Photos Claiming to Be of New Lightning Cable with Reversible USB Connector Surface

[DoctorKrabs]

There is so much fanboy denial about how easy Lightning cables are to break.
They stop working after a year of use consistently, and it's because of the same thing that has caused problems for Apple cables for the past 10 years.

There was a time when they used buffers that actually did the job of letting the cable bend, and it used materials that worked well.

Then they decided that they needed to stop using the notched buffer piece, and make a simple thick sleeve buffer, which is more rigid than the actual cable. This causes it to bend sharply and kink at the part where the buffer piece begins. And that bending tears the inner wire, making it stop working.

This is a valid design flaw that they refuse to fix, because they don't care about other people's cables. "Go buy a new one".
I've had 2 of my Lightning cables stop charging without breaking open or exposing wire. They looked like the ones above.
Nobody cares if your cable is still like new.

 

[pure-rockstar]

My cables are on their last legs too. Why do they keep fraying?

 

[crsh1976]

It's better than not having a reversible USB, however, I'd rather they just add a Lightning port to Macs and have a double-ended Lightning cable. Maybe make a Lightning-to-USB gender bender.

So PC users wouldn't be able to connect their iDevices to their computers.. that sounds like a spiffy solution.

 

[MrX8503]

Technically, sure.... but you could say that about ANY cable that got frayed or had a connector pulled loose on one end. It was "mishandled."

When I compare the power chargers with mag-safe connectors from Apple to pretty much ANY charging brick for a Windows laptop, I see a huge difference in the thickness of the cables themselves. The PC laptops use heavy gauge wire with big strain-reliefs on the ends and large barrel type connectors that don't break off easily.

The mag-safe connection itself is a great idea, so a charger that gets tugged on won't take the whole laptop off the desk with it ... but it doesn't really make the rest of the charger any more durable. That thin white wire Apple likes to use (and have you wind around the charger in a spool fashion to stow it away) is destined not to hold up well over years of use.

Non Apple cables are more durable for sure. What I'm saying is that Apple cables don't fray on their own like people suggest. They aren't impossible to take care of either.

There is so much fanboy denial about how easy Lightning cables are to break.
They stop working after a year of use consistently, and it's because of the same thing that has caused problems for Apple cables for the past 10 years.

There was a time when they used buffers that actually did the job of letting the cable bend, and it used materials that worked well.


Then they decided that they needed to stop using the notched buffer piece, and make a simple thick sleeve buffer, which is more rigid than the actual cable. This causes it to bend sharply and kink at the part where the buffer piece begins. And that bending tears the inner wire, making it stop working.

This is a valid design flaw that they refuse to fix, because they don't care about other people's cables. "Go buy a new one".
I've had 2 of my Lightning cables stop charging without breaking open or exposing wire. They looked like the ones above.
Nobody cares if your cable is still like new.

Stop bending your cables. This is good practice anyway for any cable.

 

[ricci]

Most of these post are addressing the quality control of the cables which should be made more durable ! Since USB3.1 was just announce which is just as fast as thunderbolt 1, do you not believe this is in response to the new USB 3.1 push? Apple is launching the next gen thunderbolt that's twice as fast now ( 20) I see competition as a good thing!

 

[thekeyring]

The name always made me laugh.

Lightening.

It ran at only USB2 speed didn't it when we had already moved onto USB3 when it came out.

Yes but if it had required USB 3 all the computers without USB 3 ports wouldn't have supported it. Including a lot of Macs!

Also, doesn't plugging a USB 2.0 device into a USB 3.0 port transfer data than a USB 2.0 port?

 

[Piggie]

You did read the title of this thread?

Didn't you...?

Yes please correct me if I'm wrong here.

The article is showing that Apple will make a cable with it's own incompatible daft named lightning connector at one end, and the standard new USB plug on the other end?

Or have I misunderstood the article, and please correct me if I have done. Any Apple are doing to put new connectors in their iPhone and iPad to accept this new standards fast, reversible micro USB connector like other phones will soon.

Or will, and I suggested, Apple not do this, and keep their incompatible socket in their devices, so you will still need an Apple converter cable with the new standard USB on one end and their incompatible plug on the other end.

Please correct me if I misunderstood? I did not think Apple was going to change to the new standard in it's hardware. Just make a new "Adapter Cable"

Thank you.

 

[cliffster82]

To anyone having durability issues with lightning cables - a little care and common sense will go a long way. I have never had a problem. If the cable is going to travel with me, I just roll it around my fingers and stick it in a pocket of a bag. Takes 4 seconds. I know for some people that is a hassle but again, just a little care is all it takes and your cables will last.

 

[Yuniverse]

Nobody cares if your cable is still like new.

Sure, we need to care only about failed cables and ignore the vast majority of fine cables.

 

[Saturn007]

same, hate them. two of mine are already an exposed dangerous mess (they still work but i am just waiting for the day i get electrocuted). meanwhile the old ones from my iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 are still working perfectly without any exposed wires.

Liked the comparative photo-- however, I could post photos showing the exact reverse!

Virtually all of our older 30-pin connectors have frayed near the connector, whereas our Lightning ones are still trucking along without any problems!

