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Running GPS and music through your car’s aux on an iPhone with no headphone jack? Your battery won’t last. Here’s the adapter that fixed that for me.
Since the iPhone 7, there’s been no headphone jack. Apple’s included adapter turns the Lightning port into a headphone jack, but then you can’t charge. That was my problem: GPS was killing my battery while I played music to my car’s aux input. This Baseus adapter gives you a 3.5mm jack and a Lightning charging port. It isn’t sold anymore, so the button goes to an MFi-certified 2-in-1 Lightning charge and audio adapter that does the same job. Note: newer iPhones use USB-C, so check your port.
- Charges and plays audio through aux at the same time
- Slim, minimalist design
- Aluminum housing feels high quality
- Volume adjustable from the phone
- Worked with no compatibility errors in my test
- Phone volume started out low
- Lightning only
- Many cheap adapters aren’t MFi certified, so buy carefully
▶ Watch the full review on YouTube
The problem
I was using GPS and Apple’s included adapter to play music to my car. GPS drains the battery super quickly, so I desperately needed something that would provide power and let me output through the 3.5mm aux jack.
The Baseus adapter
I bought it on Amazon, and it wasn’t too expensive. It’s silver and only about five or six inches long in total. There’s a standard Lightning plug on a small black cable, then an aluminum housing with a Lightning port for power and a 3.5mm jack for audio. It’s pretty cool-looking and feels like a high-quality piece.
Does it work? The car test
Lots of these adapters aren’t MFi certified, and they work for a few minutes, or a few seconds, and then quit. So I tried it in my car.
I plugged in the aux cable, then the Lightning charging cable, and the phone started charging right away. With the car on aux, music came through. The phone volume was really low at first, but I could adjust it from the phone. It kept charging and playing with no compatibility issues.
Verdict
It’s nice and slim, and it’s a really minimalist way to connect an iPhone to an aux port and power at the same time. If you’re buying one today, look for MFi certification so iOS doesn’t reject it.
FAQ
Can I charge my iPhone and use aux at the same time?
Yes, with a 2-in-1 adapter like this one that has a Lightning charging port and a 3.5mm jack.
Did the Baseus adapter work in the car?
Yes. It charged and played music through my car’s aux input.
Does it work with USB-C iPhones?
No, it’s Lightning. Newer iPhones with USB-C need a USB-C adapter.
Why does MFi certification matter?
Non-certified adapters may stop working or show compatibility errors.
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