Griffin Launching Official Lightning Connector Cables Next Week

Griffin today announced the upcoming release of Apple-certified Lightning charge and sync cables for the iPhone 5, 5th generation iPod touch, fourth generation iPad and iPad mini.

Though there have been several unofficial third party Lightning accessories, Griffin’s accessories will be the first official third-party standalone Lightning connector cables on the market when they launch next week.

Griffin’s new cables with Lightning Connector are affordable charging solutions that are built to resist kinks and tangles. The cables work perfectly with Griffin’s family of PowerBlocks and PowerJolts as well as Apple’s USB power adapters, or plug into a computer's USB to sync with iTunes.

The company is offering several different cable configurations:

- 2’ straight USB-to-Lightning cable ($16.99)
- 3’ straight USB-to-Lightning cable ($18.99)
- 4’ coiled USB-to-Lightning cable ($24.99)
- 9.8’ (3 meter) straight USB-to-Lightning cable ($29.99)

Earlier this month, Belkin introduced two official Lightning accessories, including a car charger and the Charge + Sync Dock. Scosche has also announced car and home chargers, although its products have yet to begin shipping.

Apple has been maintaining strict control over its Lightning connectors, which has made it difficult for third party manufacturers to introduce new accessories.

Vendors that launch Lightning-related accessories must produce them in Apple-approved facilities. The Lightning connector also requires controller chips to take advantage of adaptive technology, which has delayed the release of third party Lightning accessories.