain any true authentication features to prevent unauthorized connections from being made. At best, a Texas Instruments chip found in the connector provides only basic security in the form of a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) to ensure data integrity.

Apple is reportedly keeping tight control over official Lightning connectors, and has yet to officially certify any third-party accessory company to manufacture Lightning products. Apple will be holding a conference with members of its MFi Program early next month to provide details on Lightning integration.

Article Link: Unofficial Lightning USB Cables and Adapters Launching Soon at Significant Discounts

[alent1234]

$15 for a fake vs $20 for the real thing?

i'll take the real thing and not risk breaking my phone

maybe if it was $3 including shipping and a guarantee to work

[Gemütlichkeit]

Good to know. Will be getting one for the car

[happydude]

so when does apple send in ltheir legal version of navy seal team 6 to shut this thing down?

[Gemütlichkeit]

Originally Posted by alent1234

$15 for a fake vs $20 for the real thing?

i'll take the real thing and not risk breaking my phone

maybe if it was $3 including shipping and a guarantee to work

Real one's are $20? I thought they were $30

[tkhan456]

Good. Apple deserves to lose business to a cheaper alternative for trying to unnecessarily make the lightening connector proprietary and on top of that not even provide any good accessories almost a month from the launch of lightening.

[BMNB1tch]

why is a 10 cent cable $20 ?

Apple is turning into Best Buy

[Vonner]

Originally Posted by Gemütlichkeit

Real one's are $20? I thought they were $30

The 30-pin to Lightning is $30 from Apple. A USB to Lightning is $19 from Apple.

[ChrisA]

The argument that the lightening was complex because of pin reassignment sounded good at first. But I bet the pins are "re-assigned" in the EXACT same way every time on plug in the phone. So if you use the cable unly with your phone the cable would never have to re-assign a pin. I can see why the cable could be simpler if it only had to work with one device.

I expect these to be even cheaper in a year or so

[TC400]

Damnit! I just ordered two from Apple.

[everything-i]

So you risk a £400 device for a saving of £10 on a cable. These cables look pretty low quality junk, you hardly save anything by using them, and risk damaging your expensive device. Think I'll pass on this one.

[ixodes]

This outta be interesting. Apple is nothing if not controversial, as they continue to try and keep people locked down into their proprietary system.

[burnside]

I have never bought an Apple made accessory yet. I like most of their products, but man they gouge you on accessories.

[lilo777]

Since when have we started paying $30 for cables?

[ChrisA]

Originally Posted by BMNB1tch

why is a 10 cent cable $20 ?

Apple is turning into Best Buy

The apple able is not a 10 cent cable. THere is considerable amount of electronics inside the end shells. In the 30 pin version there is an entire audio interface inside with A/D converters. Basically there is a tiny computer inside the cable.

Next we can ask if this is a smart design or not. Bt it is not a simple cable.

[1080p]

Originally Posted by ChrisA

The apple able is not a 10 cent cable. THere is considerable amount of electronics inside the end shells. In the 30 pin version there is an entire audio interface inside with A/D converters. Basically there is a tiny computer inside the cable.

Next we can ask if this is a smart design or not. Bt it is not a simple cable.

Ok... so why is a $1 cable $20?

[Plutonius]

Originally Posted by lilo777

Since when have we started paying $30 for cables?

When they are not just cables.

[ChrisA]

Originally Posted by lilo777

Since when have we started paying $30 for cables?

It's not a cable. It s a lightening to 30-pin interface with considerable electronics, including a tiny computer all inside.

[burnside]

Originally Posted by everything-i

So you risk a £400 device for a saving of £10 on a cable. These cables look pretty low quality junk, you hardly save anything by using them, and risk damaging your expensive device. Think I'll pass on this one.

Usually the first batch of accessories are risky, but after a couple months of testing, there is little issue. At this point, I would trust the iPhone5mod cables.

[ChrisA]

Originally Posted by 1080p

Ok... so why is a $1 cable $20?

Did you read the text you quoted?

[dearfriendx]

Originally Posted by lilo777

Since when have we started paying $30 for cables?

The new Lightning cable is $19. Sorry

[FSMBP]

Originally Posted by burnside

I have never bought an Apple made accessory yet. I like most of their products, but man they gouge you on accessories.

Originally Posted by lilo777

Since when have we started paying $30 for cables?

Their HDMI adapter for Lightning is $50 (up $10 from the 30 pin version). It's 25% the cost of buying an iPhone on contract.

I understand Apple is a business but this truly is disgusting.

[croooow]

I will stick with the $19 official one (I do not need an adapter, just a way to connect to USB ports)

[haruhiko]

Originally Posted by Gemütlichkeit

Real one's are $20? I thought they were $30

The cables are $19

[growlf]

Originally Posted by lilo777

Since when have we started paying $30 for cables?

Not old enough to remember SCSI drives, eh? A SCSI cable and a terminator would set you back more than this. WAAY more.

I see this connector and its associated technology as an acceptable transition to a future-proof(ish) design. What did you guys want? Mini/Micro USB? And what? an HDMI port on top of that? and an SD slot? and a VGA port... and...

The old giant connector limited their hardware designs and was cumbersome to work with. The new connector is small, elegant, and effectively transmogrifies to be whatever they need it to be; possibly adapting to connection standards that aren't even out in the wild yet.

Yeah, it sucks that if you want to buy the new devices, you need to move to the new connector. If that's having such an impact on your life that it is a major concern, I'm sorry.

My $.02.