By Dan Moren
December 8, 2015 9:01 AM PT
Apple’s new Lightning to SD Card reader is faster, supports iPhone
Note: This story has not been updated for several years.
In addition to sneakily releasing a battery for the iPhone 6s, Apple also updated its Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader–yes, that’s the official name.
There are two major improvements in the $29 adapter: 1) If you’re using a brand new shiny iPad Pro, the adapter can take advantage of the fact that its Lightning port supports USB 3 speeds, for much faster data transfers.1 2) For the first time, the adapter supports the iPhone. Weirdly, previous versions were iPad-only, but if you’ve got any iPhone dating back to the iPhone 5 or any iPad back to the original iPad mini or third-generation iPad, you’re in luck.
Apple says inserting memory cards will automatically open the Photos app and organize your pictures. That’s probably all that iOS will allow, too, so if you were hoping for a way to sideload data or access it from other apps, keep dreaming.2
[Dan Moren is the East Coast Bureau Chief of Six Colors, as well as an author, podcaster, and two-time Jeopardy! champion. You can find him on Mastodon at @dmoren@zeppelin.flights or reach him by email at dan@sixcolors.com. His next novel, the sci-fi adventure Eternity's Tomb, will be released in November 2026.]
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