This retractable cable can assist make the iPhone USB-C transition simpler

Did you hear the iPhone 15 has USB-C now? That’s a terrific factor and lengthy overdue, however it does imply that there shall be a interval of transition the place a few of us find yourself having to take care of each Lightning and USB-C iPhones in our lives, notably if we dwell with somebody who isn’t shopping for the brand new iPhone straight away.

That is notably cumbersome in case you share a automobile and need to use CarPlay in it — you’ll want a solution to hook up your new USB-C iPhone and keep a Lightning connection for the opposite individual utilizing the automotive. You could possibly do that with a number of cables, after all, and change it each time you get within the automotive, however who wants that problem? For the previous couple of years, I’ve used this three-headed cable to make use of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in the identical automobile, relying on who’s driving, no cable swap obligatory. (It additionally comes with a Micro USB port on one facet, however I can’t say I’ve ever used it.)

Apart from its multi-port capabilities, the opposite factor that makes this specific cable nice is the truth that it’s retractable, so that you don’t should take care of coiling up or in any other case organizing the cable whenever you get out of the automotive — simply pull on each ends, and it zips again up. It’s additionally good to increase it to solely the size you want as a substitute of getting a too-long cable draped throughout your heart console.

At roughly $12 for 2 cables, this can be a no-brainer. And because the retractable mechanism will put on out finally, it comes with a backup able to go. When you have a very new automotive that has USB-C ports for CarPlay, you’ll want an adapter, as this makes use of USB-A to plug into the automotive itself. (Or try this feature, which has USB-C on the opposite finish. I’ve not personally tried this one, so I can’t converse to how properly it really works.) However most automobiles on the street at present will be capable of use this simply advantageous.