With iPhones using Lightning ports, Android phones (and iPad Pros) using USB-C, laptops using a mixture of USB-A and USB-C, and chargers covering just about every base, getting your mobile devices juiced up can be a hassle. Enter the 5-in-1 charging cable, High Five.
If you've ever had to carry around a tangle of cables with you then the High Five will immediately appeal. It can source power from a USB-A or USB-C port, then apply it to a USB-C, Lightning, or micro-USB port, which is where the number five comes from.
Just as appealing as its versatility is its size, smaller than most keys, weighing 15 grams (0.5 oz) and measuring less than 7 centimeters (2.8 in) end to end. It's been made from a mix of 12 different metals, with the connectors magnetized for clipping together when not in use (the USB-A adapter also acts as a cap). A silicone strip connects both ends of the cable together and can be used to attach the High Five to a key ring.
Accessory maker Vonmählen is obviously hoping this becomes an essential bit of kit for a lot of on-the-go workers. It'll work with just about everything from phones to tablets, action cameras to e-readers, and won't add any bulk to your suitcase.
What it doesn't have, of course, is a power supply. You're still going to have to bring along a wall charger, a portable charger, or a laptop that you can use to power up your mobile devices. Still, it might well cut down on the cable clutter you have to carry, and save you doubling up with the cables that came with your gadgets.
The High Five charging cable is currently being crowdfunded on both Kickstarter and Indiegogo, though it's doing much better on the former platform. Kickstarter stretch goals now include a choice of color options, and the more cables you plump for, the less each one is.
The top-end model, the High Five C, supports fast charging standards and data transfer as well as the standard charging functions. However, it only comes with USB-C and USB-A options, so you don't get the full flexibility of Lightning and micro-USB as well.
This being a crowdfunded project, various pledge points are available, with a single High Five 5-in-1 charging cable and a single High Five C 2-in-1 charging cable both starting at €14 (about US$16) if you get in before the campaigns end on February 17. Should all go to plan, shipping is currently slated for May.
Sources: Vonmählen, Kickstarter, Indiegogo
