Nomad 3-Inch Lightning Cable Now Available for Preorder, Shipping in June

[eject]

personally I love it, it would be so handy for me to have on my keys. It's a fully certified Apple version, so in theory you know it'll last, I'll have lightning connection devices for the next foreseeable few years - so it's worth while for me to have. Expensive yes, but a Chinese version of the cable that may stop working and always gets forgotten in a draw isn't going to do the trick for me. just saying.

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3 inch? Is that practical? The only thing that is unique about this versus some generic knock-off or even the official Apple cable is the USB cap that attaches to a key ring. But I can buy a cap like that for $1 on eBay. Maybe it won't look as nice but seriously...

I agree with you, but as you said it won't look as nice.. and if it's on my keys I want something clean to sit nicely with my Jaguar key... (sadly, I drive a family fiat)

 

[InfoTime]

Don't know why none of the posters here don't get it. Here's why it's worth $25

1. Apple certified means that it's less likely to burn up your $500 iPhone
2. it's not a normal cable - it's a keychain accessory that you'll always have with you
3. having it with you is important now because lightning connectors are new and rare - you probably can't borrow one from a friend when your phone is about to die - but there's a crapload of 30 pin dock connectors lying around
4. total cost of materials and manufacturing for a 3' cable vs a 3" cable is probably about the same. In fact the 3" might cost more because of it's small size. The amount of extra material used is negligible.

 

[output555]

So because they worked closely with Apple to create a shorter Lightening cable that justifies a $25 price tag? Gosh, I guess they must have been constantly flying back and forth to Cupertino testing the optimum length and spending millions on copper wire samples to get it just right. I think what Nomad really researched was how Apple manages to overcharge for the most simple devices.

 

[MikBe]

Uh, and the aluminum? I'm guessing that's what was being referred to.

If you follow the chain, not just pick a comment out of context, it's pretty obvious he's talking about the face but it's an excellent point about the aluminum body. I use a soft shell case that's wafer thin so forget that it's even there (Rocketfish Mobile - Soft Shell Case for Apple iPhone 5 - Black/Clear).

 

[bretm]

If you follow the chain, not just pick a comment out of context, it's pretty obvious he's talking about the face but it's an excellent point about the aluminum body. I use a soft shell case that's wafer thin so forget that it's even there (Rocketfish Mobile - Soft Shell Case for Apple iPhone 5 - Black/Clear).

He said "naked" iPhone. That is referring to it not having a case. Cases don't protect the screen. Therefore the worry is about the keys scratching the aluminum. Which of course has been proven to scratch even before you take it out of the box.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

So because they worked closely with Apple to create a shorter Lightening cable that justifies a $25 price tag? Gosh, I guess they must have been constantly flying back and forth to Cupertino testing the optimum length and spending millions on copper wire samples to get it just right. I think what Nomad really researched was how Apple manages to overcharge for the most simple devices.

No, they have to buy a certified lightning connector from Apple. That connector costs them in the $15-$20 range. Then they have to spend a penny on a bit of copper and plastic. Beyond that is their revenue, which pays them and any overhead from the cable (IE, sending people fixed units if any break and providing other customer services.)

 

[kd5jos]

Uhm... no...

Everyone, please don't tell me that the concept of portability is completely lost on you...

Yes, it's $25. Yes, that's $25 for a very short cable. It's the same reason you pay several hundred dollars for a cell phone that isn't nearly as powerful as a laptop you could buy for about the same amount of money. Because it's portable. It's comfortable to have in your pocket whenever you need it. You're going to pay more for that convenience.

Okay, so your stand is that the difference of 600% is represented in portability. The average desktop sells for $650 (several online sources stated this). So using this logic the average price of a portable version (a laptop) would cost $3900. Which would make a cell phone unattainable for anyone not in the top 1% of income earners in this country.

200% or $8 would be reasonable. You'll notice it matches scale (average price of a laptop closer to $1300). $24 is ridiculous.

 

[jshbckr]

Okay, so your stand is that the difference of 600% is represented in portability. The average desktop sells for $650 (several online sources stated this). So using this logic the average price of a portable version (a laptop) would cost $3900. Which would make a cell phone unattainable for anyone not in the top 1% of income earners in this country.

200% or $8 would be reasonable. You'll notice it matches scale (average price of a laptop closer to $1300). $24 is ridiculous.

