Belkin to ship first third-party Lightning accessories

A third-party accessories maker has finally been given the green light by Apple to make products for the Lightning connector.

Belkin said today that it will introduce an all-in-one car charger and a charge-and-sync dock for Apple's newest connector within the next couple weeks.

Apple in September unveiled the iPhone 5's new cable, dubbed Lightning, that replaces the 30-pin connector Apple has used since 2003. The iPad Mini and the newest version of the iPad use Lightning, and it's likely Apple will continue updating its gadgets to include the new connector. Since introducing the connector, Apple has limited which companies can make accessories for the Lightning interface.

Belkin's products will be the first third-party, Apple-certified Lightning accessories available in the market, the company said, and they are the first of "several" new Lightning-compatible products from Belkin that will launch this year.

"Belkin was the first third-party manufacturer to develop accessories for the 30-pin connector back in 2003, and we are thrilled to be first to market again with solutions for the new Lightning connector," Martin Avila, general manager of Belkin's core division, said in a statement.

Both products will sell for $29.99. They're available for preorder now. Belkin's Web site specifically notes that the accessories will ship by November 15.