I have gone through several over the course of a couple years. If you go to their website you will see the majority of the reviews only gave 1 star for this same reason. It frays at the end where the cable meets the plastic lightening adapter that plugs into the phone. I’ve tried several off brand cables but none of them have that premium, rubbery feel. They’re all stiff and plasticky. Any idea how a company this high profile and revered is not addressing this?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Has Apple fixed its lightening cables yet?
- Thread starter TH55
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I have the original cables that came with my iPad 2 and 5s. The cables aren’t that breakable but one has to baby them a bit.
That’s really shady, as much loyalty as their customers show. How long do Apple brand lightening cables usually last?
Strange, I’ve never had an Apple cable ‘fall apart ‘on me at all. And yes, I have owned many Apple devices over the years, but my disclaimer is, nor have I mistreating the cables in anyway whatsoever, and I still have some original ones from at least five years ago.
Have you ever actually seen a teardown of an Apple cable versus cables from other third-party manufacturers? Apple cables are far more reinforced, durable, and well put together.
Do you have absolutely any evidence to substantiate your claim?
[doublepost=1554934243][/doublepost]
Not nearly as shady as having no idea what you were talking about but speaking as if it’s the truth. Guy is clueless.
[doublepost=1554934279][/doublepost]
Ditto here.
Yet I have friends and family who repeatedly buy garbage third-party cables that fall apart in days or weeks.
Last edited:
I stand by my assertion that Apple cables for iPhone are extremely fragile. But don't take my word for it, go to the Apple online store and read the hundreds of negative reviews.
I have a iPhone 6S, iPhone X and a iPad Pro (10.5) all using the original cables still with zero problems. I also bought an Apple cable, around 2 years ago, for use in the car and it gets cooked in the sun and throw about and zero problems with it also.
I beat the ever living crap out of my cables.
Apple cables hold up pretty well.
I’ve purchased Native Union cables and they have stood the test of time.
Many say Apple cables are over priced. The great thing is you can buy alternatives for cheap. The longevity may vary though.
Apple cables hold up pretty well.
I’ve purchased Native Union cables and they have stood the test of time.
Many say Apple cables are over priced. The great thing is you can buy alternatives for cheap. The longevity may vary though.
I've always had pretty good luck with lightning cables. I have ones that I haven't even used yet because I'm still using ones that came with devices I don't even have anymore! For example, the one I currently use for both my iPhone and iPad I believe is the one that came with my iPhone 6... Or maybe it's the one from my Mini 4... Either way, I don't even own either of those devices anymore, but the cable is still in like-new condition, and I have a least two unused ones to replace it with if necessary.
Most people break the cables because they bend them at that joint, or they just yank it by the chord to unplug the phone. I’ve yet to break an Apple branded charger in anyway. Never a lightning cable, never the old 30 pins. Pretty sure I still have the original charger from my 5s, which I have been using I my car, and work truck for years now. I have never had to buy a lightning cable. Always got them with my phones. Have numerous of them laying around...I places I don’t even know about. Treat your stuff with care and respect and they too will last.
I've never broken a cable. Then again, when I unplug them, I grab the plastic part and unplug it that way; never a frayed cable that way. It's always odd to me that people unplug it by yanking on the rubberized cable.
The only time I've had to replace them is when the contacts become too soiled to clean easily. This is most often the case for the ones in the car; I don't recall having to replace ones in the house because of that.
The only time I've had to replace them is when the contacts become too soiled to clean easily. This is most often the case for the ones in the car; I don't recall having to replace ones in the house because of that.
I agree.
My family and I still have and use every original Apple cable that we have ever had from the iPhone 3GS to our current iPhone and iPad models with lightning cables (about a dozen cables over the years). Never, have we had one fail to this day.
I work in IT and can say that it's always the way that the individual handles the cable and never the quality of Apple's cables. I have have end-users that can damage every single cable that I give them within a few months. And then I have other end-users that get a new iPhone after two or three years and tell me that they don't need the new cable that comes in the box because their old one is still working fine.
If you would disconnect them correctly, you'd have no issue. I've ruined a grand total of ONE cable in almost 10 years of using Apple products... and that cable was ruined when I slammed a drawer on the end. I have pulled the cable out of the device by grasping the connector (NOT the cable). I have taught my grandchildren to also do it correctly. This is true of the 30-pin cables as well as the lightning cables.
The cables are not flawed, the method most people use to disconnect them is.
I've rarely had an issue with Apple ones with the ones we've had break either doing so because my wife leaves them bent back on themselves, wedged against something so she breaks them or they are years old and just reached a point where they are done in. Any additionals\replacements i've got i've normally bought Amazon Basics one purely on a cost basis although i've never had an issue with those either.
Skip the OEM lightning cables and go third party. Can't go wrong with Anker. Anything made by Anker is pretty good.
Never had any Apple cable fail. Can’t yank any cord out of a socket. Need to hold it by the plug.
Para cables are a good alternative but end result will be the same if not inserted/removed by holding the plug.
Actually, only cable fail was a paracord. Didn’t fray but the little blade snapped off while it was plugged into the phone!
Para cables are a good alternative but end result will be the same if not inserted/removed by holding the plug.
Actually, only cable fail was a paracord. Didn’t fray but the little blade snapped off while it was plugged into the phone!