Charge Apple devices from almost any power source with this 5

Oct 17, 2023

By Ed Hardy • 12:00 pm, November 10, 2022

It's happened to all of us. Your iPhone battery is on empty and there are plenty of chargers around but no Lightning cable. The same thing can happen with a iPad and even a Mac. The inCharge X from Rolling Square is just what you need. It's tiny enough for you to take it everywhere, but adaptable enough to enable almost any type of Apple device to get power from almost any charger.

Rolling Square also makes inCharge X Max, which is just as flexible but with a 5-foot cable built in.

I tested both. Here's why I think they’re brilliant.

Back when I was an inexperienced traveler, I’d occasionally show up at my destination without a charging cable I needed. If the same has happened to you, you understand the frustration – shopping for a cable isn't what anyone wants to do on a vacation or business trip.

inCharge X would have saved me. It's tiny, but thanks to the many connectors built into this cable it can juice up your iPhone, iPad or Mac at up to 100W as long as there's a USB charger available. It can handle data, too.

And while inCharge X Max isn't as portable, it's easier to use.

At first glance, inCharge X seems to be a 5-inch cable with a Lightning connector on one end and a USB-A connector on the other. But that's just the start.

Pull off the USB-A connector to reveal a USB-C connector. And remove the Lightning connector to reveal a USB-C connector. The two adapters swivel so they stay connected to the cable.

The oddest feature of Rolling Square's product is the micro-USB connector. It's built into the Lightning connector – just insert the connector into a micro-USB port. Feeling dubious, I tested it with four different accessories and three of them charged. I couldn't fit the connector into the port on the fourth device.

With the collection of connectors built into inCharge X, you can plug an iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods case, etc. to either a USB-A or USB-C charger. And it might work with micro-USB accessories, too.

The cable is designed to fold on the middle so the two ends can magnetically cling to each other. There's a cap that covers the two exposed connectors, but it's not really necessary.

Attach the inCharge X to your keyring, drop it in a backpack or purse – the accessory is extremely portable. Put it somewhere you’ll know it’ll go with you whenever you travel, like your bag of toiletries.

Rolling Square says its cable can handle up to 100W. I don't have one of the MacBooks that draws that much power, but with a USB-C-to-USB-C connection my experiments show that the accessory can handle at least 43W, the max wattage of the fastest-charging device I have available to test.

inCharge X can charge my iPhone Plus at 20W, according to the Plugable USBC-VAmeter3. It can charge my iPad Pro at 35W. That's the maximum rate for either device.

The cable can do data transfers too, though not very quickly. In my test, I was able to transfer a 1GB file in about 30 seconds. That's certainly fast enough to be usable in a pinch, but not a rate a pro would tolerate. A high-speed cable can transfer the same file in about 2 seconds.

As noted, the inCharge X will let you connect your Apple devices to chargers. But it's short – the connecting cable is a mere 1.5 inches. It's nice in a pinch but it's not very convenient.

That's why Rolling Square made inCharge X Max. It's exactly like inCharge X but the cable is 5 feet long (1.5 m). That makes it easier to use – it can connect a MacBook sitting on a desk to a power adapter in a wall socket.

But it's bulky enough that you’re not attaching it to your keyring. I’d suggest putting one in your suitcase, though.

To see the product in action, watch this promotional video from Rolling Square:

For Apple users, a single cable that can connect any USB charger to iPhone, iPad or Mac can be a lifesaver. But it's iffy with micro-USB.

But I’m not going to tell you "this is the only cable you’ll ever need." The inCharge X is too short to be convenient to use all the time. It is very convenient to carry around, though. I recommend keeping one on your backpack or purse for use in charging emergencies.

The inCharge Max adds enough cable length for me to have a different conclusion. It's long enough to be really useful, but too bulky to go everywhere. Put one in your suitcase just in case, though.

★★★★☆

The inCharge X is $29, or just slightly more on Amazon. It's available in black, blue or beige.

Buy now: Rolling Square

Buy now: Amazon

The longer inCharge X Max is $39 and comes only in basic black. But on Amazon it's currently available for a lot less than the standard price.

Buy from: Rolling Square

Buy from: Amazon

Rolling Square provided Cult of Mac with a review unit for this article. See our reviews policy, and check out other in-depth reviews of Apple-related items.