iPhone 5 on its way - some accessory questions

[lykaon78]

The wife got me an iPhone 5 for Christmas. It is currently on order. I've got several questions:

1) I have a 45-60 minute 1 way commute to work so I'm looking into a decent car charger for my new toy. Any recommendations? Any concerns about the car being one of my primary charging sources?

2) Any down side to the cheaper 'generic' USB to Lightning cords?

3) To insure or not to insure?

Feel free to weigh-in on one or all of my questions.

 

[lykaon78]

Mods: If this post belongs in the mobile devices forum please feel free to move it there.

 

[Ichinisan]

The wife got me an iPhone 5 for Christmas. It is currently on order. I've got several questions:

1) I have a 45-60 minute 1 way commute to work so I'm looking into a decent car charger for my new toy. Any recommendations? Any concerns about the car being one of my primary charging sources?

2) Any down side to the cheaper 'generic' USB to Lightning cords?

3) To insure or not to insure?

Feel free to weigh-in on one or all of my questions.

The one I got on launch day eventually bricked, for no reason at all. Warranty might be good.

Look at the Belkin Grip Candy Sheer for a case. It's cheap on Amazon and I absolutely love mine. A detailed review on Amazon:
link

For charging, I bought extra lightning cables. My Bluetooth kit (Belkin AirCast Auto) powers off of the DC jack in my car and still has a USB port I can charge my phone through.

 

[TheStu]

I have an HTC brand dual head USB charger, has worked fine on every device I own. Are you going to be using the phone as a GPS as well, or just for music? If the latter, then most chargers should be fine. If the former then you may want one with more oomph.

 

[Aikouka]

I'm still using the same car charger since it may be 30-pin but it includes a USB port as well. It just means that I need a separate cable. A USB charger + lightning cable might provide more utility but the cable might be too short.

 

[rsutoratosu]

Griffin is authorized to sell licensed lighting cable now, i think they have a 9.8 ft one

http://store.griffintechnology.com/lightning-connector-cables

I use a dual usb cig lighter, so one keeps lighting cable and other keeps mini or micro usb, so you can charge 2 at the same time

 

[Ichinisan]

Griffin is authorized to sell licensed lighting cable now, i think they have a 9.8 ft one

http://store.griffintechnology.com/lightning-connector-cables

I use a dual usb cig lighter, so one keeps lighting cable and other keeps mini or micro usb, so you can charge 2 at the same time

Belkin has them too.

 

[rsutoratosu]

There's also a coupon code you can google for griffin for 20% and free shipping.. Much better than the 5 dollar cables

 

[rsutoratosu]

http://www.belkin.com/us/d/IPHONE5 - Belkin's selection, they only have 2 product @ 4.1 ft. Griffin has a 9.8 ft one. I use this because my car has a trunk charger and its great for the people in the back seat, my front 6ft doesn't reach the back.

 

[MotionMan]

My commute is about an hour each way. I have used ProClip devices for my iPhones for years and love them.

I have been using the ProClip iPhone 5 holder for weeks and find it to be just as satisfying as past models. The big difference with the iPhone 5 model is that it only provides a pass-through for the self-provided cable to sit:

They previously had versions for iPhones that had a 30-pin connector built-in (this is what I previously had):

There is no indication that a built-in option for the iPhone 5 is coming, but, at this point, I really do not need it.

(Also, the current version allows for more case options. In the previous version, I went naked so that the holder I liked would work.)

MotionMan

 

[Ichinisan]

(Also, the current version allows for more case options. In the previous version, I went naked so that the holder I liked would work.)

A naked iPhone 4 / 4S / 5 is a frightening thing.

 

[TheStu]

A naked iPhone 4 / 4S is a frightening thing.

?

It's the only way that I carry mine. And I am not particularly gentle with my mobile devices. They are a tool or utility to me, so I don't kick them around, but I don't gently set it upon a cushion when I take it out of my pocket either. Any marks it may pick up merely add to the character if they aren't removing from the functionality.

