Belkin Announces First Official Third-Party Lightning Accessories

[OrangeSVTguy]

What's the point of dedicated car chargers? I mean seriously, I'm sure everyone already has a car charger with a USB port. Just use the USB>Lightning cable.

[Tech198]

... Except those cars built in 93...

[mdelvecchio]

Originally Posted by radio

maybe i will.

Look i don't appreciate the attitude

mods?

"mmmmoooooomm-eeee!!!"

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Originally Posted by Korican100

nope these things are proven to degrade battery life

proven where? links, or...

[hiptobesquare]

Sooooo....

You get a dock that only works with an iPhone, not an iPad, due to the audio jack location...

And a car charger that is single-purpose use..

Why would anyone buy either of these? Maybe the dock if they really MUST have it, and only have an iPhone 5 to consider.

A dock with just the Lightning connector would be fine, and perhaps if you need analog audio output from the dock, have a D/A converter in the dock. Maybe even a high quality one.

And a car 12V DC to 5V DC USB adapter, or even TWO USB ports, works so much more modularly than having twice as many cables due to single-use ends. like having a 12-volt power plug fixed to the end of the cable.

So many small electronics with Lithium Polymer batteries are charging directly from 5V DC USB ports, that it just makes sense to keep it modular.

[BiggAW]

Originally Posted by iGrip

$30 for a car charger?

That is insane.

Exactly. One reason I got a Scosche charger with dual-USB. It can charge the iPhone 4S just as well as an iPhone 5 or an SGS III or Nexus 4, or iPad or Kindle...

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Originally Posted by burnout8488

How hard is it to spell Lightning? Seriously?? Light. Ning.

This has got to be the most misspelled word on MR right now, ever since the iP5 launch.

If they are all from the US, UK, Australia, Canada, South Africa, any other part of the former British Empire, or any other English-speaking countries, then they clearly are idiots. However, not everyone on here is from English speaking countries, and thus our bizarre and confusing language might trip them up. Just sayin'.

[whyamihere]

1st impression from the headline: awesome, finally some new lightening accessories.

final impression after reading the whole post and seeing 1) a $30 car charger and 2) a dock that doesn't come with a lightening cable or adapter: we still have no reasonable lightening accessories.

[faroZ06]

Uhhh nope. I think it's best to buy cheap docks from Chinese eBay sellers instead of overpriced and bad-quality Belkin docks.

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Originally Posted by OrangeSVTguy

What's the point of dedicated car chargers? I mean seriously, I'm sure everyone already has a car charger with a USB port. Just use the USB>Lightning cable.

Exactly.

[croooow]

Originally Posted by Korican100

nope these things are proven to degrade battery life

Originally Posted by Korican100

the usb ported ones.

I think its something to do with the wattage not being delivered into the cable efficiently. thats why you always buy specific car chargers, not the usb plug in ones

You went from "these things are proven" to "I think it's something..." I have never had an issue with my iPhone/iPod batteries. Never noticed reduced life. Do you have any actual proof or a link of from anyone?!?!

[SurferPup]

I wish I could pre-order the Belkin Lightning car charger in Australia and I was charged only $30.

[duncanapple]

Originally Posted by croooow

Great to see a 3rd party Lightning cord but I will just stick with my USB car charger adapter.
Image
I purchased an extra USB/Lightning cord from Apple but I would also like to be able to charge other devices.

Exactly. That was the first thing I noticed about that belkin/lightning charger. I have the older one by them that originally came with a 30 pin cord but that cord came out of the 12V plug via a USB end. So #1 it gave me another spare cord that could be used inside too and, #2 it allowed me to buy "just" a $19 usb/lightning cord from apple on iphone5 launch day and have a car charger immediately vs a month later.

I don't understand why its attached other than it will fray and break, causing people to buy a whole new charger sooner. Plus I am sure it saves them a whole 10 cents in manufacturing

[macs4nw]

Originally Posted by DB2k

how is the dock a "lightening accessory" its a lump of metal with a hole. You have to provide your own Lightening to USB cable to make it work. that is a gip.

The lightning cable should have come with it, I agree. It does look like a very solid dock though, and I noticed on the BELKIN website that the headphone jack swings out of the way, so I wonder if this dock is solid enough to also charge iPad4 and/or iPad Mini?

Originally Posted by croooow

Great to see a 3rd party Lightning cord but I will just stick with my USB car charger adapter. Image I purchased an extra USB/Lightning cord from Apple but I would also like to be able to charge other devices.

For maximum versatility, this seems like the way to go.

[doctor-don]

Originally Posted by DB2k

how is the dock a "lightening accessory" its a lump of metal with a hole. You have to provide your own Lightening to USB cable to make it work.

that is a gip.

It is NOT a "lightening accessory" since it does not lighten anything, only makes it heavier and darker (if you bought the white iPad).

