Availability of Apple's Lightning Adapters and Cables Slipping [Updated] - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Availability of Apple's Lightning Adapters and Cables Slipping [Updated]

With shipping estimates for new pre-orders of the iPhone 5 through Apple's online store slipping to two weeks just an hour after pre-orders began earlier today, customers are also snapping up Apple's supplies of Lightning adapters and cables.

Alongside the iPhone 5 announcement on Wednesday, Apple introduced a pair of adapters to allow users to continue using older cables and accessories based on the long-standing 30-pin dock standard: a $29 direct plug adapter and a $39 short-cable adapter.

lightning adapters cable shipping
Availability of the new adapters has already begun to slip significantly, with Apple now quoting shipping estimates of "October" for new orders through its online store. The company's $19 Lightning to USB cable, which comes standard with Apple's latest devices but which should be popular as a standalone purchase with customers wanting to set up multiple charging locations, has also slipped from 1-3 business days to 2-3 weeks.

Apple has also acknowledged that it will be launching HDMI and VGA cables for Lightning-equipped devices, but the company has not yet made them available for order.

Update: A number of readers have noted that the adapters have been listed as shipping in October since they first showed up in Apple's online store on Wednesday. Shipping estimates on the USB cable have, however, indeed slipped.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

8 CarPlay Features in iOS 27 Feature

Which iOS 27 CarPlay Features Actually Work in Your Car?

Thursday September 17, 2026 4:17 am PDT by
In iOS 27, available now, CarPlay gets its biggest update in years, but some features depend on what type of car you have rather than your iPhone model. Some of the biggest additions won't do anything in the vast majority of vehicles on the road today. Here's how the new features pan out. Works in Any CarPlay Vehicle Custom widgets: In iOS 27, CarPlay is no longer limited to Apple's handful ...
Apple Watch New Charging Puck

Here's Why a New Apple Watch Charging Puck Was Just Released

Wednesday September 16, 2026 8:53 am PDT by
The new Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 have hardware changes that allow for faster charging, but you will need to use the new version of the Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger included in the box in order to achieve this boost. If you need extra ones for your own charging stands or travel or so forth, Apple released the new version of the charger on its online store last week, with...
iphone 18 pro max prepare

iPhone 18 Pro Max Requires 'Prepare to Ship' Battery Drain Before Shipping

Friday September 18, 2026 4:27 pm PDT by
The iPhone 18 Pro Max has a battery capacity over 20 watt-hours, which means there are additional shipping requirements. If an iPhone 18 Pro Max needs to be shipped somewhere, its maximum battery capacity has to be limited through firmware. According to Apple, the iPhone 18 Pro Max uses an "innovative battery-firmware solution" that limits battery capacity to below 20Wh between when the...

Top Rated Comments

andalusia Avatar
183 months ago
This just shows how easy it is for Apple to make money, even at ridiculous prices. They are very, very clever.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
daneoni Avatar
183 months ago
Should be including these for free...especially the adapter. Why can't they just be nice to their customers once a while.

I read an estimate that these things alone will fetch Apple north of $100m in profit.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iReality85 Avatar
183 months ago
I think this is completely unreasonable. $29 for a compact adapter, and $39 for the wired version? I understand that Apple wanted to update the ten year old connector, but to not even include a compact adapter along with the iPhone 5? This is borderline gouging, and to make it worse its forced gouging. There's going to be a lot of unhappy customers. Keep in mind- most Apple users aren't geeks; they don't post on these forums and don't watch the events. They are literally going to buy the iPhone 5, open it, and go, "it has a new connector? I can't plug it into all my accessories? I can't use my sound dock anymore at work? Not in my car?" The right thing for Apple to do would be to include a compact adapter with the iPhone 5 (at the very least, or even just for the first few months). I mean, it's bad enough that Lightning doesn't support video-out, or even guaranteed to work with some sound docks, so customers will need an adapter for that too.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
183 months ago
This just shows how easy it is for Apple to make money. They are very, very clever.

yep... that easy...
Just change the shape of the charger and sell adapters, boom! We're rich!
And at 20$ for each adapter and 30$ for the cable adapter... Oh my god the ripoff!
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
183 months ago
They were never available immediately, even after the keynote it said October.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thatisme Avatar
183 months ago
I believe they should have included (1) of the adapters with each of the new phones. I know they will make more by selling them, but there is a certain amount of good will that they would have generated and they could have lessened the harsh feelings people have toward the overpriced cables.

It'll be interesting to see if they do a bit of price adjusting later on, or if they will continue to sell enough of these at the current price points. And, I wonder how quickly the 3rd party guys like monoprice will make Lightning cables and adapters available.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)