 

[Ichinisan]

?

It's the only way that I carry mine. And I am not particularly gentle with my mobile devices. They are a tool or utility to me, so I don't kick them around, but I don't gently set it upon a cushion when I take it out of my pocket either. Any marks it may pick up merely add to the character if they aren't removing from the functionality.

I'm not just talking about scratches and marks. I've had countless first-hand experiences with friends and coworkers that have shattered theirs. Often within a couple days of purchasing.

 

[TheStu]

I'm not just talking about scratches and marks. I've had countless first-hand experiences with friends and coworkers that have shattered theirs. Often within a couple days of purchasing.

Well, that aspect doesn't concern me that much, I bought mine second hand from a co-worker and replaced the front and back glass. Wasn't that expensive and didn't take that long.

 

[Ichinisan]

Well, that aspect doesn't concern me that much, I bought mine second hand from a co-worker and replaced the front and back glass. Wasn't that expensive and didn't take that long.

I've done the same for many phones. iPhone replacement screens are noticeably different from the original part. My brother immediately noticed the inferior screen in our mother's iPhone 3GS after I had replaced it. The viewing range was restricted and it seemed to be a TN display instead of IPS. My iPod touch 4th gen was the same way.

Lots of people say the replacement screens drain the battery more quickly too.

Also, in case you didn't know, the front glass of an iPhone 4/4S/5 can't be replaced without replacing the whole display.

 

[TheStu]

I've done the same for many phones. iPhone replacement screens are noticeably different from the original part. My brother immediately noticed the inferior screen in our mother's iPhone 3GS after I had replaced it. The viewing range was restricted and it seemed to be a TN display instead of IPS. My iPod touch 4th gen was the same way.

Lots of people say the replacement screens drain the battery more quickly too.

Also, in case you didn't know, the front glass of an iPhone 4/4S/5 can't be replaced without replacing the whole display.

You know what, I noticed that on mine.

 

[JavaMomma]

I'm not just talking about scratches and marks. I've had countless first-hand experiences with friends and coworkers that have shattered theirs. Often within a couple days of purchasing.

Some people aren't careful, naked iPhone is the only way to go

Apple is actually really good about out of warranty work as well. My buddy forgot about his iPhone and went for a swim. $220 replacement from Apple, arrived the next day from FedEx. Expensive but fast and much cheaper then a new phone.

 

[Aikouka]

I almost always use very slim, form-fitting cases. They help provide enough protection from those small, inevitable tumbles, but they don't turn the phone into some mammoth brick (like an Otterbox). My usual problem is how I knock my phone off my nightstand as the sheets will hit the lightning cable as I'm pulling them down.

 

[Ichinisan]

I almost always use very slim, form-fitting cases. They help provide enough protection from those small, inevitable tumbles, but they don't turn the phone into some mammoth brick (like an Otterbox). My usual problem is how I knock my phone off my nightstand as the sheets will hit the lightning cable as I'm pulling them down.

Absolutely love my Belkin Grip Candy Sheer Glow/Blacktop. The phone still feels extremely slim and the buttons feel great.

 

[Aikouka]

I have a hard time finding an exact case that I like. I'm obsessive about covering as much as possible to avoid any unnecessary damages plus I don't feel like I need the round hole in the back to show off the Apple logo. The one thing that I notice about most cases is that the hole for the camera extends too far down and reveals some of the anodized part when that doesn't appear to be necessary.

Right now, I'm using a ZooGue case that I only paid for shipping for ($5 for two). It works fairly well, but my only complaint is that the power button is a bit too stiff. Although, I do like that it doesn't simply include a large cut-out on the bottom for the 3.5mm jack, mic, lightning port and speaker.

 

[bigrash]

I bought a cheap generic car charger from ebay for my iphone 5. It was working well for like 3 weeks, but now I'm getting some weird accessory not supported message. Grrr..

Also, no insurance here.

