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

zipster said:
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
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I use a 6" on my MBA to sync my phone and iPad at my desk. Lays flat beside the device and does the job without extra clutter on my desktop. I carry 6-inchers in the slim pockets on my iPad and MBA cases so when traveling I can transfer pics to/from devices for editing before sending or just for backup storage on long trips.

I don't object to those challenging the price, though some seem obsessive about calculating what should be the "true" price.

I do find it funny/odd that so many seem so sure of their own ability-or right-to decide what might offer practical uses for others. Those people seem very full of themselves. I don't think they'd make very good friends, telling me with absolute certainty what I should want for breakfast or what I should want to wear.

I'm just sayin'…
 
Isn't there a problem having the lightning end of the cable exposed? Won't it get damaged constantly rubbing up against your keys in your pocket?
 
MikBe said:
No because the iPhone has Gorilla Glass. I have my keys in my pocket with the phone all the time and never a scratch.

You can see some real world tests by going to YouTube and searching for "scratch test gorilla glass.'
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Mostly I was inferring that people would use it as an attachment to their keys, thus another thing to hang off their keys.

Yeah the front is alright, but the aluminum on black iPhone 5 scratches easier.
 
The reason this thing is so expensive is that the materials for the cable itself are much cheaper than the chip inside the Thunderbolt cable itself responsible for negotiating the connection.

Still seems like a big price for something so tiny, but if you use this for the next 3-4 years and it really comes in handy I doubt $25 is going to stop someone.
 
HooRide said:
The wire is the least expensive component in the cable. The two connectors and the IC are the bulk of the cost.
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My guess is that the licensing fee collected by Apple is the single most expensive aspect of the cable. Otherwise, I would think that it would cost less than $1 to make.

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alphaod said:
I simply do not understand why almost every third-party cable that looks "official" is priced more than the Apple one.
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Because third parties pay huge licensing fees to apple, but Apple pays $0 licensing fees to Apple.
 
ftaok said:
OK. I'll bite. Why do you need to extend the adapter on the lightning side. Why not get a longer HDMI cable?
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Because in the car you have HDMI and Lightning charging cable giving you the length you need to run from back of Appradio 2 to console where phone sits. Then those plug into AV Adapter and a very short cable off of lightning adapter plugs into phone. So I have this big bulky and ugly adapter plugged into my phone.
 
Why is anyone freaking out about the price? People pay $1.20 for a 20oz Coke when they could pay $0.99 for a 2 liter. Folks don't want to carry a 2 liter around just because it's the better deal. Same thing here.
 
SnowLeopard2008 said:
Why would cost of materials make this $25 cable worth more than a $20 cable that is longer and more inherently useful?
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Because :apple: buys the Lightning in-cable electronics by the millions while this little startup is getting a few thousand (hundred?), plus the latter paying per-item licensing plus the positive-lock endcap, ergo the latter's per-item cost will be distinctly higher, more than the savings of less wire. It's also a rare item which some people will pay more for - I sure don't like multi-feet wires occupying my pockets & bags, and indeed will pay more for the same functionality in a compact form; a vital cable small enough to hang on my keychain ensures I don't have to take my bag everywhere to carry cables 12x longer than I need.

That aside...just because it doesn't appeal to you doesn't mean it's not worth its price to other people. The fact that it was a successful Kickstarter means there's a lot of people who do want such a thing.
If you don't want one, you're probably not in the intended audience. Celebrate diversity.
 
I just got 2x iPhone 5 cables, delivered to my house in Sydney for $3.99AUD from eBay.

$25 for this little stump.. yeah ok man.. principles.. Ill pay for the BMW.. but not the oil or petrol.. its just how things work.. And save yourself the ********.. thats my opinion and I believe it.
 