To make your math correct, you'd have to take all of the power and functionality of that desktop computer and put it into the cell phone. So really, I think if you could make a cell phone as powerful as that desktop computer, it may very well cost that much--if it were even possible at all.

I would say that the $5 extra this cable costs is worth the convenience of its size. Sure, I could buy the full Apple cable for $19 but that's not what I want at all, I want a short cable that I can put on my keys and take everywhere with me. That convenience is worth a surcharge equal to a fancy cup of coffee.

 

[Mr. Chewbacca]

I paid 20.00 for one on kick starter just as the iPhone 5 was released. The ship date was Feb of this year. Now that I have several lightning cables I dont care as much. Still think it will be cool to have

 

[Lunchb0x8]

Meh, I carry a normal Lightning cable in my bag for syncing on the go, and keep one in my car for charging my phone when I know the trip I am about to embark on could be the last of my battery.

 

[nikicampos]

Ridiculous

First, if someone finds this amazing or great or perfect, that's fine, but for me it's so dumb.

You can buy an extra 3.25 feet Apple official cable for $19.99 to have in the office or in the go, the one that came with the iPhone could be sitting at home, so, you have two.

You can take the extra one, 3.25 feet long to your office, to your car and plug it into usb car charger.

And here's the most amazing thing, for 5 dollars less than this 3 inch whatever cable, you have the ability to talk and use your phone while it charges.

 

[Squilly]

Was thinking about this earlier. Maybe Apple has a set price that third party manufacturers have to set as prices (ie. must be above the standard $20 for something not officially made by Apple).

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

personally I love it, it would be so handy for me to have on my keys. It's a fully certified Apple version, so in theory you know it'll last, I'll have lightning connection devices for the next foreseeable few years - so it's worth while for me to have. Expensive yes, but a Chinese version of the cable that may stop working and always gets forgotten in a draw isn't going to do the trick for me. just saying.

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I agree with you, but as you said it won't look as nice.. and if it's on my keys I want something clean to sit nicely with my Jaguar key... (sadly, I drive a family fiat)

I don't see why you'd need to carry it with you everywhere. Have a spare in the car. If this also included a charger that plugs into a wall outlet, that'd be more useful and more worth the price. But this is JUST A CABLE. It's also too short to use anywhere, at least the places I go to. Work, car, home.

Don't know why none of the posters here don't get it. Here's why it's worth $25

1. Apple certified means that it's less likely to burn up your $500 iPhone
2. it's not a normal cable - it's a keychain accessory that you'll always have with you
3. having it with you is important now because lightning connectors are new and rare - you probably can't borrow one from a friend when your phone is about to die - but there's a crapload of 30 pin dock connectors lying around
4. total cost of materials and manufacturing for a 3' cable vs a 3" cable is probably about the same. In fact the 3" might cost more because of it's small size. The amount of extra material used is negligible.

Apple themselves sell a cable that is certified by Apple (obviously). It's $20. If you're a female and carry a purse, just carry the $20 one that is longer. Won't kill you because it's longer. If you're a dude and don't carry a purse, stash an extra in the car. Using this in the car is pretty much not happening since your phone will dangle from wherever the charger is (most likely the cigarette lighter). If you have a newer car with a USB port or some setup so that the phone can be placed on a surface that is close to the charging source, congratulations to you. Using this at work is kind of a bust. Most workplaces use desktops with USB ports located in the back. Even if you have USB ports on the front of a desktop, you might not have a place to rest your phone on since this cable is only 3 inches long. My desktop at work has USB ports located near the middle of the front of the tower. If I plug this in, my phone will dangle from my tower. If you use a laptop stand, your phone will dangle. If you use a laptop, that might work. Where can you possibly use this cable? Wall outlet? Even those are located more than 3 inches above the floor so your phone will dangle while charging. Sometimes less is better. This isn't one of those times.

Your last point just doesn't make sense. Why would cost of materials make this $25 cable worth more than a $20 cable that is longer and more inherently useful? If we don't factor in length, you're paying $5 for a USB cap WHILE the Lightning end of the cable is still unprotected and exposed to the world. No thanks. This cable is 100% useless in my opinion. It's too short for it's own good.

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Was thinking about this earlier. Maybe Apple has a set price that third party manufacturers have to set as prices (ie. must be above the standard $20 for something not officially made by Apple).

