Amazon and Monoprice Offering Certified, Low Cost Lightning-to-USB Cables

monopricelightningcablesBoth Monoprice and Amazon are now offering low cost Lightning cables, priced at $11.77 and $14.99, respectively, for a standard 3-foot cable.

That’s a significant savings over Apple’s official Lightning cables that are sold online and at retail stores for $19.99.

Monoprice is known for offering high quality generic cables at a deep discount. In addition to the standard 3ft cable, Monoprice is also selling a 6ft cable for $12.56 and a Slimfit cable for $12.73. The cables are all MFi certified Lightning to USB charge/sync cables, made to work with the iPad, iPhone, and iPod. The Slimfit cable from Monoprice is set to ship out in the beginning of March, with the other two cables following later in the month.

Amazon is only offering a 3ft MFi Certified cable at this time, but it is available to ship immediately.

While there are cheaper lightning cables available, the offerings from Amazon and Monoprice are MFi (Made for iPad/iPhone/iPod) Certified, which means they have been approved by Apple. Other low cost Lighting cable options are unofficial, which has introduced concerns about quality and compatibility.

Apple has been maintaining strict control over the Lightning connector and accessories that utilize the technology, insisting that Lightning-related accessories are manufactured in Apple-approved facilities. As a result, the introduction of lower-cost licensed Lightning cables has been slow.

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Shows Off a Key Reason to Upgrade to the iPhone 17

Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie. "Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says These 7 U.S. States Plan to Offer iPhone Driver's Licenses

Monday February 9, 2026 6:24 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future. To set up the...
14 inch MacBook Pro Keyboard

New MacBook Pros Could Now Arrive in March

Sunday February 8, 2026 6:02 am PST by
New MacBook Pro models with the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips could arrive as soon as Monday, March 2, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In today's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that the release of new MacBook Pro models is tied to the release of macOS Tahoe 26.3. The launch is said to be slated for as early as the week of March 2. He added that the M4 Pro and M4 Max models on sale today...

Top Rated Comments

jca24 Avatar
170 months ago
I bought $2.50 lightning cables from dealextreme and they work just as well as the originals:)

Most likely not for long. The cheap chi-com crap will burn you!
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
santaliqueur Avatar
170 months ago
You're welcome to your opinion and empty wallet.

A $20 cable will somehow empty your wallet out? Get a job.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
oneMadRssn Avatar
170 months ago
You really don't believe the most of the cheap knockoffs aren't coming out of the back door of the same factory that makes the officially branded stuff? In other words, the same exact cable, minus the logo?

Have you actually compared the dealextreme/dailysteals cables to the real ones? They aren't similar at all. If they really are coming out of the same factory but through a different door, then I would expect them to be at least of similar construction. They are quite different, and therefore I suspect the cheap ones are inferior enough for the risk to be not worthwhile, in my opinion.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Thunderhawks Avatar
170 months ago
Yes .. All those overpriced little cables/plugs/adapters/cases Apple sells will eventually makes you spend A LOT more than you should.

Funny how people buy a $ 300 - $ 800 idevice and are upset about 5 dollars
price differences.

Then they drink some Starbucks coffee and don't worry that they can buy any size coffee at McDonalds for 1 dollar.

Let's not act as if we buy a new cable and adapter every day.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
japanime Avatar
170 months ago
Most likely not for long. The cheap chi-com crap will burn you!
You really don't believe the most of the cheap knockoffs aren't coming out of the back door of the same factory that makes the officially branded stuff? In other words, the same exact cable, minus the logo?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Inakto Avatar
170 months ago
Most likely not for long. The cheap chi-com crap will burn you!
You're welcome to your opinion and empty wallet.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)