While Apple managed to ship the iPhone 5 to dozens of countries within the span of a couple weeks, it's taken almost a month to get the 30-pin Dock to Lightning connector adapters shipped and into stores. So, now that they're here, how are they?
Okay. Pretty much exactly what you'd expect.
The dongle isn't really small enough to avoid being annoying, but that's what you get when you need something to translate the new, all-digital Lightning signal into the old, partly analog Dock signal and vice versa. If all you have is an old legacy cable, either stand-alone or as part of an in-car system, it works fine. Anything that's cramped, however, or relies on wrapping around the base or back of the iPhone for stability, probably won't work.
That brings us to the cable. It's the same as the dongle but includes a short length -- 20 cm or 7.8-inches -- of USB cable as well. So, for example, you could attach it inside a battery case or even some types of media docks and still, awkwardly, use them with your iPhone 5, iPod touch 5, or iPod nano 7.
Both are expensive, neither is ideal, neither supports video, and they took far too long to get into stores. That said, if you have a legacy accessory that absolutely needs a 30-pin Dock port to work, it's something you're going to have to pick up.
I tested both out with the iPod connector kit in my car and they both worked fine, exactly how the iPhone 4S worked with the traditional, direct Dock connector. My music played out through the car, and the car controls were recognized by my iPhone 5.
$39.95 - Lightning to 30-pin Adapter (0.2 m) - Buy now
$29.95 - Lightning to 30-pin Adapter - Buy now
We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.

Review: The Oakywood Wooden MagSafe Case for iPhone 12 is a beauty
Bring real handcrafted wood design to the latest line of iPhones with Oakywood.

Apple, not Amazon, is now the world’s most valuable brand
A new report says that Apple has overtaken Amazon as the world’s most valuable brand for the first time in five years.

New AirTags accessories leaked online
More new accessories for Apple’s rumored AirTags have started showing up online.

6 awesome Lightning headphone adapters for your iPhone 8
Want to use your 3.5mm headphones with your new iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus? You're going to need a Lightning-to-3.5mm headphone jack for that.