Not true. Amazon sells a Lightning cable that is 100% Apple certified for $14.

http://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Lightning-Compatible-Cable-Meter/dp/B009SYZ8OC

Monoprice also sells various Lightning cables that are 100% Apple certified for even less than Amazon.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/search.asp?keyword=lightning

I stand by what I said. This 3" long cable is completely useless AND ridiculously expensive. You can't use it anywhere. My phone would hang from the dash if I used this in my car. Same thing at home and at work. You're paying $5-$10 for inconvenience and a USB cap with a keyring hole. The lightning end of the cable is still open for the world to abuse.

 

[zipster]

Is this a joke? I bought a 6 inch cable (USB/30-pin) for my iPhone by accident once and it's a complete waste. No practicality at all.

I've never heard anyone say they wish their cable was shorter and definitely not for $25.

Bye.

 

[quietstormSD]

$25? Are they on crack? $4 cable off ebay. Keep wrapped up in wallet/car/briefcase/etc. Done.

I've tried to get cables from ebay. But they either end up falling apart after a month, or data sync doesn't work. Kinda frustrating. So I can see why someone would pay $25. But I agree, it should be something more reasonable like $9.99.

I had so much trouble with my iPod shuffle cables that I got from Ebay. I eventually got the nerve to pay $19 for the Apple iPod shuffle cables (came with 2, one long one and one short one). Since it was getting to the point of buying cheap cables from Ebay that kept on crapping out was getting close to being $19 anyway

 

[CylonGlitch]

Buy them from China for a buck or two (Link on Alibaba), buy cap for a few cents. Sell for $25, make a killing.

People are stupid to buy this.

 

[quietstormSD]

Is this a joke? I bought a 6 inch cable (USB/30-pin) for my iPhone by accident once and it's a complete waste. No practicality at all.

I've never heard anyone say they wish their cable was shorter and definitely not for $25.

Bye.

You know what they say about guys with short cables.

 

[MikBe]

Cases don't protect the screen

Took me about two seconds to find these:

Otterbox

Lifeproof

 

[JoEw]

They can't make these things in high bulk like apple can with the long cord, thus higher price tag, the low demand.

It's a niche market. If you find it useful, $25 graphed on a supply/demand curve seems reasonable.

 

[CynanX]

I carry a micro to 30 pin, connected to a 30 pin to lighting adaptor in my wallet. Now no matter where I go I can always charge my phone in an emergency as there is always someone else who has a micro or 30 pin cable laying around. A much smaller solution in my opinion, though just as expensive or more. But hey ho. It's worth it to me as a I don't want to carry an actual cable around with me. A cable in the car is a good solution too but I don't always have the car with me. Just sayin'

 

[92jlee]

I can't see anywhere this would be useful. The only time I might need a cable is in work, 3" isn't long enough to put the phone on the desktop and bend the cable to the USB ports on the front..

Can someone give me a real world example where you would need this product? I thought "ill just splice one of my eBay cables that I paid £3 for" but I don't have a use for such a short cable. Longer cable however, many uses. Paid £5 free shipping for a 2 meter.

 

[the8thark]

The team behind the Nomad worked directly with Apple, which means this is a fully Apple-certified Lightning accessory. The USB side of the Nomad locks into a keychain adapter, which makes it convenient to carry in a pocket alongside a set of keys.

I would want a cover for the lightning end of the cable. I'd be worried the keys would scratch that end up a lot.

 

[alphaod]

I simply do not understand why almost every third-party cable that looks "official" is priced more than the Apple one.

I go to the Apple Store and I see a couple options on the rack. All of them are prices at $25 whereas the Apple branded one is priced at only $20. This isn't just at the Apple Store. I see this at Best Buy, etc.

EDIT: Let's put it this way—I can pay $20 for the Apple microUSB-to-Lightning adapter and buy a retractable microUSB cable all for less than $25. I would have something compact and it would work with both Apple and non-Apple devices.

 

[The Phazer]

I simply do not understand why almost every third-party cable that looks "official" is priced more than the Apple one.

Because Apple's licensing costs for Lightning are designed to create exactly that situation, which is why Lightning exists in the first place?

 

[Jamo12]

Just asked my girlfriend how much she would pay for this, no background info on price or anything. Showed the picture and asked how much. She said $20 with no hesitation. She is mildly tech illiterate, so I would peg her as the average consumer. It is $25 because people will pay it. That is the worth of anything; how much people will pay.