For anyone interested, I followed a tip and used white Teflon tape to reseal them-- does the job, without gluey mess, and looks pretty good compared to black electrical tape!

Note: I prefer the older ones--much more substantial and easier to connect. The newer ones, although with the apparent advantage of connecting either way, are harder to position and connect.

 

[Locoboof]

To anyone having durability issues with lightning cables - a little care and common sense will go a long way. I have never had a problem. If the cable is going to travel with me, I just roll it around my fingers and stick it in a pocket of a bag. Takes 4 seconds. I know for some people that is a hassle but again, just a little care is all it takes and your cables will last.

Lol,just because it hasn't happened to you (lucky for you) doesn't mean the rest of us are mistreating our cables. Maybe some are? But I'm one of the most anal people I know when it comes to taking care of my stuff,however,this did happen to one of my cables. I can only hope it never happens to you.

I'll repost my earlier post.

"I can tell you I have 6 of these cables and I treat all my cables with care. I have 6 just so I don't have to unplug and move them somewhere els. One at work,one in my car,one connected to my PC,one downstairs and two on both nights stands in my bedroom. I can tell you the one at work had this same issue.
I don't abuse or mistreat anything. Just over time this happened. Every time I unplug I grab from the hard plastic,not tug on it like a 4 year old.

I've had two other friends this happened to as well. I've done some reading and it seems this has happened to a lot of other people. It's not to a selected few. All my cables are apple OEM lightning cables.

When I went back to the apple store with my receipt they exchanged it no problem. I did have my receipt showing it was under a year old."

 

[mw360]

Stop bending your cables. This is good practice anyway for any cable.

This just gets better and better.

 

[Moonjumper]

How long are you talking here? 2 meters is plenty.

And that would be fine if the bundled cable was that long.

 

[Man9z0r]

Sweet another 30 dollar cable for everyone to have to buy! Is this becoming a new trend? Why not just get the standard cable most other devices are using?!?!

 

[Gasu E.]

Nothing out of the ordinary. Just poorly made, same things happened to my brothers.

I'm sorry to hear about your brothers ripping apart-- terrible tragedy.

 

[The Phazer]

What on earth have you been doing with them? I'm still using the original lightning cable that came with my iPhone 5 getting on for 2 years ago and it's still in near perfect condition...

Apparently enough of us do it that it's the worst reviewed product in the Apple online store.

I had an Apple store genius admit to me recently that the number of Lightning cable returns and complaints they got was "astonishing".

 

[mw360]

So how does Apple's patent differ from the one already patented back in 2010?
http://www.google.com/patents/US7717717
Image

Why don't you read the applications and find out?

At first glance though, the most apparent is that the 2010 patent shows that the connections on either side of the tongue are hard-wired together, whereas the Apple patent seems to have the connectors isolated and has a circuit designed to tell which way round the plug is connected, presumably to disable the unconnected side for safety.

 

[chrisbru]

I've had the 5 and 5S (plus an iPad Mini and iPad Air) and have probably gone through a dozen lightning cables in the last two-ish years. I'll admit that I don't take the best care of my cables - but, hell, I shouldn't have to baby them. I keep four cables - one plugged into my nightstand, one plugged into my car, one plugged into my computer at work, and one in my bag. My iPhone gets plugged into the bedside once per day, my car 2+ times per day, and my computer anywhere from 0 to a half dozen times per day. I don't throw them around, move them a lot, etc. - I simply use them as designed.

 

[JGowan]

My cable rarely leaves my desk or is bundled up and it's always placed freely on the desk. My cable unceremoniously started shredding itself near the lightning end (the part that sees the most flex). I noticed that it started bulging at the base of the stiffer sheath before the connector before it started falling apart. It's my suspicion then that too much of the outer plastic sheath is packed between the ends. In places where the cable was bent excessively, the inner part of the bend would be compressed more than a well put together cable, leading to failure.

I simply cut back the plastic to the metal shielding and removed back to where the cable was still intact (a few inches). It's been this way for about half a year and it's perfectly fine.

now THAT'S a youtube video I'd like to watch!

 

[PocketSand11]

Nice. Now I just have to wait a few extra days for the knockoffs to come out

 

[andyring]

Nothing out of the ordinary. Just poorly made, same things happened to my brothers.

Your brothers were poorly made and started coming apart after a couple years?!!? Poor guys!

 

[The Phazer]

This is mine, from my nightstand, after less than a year.

Junk.

 

[atlatnesiti]

Able have certainly "doubled up" on secrecy.
We have nothing real.

 

[IJ Reilly]

While it is unable to tell for sure whether these cables are legitimate or not, it is possible that Apple could ship new Lightning cables to match the forthcoming USB 3.1 cables that will soon come with newer smartphones.

Ow, ow, owie.

 

[exizeo]

same, hate them. two of mine are already an exposed dangerous mess (they still work but i am just waiting for the day i get electrocuted). meanwhile the old ones from my iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 are still working perfectly without any exposed wires.

also i am very "anal" about those kind of things, like the cable of my macbook pro and the iPad still have the plastic on it.

Same thing just happened to my cMBP's magsafe a few weeks ago.