I was contacted by Winnergear asking if I would be willing to do a review of their product MicFlip. I love free products, so of course I said yes. It took a few months, but the MicFlip is finally here.
Pros
- Good Quality Material means long lasting and no fraying
- Easy connection
- Good data transmission
- Good charging rate
Cons
- Price
- Potential for cover to collect dust and be uncleanable
- Full size USB is not reversible
What is MicFlip
Most of our devices these days charge or at least transfer data using a micro USB connection and one minor annoyance that many people have is that the micro USB connection can be inserted in one direction only. By law of averages that would mean that you have a 50% chance to install is correctly the first time, but if you are like me the law of averages seem to be against you and unless you look at the connection prior to insertion you will have it upside down.
MicFlip was created to solve that issue as it is a reversible micro USB connector. There is no right or wrong direction to insert the connector. You can insert it blindfolded and be assured that it will connect.
Appearance
The packaging is simple and no frills; it is secured to an attractive piece of cardboard that tells you exactly what you are getting.
The cable is quite solid and thicker than most. It is a nylon braided cable that feeds into a solid sleeve at the base of the connections themselves. It has a nice solid feel to it. The nylon braided cable is a little stiff and has a pipe cleaner type flexibility. The braided cable means that it’s not going to fray or tear on you anytime soon and the solid sleeve means that you won’t be seeing any fraying at the plug ends either.
This MicFlip I received is probably a little longer than many of us need at 1 meter (3.3 feet), but if you look at the site you can see it is available at 20cm, 100cm and 200 cm. I don’t see the meter length available on the WinnerGear site, but you can find them selling it on Amazon. If you are connecting devices to your laptop, the extra cordage will just get in the way unless you coil and secure it. The pipe cleaner flexibility means that the cable will pretty much stay in what ever configuration you put it, but the lack of easy flexibility means that once it wears out a little it is likely to get in your way if you don’t secure it.
I like the feel of the cable with that nylon covering, but I can also see it easily picking up dust and pet hair over time making it a nasty looking mess that isn’t easy to clean.
Functionality
The cord charges my devices at about the same rate as the better quality cords. Data transfer seems about on par with every other cable that can handle data transfers.
The reversible connection is a great idea because it makes it easier. If it is a little gloomy in the room, or you have sight issues then it can be difficult to look at the plug and see which way it goes. This eliminates you having to peer at a tiny piece to determine its shape.
Because the shape is not the same as the port, the cable does fit a little looser than the standard connections. On my tablet this meant that the cable could wobble a little bit, but it didn’t come loose or break the connection. On my Nokia phone I found that it wobbled too much and could easily disconnect.
Summary
The reversible micro USB is a great idea and very convenient for most of us. I am a little disappointed that it doesn’t fit securely in my Nokia phone, but looking at other reviews it seems to fit fine in several other phones.
Would I purchase it? No, not for $20. I admit I am cheap, but I also have no use for a high grade micro USB cable. Everything I own has come with a cable and by the time one of the cables wear out I have something new that came with a new cable. If you wear out cables on a regular basis then it is probably a good deal for you.
I would like to see them produce a cheaper version of the reversible, perhaps without the braided cable. If the price was lower I would consider it.
I would also love to see a reversible standard USB on the other end of the cord. If both ends were reversible then I could see paying the $20.