Why does everyone put the keychain attachment on the least expensive and least important part, so that the rest can be lost as soon as there's a slight tug on it? I see this with flash drives too. It makes no sense at all. The keychain loop should be on the part you don't want to lose! Don't tell me that the cap is tight and can't fall off. Even if it starts off tight, regular use and material fatigue changes that. And if you keep your keys in a front pants pocket, sitting down can introduce just as much tugging force as intentionally pulling it apart.

Also: 3 inches... Is that even going to sit level on a desk? There's no length to move the thing around at all. Better have room next to the laptop for the phone to stick straight out, and you better not need to move the laptop around any. Definitely not a "portable solution" when in actual use.

And: $25? Wow. Out of any sense of proportion.
 
I am considering developing an external 3.5" floppy disk drive for iOS devices.
With all the benefits of high-density 1.44MB disk capacity, ultra-compact 3.5"
form factor, and a durable plastic shell to protect the media from damage.
PM me $1000 for priority delivery of one of the first shipping units.
/s
 
ctdonath said:
Because :apple: buys the Lightning in-cable electronics by the millions while this little startup is getting a few thousand (hundred?), plus the latter paying per-item licensing plus the positive-lock endcap, ergo the latter's per-item cost will be distinctly higher, more than the savings of less wire. It's also a rare item which some people will pay more for - I sure don't like multi-feet wires occupying my pockets & bags, and indeed will pay more for the same functionality in a compact form; a vital cable small enough to hang on my keychain ensures I don't have to take my bag everywhere to carry cables 12x longer than I need.

That aside...just because it doesn't appeal to you doesn't mean it's not worth its price to other people. The fact that it was a successful Kickstarter means there's a lot of people who do want such a thing.
If you don't want one, you're probably not in the intended audience. Celebrate diversity.
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I'm asking people who want it where they would use it. I'm curious. I stated that it doesn't work for me but I would like to know who it works for and in what kind of scenario.

Where would you use it? In every place that I could possibly charge my phone, my phone will end up dangling from the dash of my car, from the USB ports on my work desktop, etc. It doesn't seem stable and it makes me uncomfortable to see my phone hanging vertically and the only force is tension from the Lightning port. I'm simply curious what I'm missing.
 
Short cables for are awesome. Short cables for $25, is a joke.

Two years ago I bought a Griffin set of short cables off Amazon for about $15.

I got three short cables, like the one you got here: 1 Mini USB, 1 Micro USB, and 1 30Pin Apple Connector.

http://www.amazon.com/Griffin-Technology-GC17097-USB-Mini-Cable/dp/B003T5KXJQ

These were awesome cables because they were so stall and fit into my minimalist kits. I could bring them anywhere, and coupled with a small battery I was never out of charging options for my gadgets (except the Samsung Galaxy Tab, which had its own proprietary connector, ugh).

I paid $15 for all three of them. So forgive me laughing at this very useful but insanely overpriced hunk of crap of $25.

Those saying smaller is more expensive... that counts for electronic parts being crammed into a smaller shell. It doesn't apply here, where all you need to make it smaller is to cut the cable shorter.

My solution? I bought a $5 Micro USB to Lightning connector. Then I attach it to my existing short Griffin Micro USB cable. Total cost? $20 for three cables and the adapter.

http://www.amazon.com/Lightning-Micro-female-Adapter-iPhone/dp/B009VH56FM

I'm doing something right because my solution is cheaper than the price of this overpriced hunk of crap, and I got more out of it to boot.
 
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The Phazer said:
Because Apple's licensing costs for Lightning are designed to create exactly that situation, which is why Lightning exists in the first place?
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iGrip said:
Because third parties pay huge licensing fees to apple, but Apple pays $0 licensing fees to Apple.
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I thought about that, but didn't really buy it.

If Amazon and Monoprice can make and sell them cheaper than Apple, why can't everyone else. At least price them the same.
 
