ZDNet:
Over the last few months I’ve bought and tested a couple dozen USB-to-Lightning cables in the sub-$10 price bracket, and all in all, they’re pretty gnarly.
So what’s wrong with them?
Well, first off, every cable I bought that claimed to be a “genuine” Apple cable was a counterfeit. And poor quality counterfeits at that.
It’s frustrating that Apple charges so much for a “simple” cable but trying to save money may actually do more harm in the long run. Stick to “name brand” cables.
I’m tempted to go to that article to see how many of ZDNet’s commenters are somehow blaming Apple for this.
Saw a cool mag connector, third-party, version, but was afraid of ruining my iPhone with it, so never tried it.
I just buy Apple cables. I don’t need THAT many and after spending $1000 on a phone it just seems silly to me to worry about $10 on a cable. Add in the pease of mind that the cable won’t harm anything and the lack to stress running around trying to find a cable that works in order to save those few dollars and… yeah. Apple. Cable.
This is so true. The article motivated me to give a one-star review on amazon. PS, I did not buy an “Apple” cable on Amazon but rather a generic lightning cable. 2 of 4 failed.
What do you do to your cables that could possibly break them in a few months? I’m a heavy user and it takes years to seeing any wear and tear on my cables. I’ve just never understood what some people are doing…
The only non-Apple ones I’ll buy (and I will not buy an Apple Lightning cable, since they always fail at the cable-to-connector join) are Amazon’s house-brand braided ones*.
They’re actual-MFi certified and they don’t fall apart.
(* I might consider Monoprice, too.)
Mine inevitably fray where they join the Lightning connector, moreso when my fiancee uses them.
(They’re not bad if all you ever do is plug it in and leave it to charge, but using the phone while it’s charging makes the covering plastic fail.
Every.
Time.)
I checked for you.
Three comments, zero blaming Apple.
I peeked. No blame, but at least one of them takes the opportunity to cite the “Apple Tax.”
Everybody take a drink.
I’ve had one Apple cable fray, and that was on the charger for my second-oldest Mac, a 2008 MacBook.
I use Monoprice, Anker and Aukey. They are all Mfi and Monoprice has a lifetime warranty replacement. I generally only buy 6’ and 10’ third party cables and use the 3’ ones Apple includes in the box. It takes me a while to wear any of them out but my daughter can generally do one in inside a year because she is a heavy user and uses the device while it’s charging. With wireless charging, I see myself needing these cables even less.
Using the ipad while it is charging is usually fatal to the cable in short order, right where the plug turns into the cable.
It would be nice if Apple would make their own first party cables robust enough that it wasn’t necessary to buy a replacement after a few months. Especially considering the exorbitant prices they charge for their cables.
FWIW, I’ve been using an OWC/Newertech Lightning cable for my desktop phone stand for years now, with no sign of fraying. I believe they’re MFi as well.
A lot of folks yank the cable out via the cable itself, putting a lot of stress on the connector. It’s very common to see them fray there.
I’m super-OCD and carefully detach my devices all the time using the plastic on the connector itself, but alas I suspect I’m in the minority. I’ve never had a failed cable in years.
I used to have no problems with Apple cables – and then I had a couple of kids. They can trash an Apple cable within months. They are usually pretty careful with them, but just not as careful as me. They often sit holding the side of the iPad as they play games with the cable plugged in so the battery doesn’t die – and even though they try, it inevitably gets bent and dies.
Switched to Anker cables – braided ones – about 12 months ago. All in perfect condition still. Not “cheap” cables but around the same price as the Apple ones and come in different lengths and colours. Brilliant.
It’s possible to make a better cable for the same price. Apple just chooses not to.
my monoprice experiment concluded when the plug assembly fell apart into pieces with normal use. Apple and Anker for me.
they do. i’ve has my Apple cables for years. i don’t trash them.
I’m not surprised, Ive heard others say the same, though I’ve never had one fall apart. They just stop working at either end. I can wiggle the cord until the device starts charging and then it stops when I let go. I think Anker does make a better product and they’re readily available on Amazon.