Meeting the Demand for High-Performance Cables in the USB-C Era: MICRODIA Cables Featuring MFi Certification, Thunderbolt 5, and 8K/16K Video Output Now Available in Japan

Kofuku Shoji LLC (Headquarters: Arakawa-ku, Tokyo) has announced the start of domestic handling of the MICRODIA brand cable product category in Japan, initiating proposals for distributors, retailers, and corporate customers.

While the number of USB-C compatible devices is increasing, charging speed, video output, data transfer, and safety vary greatly depending on the cable. MICRODIA proposes high-performance cables suitable for everything from smartphones and MacBooks to external displays and corporate IT environments.

The target categories for this launch include USB-C to MFi cables, USB-C to USB-C cables, Thunderbolt 4/5 cables, USB-C to HDMI and DisplayPort cables, USB-C to Ethernet cables, and USB-C to MagSafe 3 cables for MacBooks.

As a lineup designed for a wide range of use cases—including smartphones, tablets, MacBooks, laptops, external displays, external SSDs, docking stations, conference room monitors, and corporate IT environments—the company is now accepting consultation requests from sales partners.

Details regarding the price, release date, delivery time, and domestic specifications of each product will be announced sequentially after individual consultations with distributors, retailers, and corporate clients.

Key Points of the Announcement:
- Commencing domestic handling of MICRODIA's cable product categories in Japan.
- Initiating proposals for distributors, retailers, and corporate clients.
- Covering MFi-certified cables, USB-C cables, Thunderbolt 5 cables, and more.
- Planning to roll out video cables, including models supporting 4K, 8K, and 16K video output.
- Including 140W USB-C to MagSafe 3 cables for MacBooks.
- Suitable for corporate IT environments, conference rooms, educational settings, video production, gaming, and AI workstations.
- Prices, release dates, delivery schedules, and domestic specifications will be announced sequentially following individual consultations.

Background of MICRODIA Enhancing Its Cable Category Proposals

In recent years, the demand for USB-C connections has increased across various devices, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, external displays, external storage, and docking stations.

The performance required from cables has changed drastically, particularly due to the iPhone's shift to USB-C, the demand for high-output charging in MacBooks and Windows laptops, higher resolutions in external displays, and the growing need for high-speed data transfer in external SSDs and AI processing environments.

Moving beyond the traditional mindset of "as long as it charges," the market now emphasizes fast charging, data transfer speeds, video output, safety, durability, certifications, and reliability for corporate use.

Given this market environment, MICRODIA is strengthening its proposals for cable product categories that cater not only to smartphone accessories but also to PC peripherals, corporate IT environments, video output, and network connections.

Planned Categories for Handling

The main categories subject to domestic handling consultations this time are as follows:
- USB-C to MFi Cables
- USB-C to USB-C Cables
- Thunderbolt 4 / Thunderbolt 5 Cables
- USB-C to HDMI 2.1 Cables
- USB-C to DisplayPort 2.1 Cables
- USB-C to Gigabit Ethernet Cables
- USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cables

Each category will involve individual proposals based on sales channels, corporate applications, deployment quantities, and desired specifications.

USB-C to MFi Cables

USB-C to MFi cables are proposed for Apple products such as iPhones and iPads. Expected product specifications include MFi certification, Apple Fast Charging, and the SmartGuard A.I. Temperature Controller. The FruityWire series is characterized by its soft texture using liquid silicone material, durability ensured by DuPont Kevlar, and a design that withstands over 26,000 bending tests. Lengths of 1.3m and 2.6m are confirmed, with multiple colors prepared to be visually appealing in retail spaces, including Quartz Pink, Bubble Blue, Cool Mint, Lavender, Matte Black, and Pearl White. This category is easy to pitch to smartphone floors, Apple accessory sections, consumer electronics retailers, mobile shops, and e-commerce platforms.

USB-C to USB-C Cables

In the USB-C to USB-C cable segment, proposals will center around models supporting 60W, 140W, and 240W Power Delivery, designed to pair with smartphones, tablets, MacBooks, Windows laptops, and USB-C chargers. Confirmed specifications include USB-IF certification, eMarker chips, SmartGuard AI Chips, and SmartGuard A.I. Temperature Controllers. The 240W models, in particular, are suited for high-output USB-C chargers and laptops, making them highly marketable in the growing USB-C fast-charging market. Additionally, the FruityWire series, combining softness, durability, and a variety of colors, can be proposed not merely as charging cables but as design-conscious accessory merchandise.

Thunderbolt 4 / Thunderbolt 5 Cables

Thunderbolt 4 and Thunderbolt 5 cables represent a high-performance category aimed at professional use, corporate IT environments, video production, AI workstations, external SSDs, docking stations, and gaming setups. Confirmed specifications include up to 120Gbps data transfer and 240W Power Delivery for Thunderbolt 5 cables, and high-bandwidth data transfer with high-resolution video output for Thunderbolt 4 cables. Anticipated applications encompass external SSDs, NAS, docking stations, high-resolution monitors, eGPUs, AI computing, high-speed gaming, and daisy-chaining multiple devices. This is a high-value category easy to propose not only to general consumers but also to creators, developers, video production companies, design firms, and corporate PC environments.

USB-C to HDMI 2.1 / DisplayPort 2.1 Cables

For USB-C to HDMI 2.1 cables, models supporting 4K and 8K video output have been confirmed. Specifically, 4K models support up to 4K 144Hz, while 8K models are listed as supporting up to 8K 60Hz or 4K 144Hz. Furthermore, the USB-C to DisplayPort 2.1 cables are expected to include models supporting up to 16K 30Hz, 8K 60Hz, and 4K 144Hz.