 

[Ichinisan]

I have a hard time finding an exact case that I like. I'm obsessive about covering as much as possible to avoid any unnecessary damages plus I don't feel like I need the round hole in the back to show off the Apple logo. The one thing that I notice about most cases is that the hole for the camera extends too far down and reveals some of the anodized part when that doesn't appear to be necessary.

Right now, I'm using a ZooGue case that I only paid for shipping for ($5 for two). It works fairly well, but my only complaint is that the power button is a bit too stiff. Although, I do like that it doesn't simply include a large cut-out on the bottom for the 3.5mm jack, mic, lightning port and speaker.

Fixed your link.

My Belkin Grip Candy Sheer Glow/Blacktop gets the bottom ports right. It doesn't expose the Apple logo. The buttons are sealed under TPU, but still feel great. The camera cut-out does expose the aluminum. My phone shows no signs of wear.

Two cases that don't expose the aluminum:
- Incipio Frequency
- Speck Candyshell

I test-fitted a couple of different Incipio Frequency cases and they were nearly perfect except that the lock button was intolerably bad. Very strange because the volume buttons felt better in this case than any other.

The Speck Candyshell had good-feeling buttons, but the case was way too thick and the glossy finish shows a ridiculous amount of wear after 2 days, even if you're careful.

The reason most cases have the larger cut-out is because early iPhone 4 cases, made according to Apple's specs, interfered with the flash...causing pictures to appear washed-out. I tested the flash on the iPhone 5 Candyshell and there were no issues.

 

[ColdFusion718]

The wife got me an iPhone 5 for Christmas. It is currently on order. I've got several questions:

1) I have a 45-60 minute 1 way commute to work so I'm looking into a decent car charger for my new toy. Any recommendations? Any concerns about the car being one of my primary charging sources? Any car charger that will output 5 watts with a USB port will work. You'll just have to hook up your USB to lightning cable (included with your iPhone 5) to the charger.

2) Any down side to the cheaper 'generic' USB to Lightning cords? Earlier versions of 3rd party cables didn't have the correct pin-switching chips so the iPhones which were plugged in on the wrong side of the cable burned out. They've since released revisions that supposedly have the correct pin-switching chips. They're not that much cheaper, maybe $5-8 cheaper. Personally, I wouldn't trust a $700 phone with an unauthorized cable just to save a few bucks.

3) To insure or not to insure? I heard SquareTrade is pretty good.

Feel free to weigh-in on one or all of my questions.

My responses are in bold.

 

[Ichinisan]

I just got an el-cheapo Lightning cable from cellularboys.com because I was curious. Compared to Apple's cord, it was thicker. Both the USB end and the Lightning end were noticeably different. On the Lightning end, the corners were sharp and slightly more metal was exposed at the base. The pin pads seemed to have slightly different size/position compared to the authentic cable. Unlike Apple's connector, the metal was not a single piece. I was afraid to connect my phone to it, but I did it for a couple seconds in each orientation and the phone indicated that it was charging. Still, I got rid of the cord immediately. I've been burned on counterfeit Apple stuff before and I don't trust them.

Literally "burned." One of the ultra-compact USB charging adapters burned up in the AC outlet. Others damaged devices or caused the touch screen to become unresponsive. I had to throw away my legitimate adapters too because some of the counterfeit ones were indistinguishable.

 

[Aristotelian]

I have an iPhone5 (black, 32GB) on its way also and had questions regarding protection:

I tend to take my devices and be rather rough with them. My older devices tended to be rather rugged (particularly my iPhone 3G) but after taking my Galaxy Nexus to the beach a few times, i think sand grains were still in my pocket - the screen got rather scuffed after a while.

Is the iPhone 5 screen 'scratch prone'? If so, can anyone recommend some minimalist cover (like the superthin plastic if that helps) for the screen?

Also, is the 'scuffgate' a YMMV situation, or do the iPhone 5 users on this board also protect the back/sides of the device? I have never used protective covering for any of my phones before, and would rather not with the iPhone 5 - so if you're using one without a cover and also tend to be rather rough with your phone I would like to hear from you, too.