New Phone: Cables Questions etc.

To answer your second question, a USB-C cable is included in the box. This cable has a USB-C connector on both ends. Unfortunately, Apple has stopped including actual chargers in the box, which is preposterous but here we are. Of course, they are happy to sell you one for extra, and you will need a charger with a USB-C connector if you don't already have one for something else.

I think highly of Apple's braded USB-C cables (particularly the thicker one rated to carry up to 240 watts of power), though they aren't cheap. Amazon very likely has cables at budget prices. If going the Amazon route, I would stick to a well-known brand, because there are a lot of low-quality products from brands with zero name recognition on there. I have also generally had good experiences with Amazon's house brands, though an important caveat is that I have not personally tried any Amazon-branded USB-C cables specifically. But if I were going to buy one for someone, I would feel confident doing so.

I agree about sticking with well known brands. If you want cheap, you could probably stick with something basic and get a decent price from any of the big brands.

Regarding a connector that lets you charge and use your headphones at the same time, I expect they do. I didn't get one of those myself, but I remember seeing some when I was browsing for a headphone connector. Note that I don't know if I saw a Belkin model specifically, but what you're looking for isn't uncommon. Hope you find something you're happy with.

"I strongly advise against going the budget route with cables. In my experience, cheap cables fail so frequently that you’ll eventually spend more replacing them than you would have on a single premium one. Save yourself the hassle and invest in quality upfront."

I would agree that Amazon is a good place to find cables. I would also agree to try to stay away from offbrand/budget branded cables. Also, while Apple provides you with a USB-C to USB-C cable, it is a pain to find an affordable brick for that. Instead, Look over Amazon's offerings, and get yourself a decent USB-C to USB cable, one that has a strong charging capacity. Then, you can just plug it into a laptop, and older charging brick, whether it be Apple or an offbrand, etc. This is what I did for both my Meta smart glasses, and a Turtle Beach Stealth series headset I use for my Xbox gaming needs.

HTH.

Apple's cable is quite good, but there are better ones available on Amazon that have higher current carrying capacity; also, find something that is quite flexible; it will be easier on your phone and other devices.
You never stated how your headphones connect to the iPhone; there are a couple of options to allow various connection types.
You can buy from Apple, a USB-C to lightning adaptor so you can plug your older lightning devices into the iPhone.
You can buy a USB-C to 3.5MM connector that allows you to plug headphones in that have the standard 1/8 jack connector on them.
You can get a small USB-C hub type thing that has an audio jack in it to connect headphones or older speakers to your iPhone.

As for charging while using the iPhone, buy a small USB-C hub which will have the USB-C connector which plugs into the iPhone and a USB-C connection that allows you to plug the cable from the power-supply/adaptor into it for charging. There are lots of options since you're now in the standard USB-C world. Finding the right set up for you will be a little bit of a looking-around-thing or asking others you know who have devices so you know what to buy.
As for the chargers; as mentioned; Apple doesn't include one; of course they sell them, a little more pricy, but not out of line, or buy reputable from Amazon.

Brian Borowski

As many stated amazon and make sure the cables are certify. There are nice deals for cables that are nylonand they are strong. Some can be US=B or US=A. Just specify what you want and how long the cable you want. There are some that are 10 feet long. Long live cats.