Apple’s been an avid supported of USB for years. With USB 3.0, not so much – at least not until first Mac notebooks with USB 3.0 support began rolling out of assembly lines last year. The company, however, never adopted the industry-standard Micro USB connector. Instead, and much to the horror of the multi-billion dollar accessory biz, it chose to replace its own bulky, decade-old proprietary 30-pin dock connector with Lightning, another proprietary connector similar in size to micro USB (there’s a reasonable explanation for that).
So, if you fancy connecting your Lightning-enabled mobile devices to micro USB cables and chargers to sync and charge, Apple comes to the rescue with its official Lightning to Micro USB Adapter. Originally released in Europe in September due to regulations mandating that all mobile phones be charged via commonplace micro USB adapters, it’s now finally available to U.S. customers. How much? Just $20. I know, don’t start…
It’s compatible with all Lightninig-equipped iOS devices. Currently, these include the fifth-generation iPod touch, the iPhone 5, the fourth-generation iPad with Retina display and the iPad mini, as well as seventh-generation iPod nano.
The Lightning to micro USB Adapter is available now from the online Apple store, shipping in 1-3 days.
Is twenty bucks too much money to drop on such a miniature adapter?
Luckily, there’s always an alternative.