The Orobis Transform USB cable is an indiegogo crowd-funding project. This cable has a USB male connector on one end and a transforming connector on the other that contains both an Apple Lightning connector and a microUSB connector, so this one cable can be used to charge a variety of devices. It looks almost exactly like the Innergie miniUSB/microUSB/30-pin Apple connector cable that I reviewed last year. The funding period will continue through March 11, 2013; at the time of writing, they’ve raised just over 10% of their $25,000 goal. The cable will be available in black or white, and shipping is expected to begin in May 2013. A minimum pledge of $25 entitles you to one white cable. If you want a black cable, you’ll have to come up with a minimum of $40 for two cables in your choice of black or white.
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Hmm, how much is the Apple microUSB to Lightning adaptor in $$? I paid £15 in the UK and it does the same as this, and is available now. Use it with my Kindle cable so it is extra long.
@thenikjones The Apple microUSB-to-Lightning is $19 in the US. You’d have to supply your own microUSB cable, though. The Orobis has the advantage that the Lightning adapter is permanently attached to the cable so you wouldn’t have to worry about losing it, but it is otherwise no different from your own microUSB cable and the Lightning adapter, as you said.
@Janet Cloninger After reading their page and comparing to your Innergie report, I don’t think it looks like Innergie. It’s a creative design with a thoughtful transformer idea. The designer must be sad to hear the description.
@Nia I agree with Janet, it looks like a similar idea to me too. Although the Orobis has an Apple Lightning connector, which the Innergie does not.
I’m very surprised & disappointed for your point of view about the product. Actually I’ve contributed to this campaign already and I know I’m not contributing to a product with a similar idea to Innergie.
@Janet – I use the Lightning adaptor with one of the many, many microUSB leads I have. This looks a good idea as I always worry about losing it. However….
@Nia – I am intruiged, how can you NOT see the similarities between this cable and the Innergie one? OK, the Innergie is better value (3 connectivity options rather than 2) and lacks the orange splash of colour of the Orobis. How do you think the Orobis differs to the Innergie(other than having a Lightning connection)
@thenikjones I have a Lightning adapter that I use with one of the dozens of 30-pin cables I have laying around. 😉 And I did lose the first adapter I bought because there’s no good way to keep it with my cable when while using the 30-pin end for charging an older iPad.