iChargeDevices 3-in-1 Universal Magnetic iCharge Pro Charging Cable REVIEW | MacSources

A unique cable that has interchangeable charging adapters.

At any given time I could be using my iPhone, iPad, and a small rechargeable fan at my desk. Throughout the day, all of these devices use up power and I find myself having to dig out a cable to charge each of them. The iPhone charges using Lightning, the iPad charges using USB-C and the fan uses a Micro USB cable. It’s a pain to have to store all three cables nearby because it just leads to cable clutter. There are some cable designers that have combined these three styles of charging cables into one. One of these companies is iCharge Devices. Their Pro Cable is the answer to my personal cable woes and it could be yours, too.

DETAILS

The 3-in-1 Universal Magnetic iCharge Pro Charging Cable combines a Lightning connector, Micro USB connector, and a USB-C connector into one cable. Each of the connectors attaches to the cable through a magnet that is similar to the MagSafe connectors that Apple used to include with their power adapters for MacBook laptops. The cable is designed to be anti-frey. It’s inspired by 550 Paracord that is a nylon-based line used by airborne military units. The cable was tested over 30,000 times to ensure its durability. As an added bonus, the charging adapters can act as port covers. Since the adapters are interchangeable, you can leave the adapter in a specific device until you need to connect the cable to it. There is an LED indicator on the cable the let’s the user know when power is connected.

USER EXPERIENCE

The cable comes in a black box with an image of the product on the front. Because the box is black, the image of the product is actually kind of hard to see. It’s also hard to read the name of the product at the top of the box, which does not match the name listed on the website. I would suggest a reimagining of the product box so that at least the text is readable.

The cable is wrapped up nicely inside of the box and the adapters are mounted in a rubber cable wrap. There is a cut out for each adapter and then a cutout for it to snap onto the cable for storage. Because the adapters were made to break away they actually snap off of the cable fairly easily. This is by design, but I was actually surprised by it when I tried to remove the cable from the device. For a moment, I thought the adapter as stuck in my iPhone because I couldn’t get a grip on it. I was able to remove the case on the phone and the adapter slid right out. And, there is actually enough of a ridge on the adapter to be able to grab a hold of the adapter as long as a case isn’t impeding that process. They can be quite secure inside the device that is being charged.

So as far as how well the cable and adapters work, I was pleasantly surprised. Each of the adapters fit as they should into compatible devices. And the cable magnetized to the adapter as designed. The LED let me know that power was flowing through the cable normally. I used the cable with a portable battery and a docking station that connected to my computer. While I was able to get a charge through both devices, the iPhone and iPad did not sync with the computer. This is because the cable is just designed for charging.

One thing I want to point out is that it doesn’t appear that the Lightning adapter is MFi certified.

This means that Apple did not approve of this connector being used with their devices. I did a charging test with the iPhone and it had a charging rate of 0.8% per minute. This makes it a very fast-charging cable.

CONCLUSION

The 3-in-1 Universal Magnetic iCharge Pro Charging Cable is a very handy accessory for use with multiple devices. It’s cost-effective (on sale for $17.95 at the time of publishing) and works well. I did notice that the magnetic connector does get a little warm after charging for a while, but not so hot that it’s alarming. iChargeDevices does include a 30-day guarantee in case the cable does not live up to your expectations.

For more information, visit ichargedevices.com, Facebook, and Twitter.

Originally published at https://macsources.com on September 16, 2020.