iPhones and iPads come with a 1 meter long white USB cord. For all of Apple's latest devices, the cord has a USB connector on one end and a Lightning connector on the other end. The 1 m length works well for most tasks, but sometimes you want something shorter or longer. CableJive launched the iBoltz XS and the iBoltz XL to address that need. Both cables are white, just like the Apple cables, and both cables are Apple certified. (You can buy cheaper, no-name cables on places like Amazon that claim to work with the Lightning connector, but they are not Apple certified and I would be nervous about using them with my expensive iPhone or iPad.)
The iBoltz XS is the short version, only five inches long. It is virtually identical to a product that CableJive had been selling, the the LightLinez from Kenburg Technology, and which I reviewed earlier this year. As I noted earlier this year, the shorter length is perfect if you want to connect your iPhone to your laptop; there is no reason to have them very far apart. I also find that a short cable is perfect for any of the external batteries that you can use to charge an iPhone or iPad; using the regular 1 meter cable results in a lot of extra cable. The short length of the iBoltz XS also makes it easy to pack for travel.
The iBoltz XS costs $18.95. That is essentially the same price as Apple's $19.00 1 meter Lightning to USB Cable (to the extent that you ever need to buy an extra one; remember the 1 meter version comes with your device), but the point of the iBoltz XS isn't to pay less but instead to have a short cord that is perfect for tasks for which 1 meter is just too long and awkward.
On the other hand, sometimes the standard 1 meter cable is not long enough. I suspect that every iPhone and iPad owner has had at least one occasion in which they were just a little too far from an outlet or a USB port. This often happens to me in a hotel room where the outlet is just far enough away from a table or nightstand that the regular cord cannot reach, so I have to leave my iPhone or iPad on the floor while it charges, and then I'm afraid that I will forget it is there and step on it. A longer cord can also be useful at your desk in your office when the outlet is just a little too far away. This is where the iBoltz XL is useful; it is just like the standard cable, but twice as long. 2 meters instead of 1 meter — or, to do the conversion for you, about 6 and a half feet instead of just over 3 feet.
Even Apple sees the need for a longer cord, and Apple sells a 2 meter version of the Lighting to USB cable for $29.00. The advantage of the iBoltz is simply price; it is $24.95 so you save about $4. And if you are ordering online, iBoltz XL cables are eligible for Amazon Prime free shipping, so you also don't have to pay the $4.00 that Apple charges for shipping and handling at the online Apple store. (Apple doesn't currently sell the 2 meter version on Amazon.)
The Lightning connectors at the end of the iBoltz cables are small enough that they should work even if your iPhone or iPad is in a case, but note that they are just a tiny bit larger than the Apple 1 meter cable. In the following picture, the Apple 1 meter cable connector is at the left, the middle is the iBoltz XS and the right is the iBoltz XL. Blown up this much, the size difference is noticeable, but in real life I doubt you will notice the difference.
I've been happy with the quality of other CableJive products, and these Apple certified cables seem like great solutions if you are looking for a short cable (which Apple doesn't sell at all) or if you are looking to save a few bucks on a longer cable. If you decide to get both iBoltz cables, you can save a little more because CableJive is currently running a promotion where you can save $2 if you order two iBoltz cables. You need to use coupon code iBOLTZ, and you have to order from the CableJive website.
Click here to get the iBoltz XS from CableJive ($18.95).
Click here to get the iBoltz XS from Amazon ($18.95).
Click here to get the iBoltz XL from CableJive ($24.95).
Click here to get the iBoltz XL from Amazon ($24.95).