Sorry, I don't get it

Not ragging on the people that like this cable. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Here's mine:

WTF?! I just don't see the utility of a 3" cable. Portability is the only feature at the expense of length, which to me is more important considering that whenever I've been out and about and needed to charge my iPhone I've always needed the extra length provided by the 30-pin to Lightning adapter that I have attached to a 30-pin cable. I can't imagine having my iPhone dangling precariously from the wall by the 3-incher, not to mention the loss of use since I won't be able to reach it from my seat.

Like others have stated, just bring a full-size cable with you in your bag, or leave one in the car, or roll one up and put it in your pocket.

Re: the cost, yes, I bought the overpriced 30-pin to Lightning adapter. That said, I've used it frequently enough to (somewhat) justify its cost. I can't imagine getting the same use out of the Nomad to justify paying $25.

But to each his or her own.
 
iGrip said:
My guess is that the licensing fee collected by Apple is the single most expensive aspect of the cable. Otherwise, I would think that it would cost less than $1 to make.
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You can buy things like a Bluetooth transceiver with a separate USB extension lead for 99c including delivery from Hong Kong - I think you're massively overestimating the cost of manufacture for peripherals like this :)
 
It's not the cost of manufacturing but the licensing cost Apple is charging that drives up official third party devices.
 
Price sucks, yes, but the design sucks as well.

Why would they not have protected the most critical part from all the crap it would encounter in your pocket or where ever else your keys happen to land.

And I agree the 25 bucks is reflective to the ransom Apple charges to be certified.
 
jtrenthacker said:
Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think they spent millions of dollars on r&d to come up with a shorter cable. I think $9.99 would be a fair price.
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No, but they do have to pay to become Apple certified. If they were on Apple store shelves they might be able to charge something cheaper, but no way they undercut Apple by $9.99. If they are online only they will just be a niche product and have to have some kind of margin to stay afloat.

Amazon and Monoprice have cheaper cables, but that is just because they already have manufacturing in place - their sunk costs are long since paid for. They also have prominent storefronts for selling them.

The real travesty is that Apple's own lightning cable is $20.
 
Awwwwwww :(

When i read the topic, I started thinking it was a thunderbolt to USB3 adapter for 25$. So I was clapping my hands until i saw the "charging/syncin" part :(
 
Your asking the wrong question.

I'm a financial advisor. And I constantly here people ask the wrong questions when it comes to worth. You are all asking "is it worth it?". It's amazing to me why no one realizes that is the wrong question. The question that should be asked is "Is this worth it to me?". That is the only question that matters. Every ones situation is different, incomes, family's and priorities. Now though in this instance we are talking about a 3" cable, the idea is still the same, is $25 worth it to me. For me, my cell phone allows me to make a living, as I use it for my business and my business calls. I have chargers everywhere, office, car, many around the house, as with out a charged phone I don't make money. Being that I can't think of an instance that I'd need this cool little charger, I may pass for now. Where would this come in handy is an important question too, in fact I'm asking my self that now. For me and me only, I can only think is if I spent the night at a friends house who didn't have a new iPhone/ipad, and needed a charge. Given that I have a family, it's prob a pretty rare case that would happen, but u never know. I think this product is a very cool idea and looks to be well made. For those on fixed budgets and that don't use your phones for business, you are 100% correct in that this is not worth it "for you". But for those that need redundancy in charging of there business phone, and that have the funds to justify the $25, this is a great, smart and clever product. But to the main reason I am posting today, which I rarely ever do, just because some think is not worth it to you, doesn't me it's not worth it to the rest of the planet.
 
Seems like the biggest tech went into making a cover for the usb end

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Hoko222 said:
You are all asking "is it worth it?". It's amazing to me why no one realizes that is the wrong question. The question that should be asked is "Is this worth it to me?".
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All anyone on this site does do is ask if it's worth it to them. But they also conflate that question with "Is it worth it to anyone?" The assumption is, if it is/not worth it to me, it is/not worth it to anyone. :)
This particular product is not worth it to me, but only b/c I have a 4s. It is worth it to my wife, who has a 5.
 
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