iDuo2Go Charge and Sync Cable for iPad, iPhone, and iPad with USB 3.0 SD card reader review

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The iDuo2Go Charge and Sync Cable for iPod, iPhone, and iPad with USB 3.0 SD Card Reader from Atech Flash Technology is a surprisingly useful if simple bit of mobile gear. It’s a USB 3.0 SD card reader, or an iPhone/iPad 30-pin sync/charge cable. Why bring two things on your next trip when one will do the job?

In The Box

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Inside the box is the cable. There is a “manual” on the website, but given the single switch on the side, you’ll not really need one. The cable isn’t terribly long at about 15 inches.

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The 30-pin end of the cable is where you’ll find the mode selector switch. In the charge position (indicated with a lightning bolt), it’s a standard 30-pin iPhone/iPad/iPod sync charge cable. In the SD position, it’s a USB 3.0 SD Card reader.

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The SD card slot is found on this end of the connector, too.

The Two Modes

This cable doesn’t allow you to read SD cards on an iPhone/iPad.  It’s strictly an either/or proposition – either a cable for an iOS device or an SD card reader. As such, there’s not much to say other than it works fine for both modes. I was able to sync and charge an iPad 2, iPhone 4/4s, and iPod Touch with this cable. As far as the various iDevices were concerned, it wasn’t any different from any other 30-pin sync cable. Flipping the switch to the SD side, I was able to mount an SD card on Windows, Mac, and Linux boxes, as expected. The USB 3.0 capability is realized – the reader is detected as a USB 3.0 device when used in a USB 3.0 port. Given that the read/write speed of Class 10 SD cards is 10MB/sec, and  USB 2.0 runs up to 60MB/sec, there isn’t much need for USB 3.0’s 600+MB/sec speeds – the fastest cards supported (SDXC UHS-1) might push you sightly over that. Fear not, it works fine (as you would expect) when plugged into a USB 2.0 port, and delivers transfer speeds that matched whatever card I was using.

Conclusion

This cable is a handy addition to the road warrior kit, if you need the two capabilities this cable offers. It doesn’t enable reading SD Cards on the iPad/iPhone, but it does eliminate the need to haul an SD card reader along with all your other cables on your next road trip.

 

Product Information

Price:$19.99
Manufacturer:Atech Flash Technology
Requirements:
  • USB 2.0/3.0 port. SD Card (or SD Card adapter.) iDevice with 30 pin port.
Pros:
  • Two devices in one.
Cons:
  • Short cable length.

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