A little bridge between lightning and USB-C

As an owner of multiple Apple products, I would be happy if the whole world of electronic devices were powered with Apple’s lightning cables. But that’s clearly never going to happen. 

USB-C will soon be the King of Cables, if it isn’t already. My MacBook Air uses USB-C and it’s appearing on other devices, including the battery charger for my action camera. Apple put a USB-C port on newer iPad models and I expect to see it on more devices in the future.

That’s why I was attracted to the CHAFON M3 multi-plug adapter. It’s a thick two-inch long cable with four different plugs: a full-sized USB, a lightning plug and two USB-C plugs.

Each end has a magnetic connector that turns the cable into a small loop when they touch. That makes it convenient to store in my computer bag or on a keyring. A rubber cover protects the two ends and keeps them from separating and the cable that connects the two ends is inside a very sturdy nylon sheath. 

During a recent vacation, I used the CHAFON cable to power my camera battery charger and to recharge my phone and my AirPods from my computer. The cable is also just the right size and length to connect an iPhone or iPad to a portable power bank.

The CHAFON cable would be a little more useful if it included a mini USB plug. I still have a few gadgets that use that format. You know, the one that you have to rotate two or three times to get it to fit. That plug is fading fast and devoting two of the CHAFON cable’s four tips to USB-C is the right way to go for the future. 

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Written by Ric Manning

Follow me on Twitter @ricmanning and read my technology columns at My Well Being.