Car USB charging ports and Bluetooth are quickly becoming par for the course on most new cars, but step back in time just a few years and it’s a very different story. Less than a decade ago, these were optional extras on many vehicles, yet today’s dependance on smartphones – for music and navigation primarily – makes the lack of USB and Bluetooth feel like you’ve bought a car from the middle of the 20th century.
But fear not, as the humble 12V socket – also known as the cigarette lighter socket – can come to the rescue. There are a huge range of devices which slot into the 12V socket, which is often conveniently located somewhere between the front two seats, to power your smartphone, dash cam and sat-nav, and even give your car Bluetooth connectivity via the radio.