Tylt Flyp-Duo Reversible USB Charge & Sync Cable review

We’re a mixed Android and iOS home and I’ve been thinking for a little while that it would be nice to have a micro-USB to Lightning cable adapter to carry with me when I’m out-and-about. This would allow me to only carry one cable with the adapter should any of us need to charge our devices when running around town. Then Gadgeteer was offered the Tylt Flyp-Duo Reversible USB Charge & Sync cable for review which has the adapter that I desired. I found the cable to be highly useful with its reversible USB-A connector (plugs in EVERY time regardless of orientation) and attached micro-USB to Lightning cable adapter; unfortunately, it is only a USB 2.0 cable, it’s a bit bulky, it’s expensive for a charging/data cable, and it broke within about 10 days of receiving it (a wire broke within the cable which, when moved or bent, would sometimes charge my devices and sometimes not).

Package Contents

• Tylt Flyp-Duo Reversible USB Charge & Sync Cable
• Warranty
• Satisfaction Guarantee Card

Design & Build Quality

The Tylt Flyp-Duo Reversible USB Charge & Sync cable has a reversible USB-A end to plug into any charger that has a USB-A charging port and a micro-USB end with attached mico-USB to Lightning cable adapter to plug into any device that uses a micro-USB or 8-pin Lightning charging port.

The flat cable itself is rather thick and felt robust and well made.

The reversible USB-A connector was a dream to use. This connector easily plugs into any existing USB-A port and never needs to be flipped over.

The attached Lightning cable adapter was also a joy to use. The micro-USB connector fit firmly into the micro-USB to Lightning cable adapter but did not insert fully into it (there was a one to two millimeter gap as shown above).

When using the Flyp-Duo cable with my Nexus 6 phone (with a Supcase), the micro-USB connector fit firmly into my phone’s charging port and did not rock back and forth.

When inserting the Lightning cable into my iPod Touch 5G’s (with a Speck case) charging port, the connector did rock a little from side to side.

Use

Even though the cable is fairly thick and appears to be well-made, after about 10 days of use, a wire must have broken inside because in certain positions the cable would allow current through and in other positions it would not. I made sure that the micro-USB connector (or Lightning cable connector) was firmly seated in the Nexus 6 charging port (or iPod charging port) and the USB-A connector was properly inserted into the charger. I tried wiggling the connectors from side to side to get the current to flow without success. Only moving or bending the cable itself would allow current to pass through. I immediately notified Tylt about my issue and noticed that I did not get as prompt a response as I would like. I am currently waiting for a replacement.

The Flyp-Duo is a flat cable that is meant to prevent tangling. Tangling was indeed not a problem but because the cable is so thick, it is almost as bulky as two cables (micro-USB cable and Lightning cable), which is an important consideration for me when traveling.

Charging tests: While the cable was working, I used my Drok USB multimeter to determine if the Flyp-Duo cable would allow the same voltage and current as my OEM Nexus 6 cable. The above photo shows that with my OEM Nexus 6 charger (Motorola’s Turbo Charger which is a Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 charger) and cable, my Nexus 6 phone was charging at 9.36V and 1.44A (13.47W of power).

The Flyp-Duo allowed my phone to charge at exactly the same voltage and current (9.36V/1.44A).

I even tested the charging of my phone using the Flyp-Duo cable with my Aukey Quick Charge 2.0 car charger which showed the same charging rate (8.98V/1A) as when I used my Nexus 6 OEM cable with the same car charger. The differences in voltage and current seen here between the Aukey Quick Charge car charger and the Motorola Quick Charge charger has to do with the level my phone’s battery was already charged. At the time when I tested the cable using my car charger, my phone was at higher percent charge versus a much lower percent charge at the time I performed the test using the Motorola charger. Thus, at the time that I tested the cable with my car charger, my phone was slowing it charging rate as the battery was approaching full charge. The main point to remember is that the Flyp-Duo cable charged at the same rate as my phone’s OEM cable in both situations.

When charging my iPod Touch 5G with an Apple OEM Charger and its OEM Lightning cable, I was able to charge my iPod at 5.05V/0.70A (3.54W of power).

Using the Tylt Flyp-Duo cable with the Apple OEM charger, I was able to charge my iPod at 5.05V/0.67A (3.38W) which is slightly less current than the OEM Lightning cable.

I also tested the charging rate of an iPad Mini using its original cable and AC adapter versus the Flyp-Duo cable and Apple AC adapter and found that it too charged at exactly the same voltage and current (5.03V/0.96A/4.83W).

Data Transfer rate: The Flyp-Duo is a USB 2.0 cable and thus should have a transfer rate of up to 60MB/s (480Mbps). During testing, I found that its transfer rate was approximately 20MB/s when plugged into my computer’s USB 2.0 port. The 60MB/s rate is actually a theoretical maximum rate and data transfers of about 30MB/s are apparently common. I must say that I’m disappointed that this cable is not a USB 3.0 cable especially for the $29.99 price.

Final Thoughts

The Tylt Flyp-Duo Reversible USB Charge and Sync cable has some wonderful features but also some drawbacks. Using the Flyp-Duo cable allows me to charge my devices at the same rate as my OEM cables and it has a reversible USB-A connector that plugs in EVERY time regardless of its orientation. It also has an attached micro-USB to Lightning cable adapter which allows you to charge iOS devices as well micro-USB devices using only one cable. However, I was disappointed that the cable is only a USB 2.0 cable and not a 3.0 cable which would have greatly enhanced data transfer speeds (as long as the port that it is plugged into is a USB 3.0 port). It was also disappointing that the cable broke after about 10 days of use. I submitted my request for a replacement cable on August 31 and at the time of this writing I am still waiting for a replacement cable. The $29.99 pricetag for this three-foot cable is quite a steep price to pay even with all its benefits. At that price, I would not have purchased it especially knowing that it is a USB 2.0 cable.

Source: The sample used in this review was provided by Tylt. Please visit their website for more information or Amazon to buy one.