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Originally Posted by BiggAW

Exactly. One reason I got a Scosche charger with dual-USB. It can charge the iPhone 4S just as well as an iPhone 5 or an SGS III or Nexus 4, or iPad or Kindle...

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If they are all from the US, UK, Australia, Canada, South Africa, any other part of the former British Empire, or any other English-speaking countries, then they clearly are idiots. However, not everyone on here is from English speaking countries, and thus our bizarre and confusing language might trip them up. Just sayin'.

How difficult is it to LOOK at the article - even the title has the word. Copy. Past. Simple.

[albusseverus]

I got a really great iPhone 5 case from Belkin, only a few days after the 5 shipped.

And that's all I have to say on this subject.

[DDustiNN]

Bah, no coiled cord?

I guess I'll keep waiting...

[mickbab]

Originally Posted by Radio

Maybe I will.

Look I don't appreciate the attitude

Mods?

This is hilariously pathetic.

[Radio]

Originally Posted by mickbab

This is hilariously pathetic.

Really

[brucku]

one of the coolest parts about having both ports on the bottom is that a dock can come out that allows "full docking" for external accessories... guess what - this dock clearly has a 2-ring 3.5mm wire. This means that headsets like the apple headphones or a Pop-dock receiver will not be able to answer or hang up calls....

It could have been perfect.... what a shame.

[haruhiko]

Originally Posted by OrangeSVTguy

What's the point of dedicated car chargers? I mean seriously, I'm sure everyone already has a car charger with a USB port. Just use the USB>Lightning cable.

I have been using Griffin's car charger with USB port (it came with a 30 pin cable). After I bought the iPhone 5 I just purchase one more lightning to USB cable to plug into the USB port.

[croooow]

Originally Posted by Radio

Really

Yes, the person you want the Mods to do something about did not even address you. Regardless, his post was not out of line, he has a point. What do you want the Mods to do?

[Orange Furball]

The reason the cable is permanently attached is so they don't intrude on Apples Lightning territory. If they did a USB to Lightning + a USB car charger dongle they would be taking away Apple's shares of Lightning sales.

Instead of going through Apple for every cable, you would be buying one from Belkin and getting the features of a car charger too. If they just sold the USB to car adapter no one would buy it. I may be wrong, but it may be Apple's fault. Too bad.

The dock is just stupid though.

[croooow]

Originally Posted by Orange Furball

The reason the cable is permanently attached is so they don't intrude on Apples Lightning territory. If they did a USB to Lightning + a USB car charger dongle they would be taking away Apple's shares of Lightning sales.

Instead of going through Apple for every cable, you would be buying one from Belkin and getting the features of a car charger too. If they just sold the USB to car adapter no one would buy it. I may be wrong, but it may be Apple's fault. Too bad.

The dock is just stupid though.

Good point, I would have to guess it is Apple's idea. Belkin does sell car chargers for 30 Pin Apple devices that have separate USB->30 Pin cables. I have one. I have quite a few non-Apple USB->30 Pin cables and have NEVER purchased one from Apple (other than the ones that come with Apple devices, of course) It would make sense that Apple has changed the rules for 3rd party accessory makers.

I guess once we see other chargers we will have a better idea. Perhaps the only 3rd party USB->Lightning cables we will see are unauthorized ones.

[viewfly]

I haven't purchased a hard wired car charger in a few years.

Better to buy a car charger with female USB port that you can plug any device into, just using your current connector or a $19 extra one from Apple.

[jrbdmb]

Originally Posted by John.B

All of the above.

Nobody wants to go back to days where the cable was permanently attached to the charger.

The real question is this: How on God's Green Earth does Belkin not implicitly understand this?

Well then you already have a solution - any of the USB car chargers with an extra Lightning cable. But a few people *do* want the cord attached - one less thing to lose in their car.

I like my Scoche dual-USB with an extra Lightning cord, but my wife only charges her iPhone 5 and wants a one-piece solution. It's good to have the choice.

[Gurubarry]

"Nobody wants to go back to days where the cable was permanently attached to the charger."
Apple does...and it will all be obsolete in 3 years .....like thunderbolt and my 2 iMacs ......

[nightjar99]

The dock is a BIG disappointment.

I ordered one direct from Belkin when first mentioned here.

It came yesterday.

Very well made.. solid, attractive..

BUT, BUT BUT !!!!!!

The function is CRAP!

When you snake your own Lightning cable thru the bottom... all seems good.

UNTIL YOU TRY TO LIFT YOUR PHONE OUT OF THE DOCK!

Then the cable pulls up with the phone thru it's channel instead of releasing form the phone.

There is no "one-handed" removal of your phone from this dock.

You have to constantly "re-snug" the cable back into it's channel.

HUGE, IRRITATING FAIL.