Trust an Aussie, Sydney based Chargeasap to develop what has become the world’s most crowdfunded USB-C cable – the UNO cable.
The UNO cable is essentially a ‘Swiss Army knife’ USB-C cable with magnetic clip-on heads that cover Lightning, USB-C, micro-USB and USB-A (optional adapter).
Now you may say that there are other male/female mag adaptor cables – and there are – but this is the most elegant, well-made and practical solution I have seen yet.
The magnetic heads stick well together, so there is less chance of loss. They should because two N52 grade neodymium magnets (the world’s strongest commercial-grade magnets that hold about 500g dead weight) bond the parts together. So, you can insert the tips into a device with no fear of them coming off in there. And just in case you cannot get the tip out there is a bonus removal tool.
Version 2 – this one – supports USB 2.0 data speeds (480Mbps) and up to Quick Charge 4.0 (Also Apple fast charge to 15W).
The tips connect to 18K gold plated pogo-style pins. They are also small enough (10mm wide) to fit even the smallest sockets and phone case cutouts. Another nice feature is a blue .6m LED to indicate power. And the cable uses military-grade woven nylon fabric for tangle-free use. You can order extra tips.
Standard cable length is 1.5m with an option of 2.5m. It comes in black, gunmetal and red.
Tests
GadgetGuy knows cables and how messy that can get. Tangle-free is a bonus. The magnetic tips are handy – no more do I need to carry three cables.
We tested
- A range of Lightning, micro-USB and USB-C devices and all worked flawlessly.
- Electrical impedance (whether it adds resistance to a circuit) and there was none.
- Data throughput on various devices and it made no difference to using an original cable.
- Deadweight (in excess of 500g) and ‘jerk’ resistance – it holds on with similar strength to the old Apple MagSafe charger meaning it will not pull out unless reasonable force is applied.
Note: Version 2 is not USB-C 3.1 Gen 1/2 10Gpbs capable as that requires a special chip and a cable length under .5m. It will work with these devices at USB-2.0 speeds.
Price: Uno Cable
A$31.32 for pre-orders from UNO or you might bag a bargain on the Indiegogo site if you hurry.
Warranty is 10-years.