Summary
- Beats expands cable range to USB-C, USB-A-to-C, and C-to-Lightning.
- New durable braided cables cost $20 for 1, $35 for a 2-pack; available in 8-inch or 59-inch lengths.
- Beats’ surge stone and nitro navy colored cables are striking yet understated.
Over the past few years, Apple has slowly turned Beats into a budget-conscious, but still somewhat pricey brand when it comes to its wireless earbuds, headphones, and other accessories (though its iPhone 16 cases are very expensive).
Now, the audio company that was once partially owned by rapper Dr. Dre is expanding into the cable space with an array of USB-C, USB-A-to-USB-C, and USB-C-to-Lighting cables that, somewhat surprisingly, cost pretty much the same as Apple’s cables.
I'm a sucker for a colored, fabric-covered cable
Surge stone is by far the coolest-looking option
Beats says that its new cables come in bolt black, surge stone, nitro navy, and rapid red. All of the new colors are striking, but I like surge stone and nitro navy the best (they’re striking, but still understated). The new durable braided cables cost $20 for one and $35 for a pack of two and are available in 8-inch (0.2m) lengths or 59-inch (1.5m) versions. The longer 59-inch cables only come in two-packs. All the new cords are available starting April 17th in Apple’s online store.
The USB-C-to-USB-C cable supports faster charging up to 60W and USB 2.0, while the USB-A-to-USB-C cable can hit 15W and features USB-C. Finally, the USB-C-to-Lightning cable doesn’t list its wattage, but Apple says it supports charging, syncing, and CarPlay.
While the 8-inch cable is pretty much in line with Apple’s 60W $20 USB-C charging cord, the tech giant hasn’t sold a USB-A-to-USB-C cable until now (the Mophie option the tech giant offers costs $20). On the other hand, Apple’s USB-C-to-Lighting cable costs $20.
It’s odd that after successfully transitioning all of its modern devices to USB-C over the past decade, Apple’s Beats brand is finally releasing an official USB-A-to-C cable. The company still hasn’t dropped an Apple-branded option and instead relied on third-party cables from companies like Nimble and its own USB-C-to-USB-A dongle.
Now, that’s changed with the introduction of Beats’ new USB-A-to-USB-C cable. Overall, these look like solid, somewhat reasonably priced charging cables for smartphones and other accessories. I’m also a sucker for a great-looking and feeling braided cable because they’re more durable and last longer, so I can see myself picking up a surge stone USB-C-to-USB-C cable at some point.
