Share:
Could save you a fortune
A new Lightning cable costs £15 from the Apple Store. £15! This neat little doohicky promises to protect your cables and save you a bundle.
It's called the Lightning Saver. It's a rubber housing you clip to where the cable meets the connector. This is the part that puts up with the most wear and tear. Unless you grip it by the connector each time you pull it out – and we know we don't – the cable can quickly become frayed and expose the wires.
Until now, your best bet was wrapping your cable in tape. But that's fiddly, and it looks a bit gawky. It's the 21st century equivalent to having tape in the middle of your glasses frame.
Lightning Saver is made of two parts. There's an industrial rubber inner layer to absorb impacts and prevent harmful twists and bends. Then the hard outer layer keeps it in position, and protects it against knocks and scratches, if it's in a bag or pocket, say.
Lightning Saver comes in eight colours: green, purple, orange, white, red, cyan, pink and yellow. And it fits both the Lightning end and the USB end.
Read more: inCharge is a cheap, keyring-sized USB cable
The Taiwanese-based company says it has sold over 500,000 units in just a few months. It also sells a version for MacBooks, called the Magsafe Saver. Again, it clips around the cable to protect it from harsh bends and yanks. This one only comes in five colours.
It's cheap and cheerful, but that doesn't mean it won't come in handy. Two Lightning Savers and two Magsafe Savers will set you back just $7 (£4.50), with free international shipping. It's passed its funding goal and should ship in April.