When did Apple make lightning cable thicker?

[Lihp8270]

Yes and that reason is cost. No problem with charging an iPhone at 10W.

Faster charging will always reduce battery life, there's no way around it.

More current = more heat = more harm to the battery.

However, how much of an affect it will have? I cba doing the maths but I guess it's not much difference. But it WILL have an affect on the battery life.

Apple say their chargers are all compatible with each other, and do give a stated battery capacity after a number of chargers. So I'd say that you will still get within what Apple will say it will last, using a fast charger.

 

[HEK]

Faster charging will always reduce battery life, there's no way around it.

More current = more heat = more harm to the battery.

However, how much of an affect it will have? I cba doing the maths but I guess it's not much difference. But it WILL have an affect on the battery life.

Apple say their chargers are all compatible with each other, and do give a stated battery capacity after a number of chargers. So I'd say that you will still get within what Apple will say it will last, using a fast charger.

First off the iphone only has one charger....the one built inside the phone. The 5, 10, 12, or 29 watt power supplies called power adapters by Apple, supply reduced DC voltage from 110 and 220 V AC recepticals.

The phone's internal charging circuit will draw only the current it needs based on the battery charge condition. That is why leaving the power adapter hooked up for long periods of time will not harm the iphone or battery. It is intermitently trickle charging at 100%.

In case of Li Ion batteries faster charging has even been shown to improve longevity. Due to reduced dendrite formation inside the battery. See extensive articles from Battery University.

As long as any increased heat is disipated the faster charging will not harm the LI Ion battery. If you have the screen turned to full, are doing some intensive gaming, and charging at same time, you will note the phone gets warm. Built it's automatic temperature shut down will not allow the iphone to get too hot.

With that said, Heat will harm LI Ion battery even when phone is turned off, and not charging, sitting in sun or hot car. So keeping the phone within Apple's approved temperature window is highly advised. However, if anyone feels so compelled, have a fan blow air over the phone while charging. Or set on a zip lock bag full of crushed ice. As this forum proves over and over again, one cannot be too anal retentive, regarding our iphones.

As for myself, I have been fortunate to never have receaved a defective battery in my iphones. Having gone through more than a dozen iphones between my son and myself, we charge with largest capacity power adapters any time, mostly overnight. So far by the time battery capacity even marginally shows it's effect we are trading in for the latest model. Anywhere from one, two, or three years. It's simply nothing to worry about.

As for thicker cables, you will find the USB-C to lightning cable to be thicker. It is used with the 29watt power adapter. This is the most powerful power adapter I am using and has plenty of reserve current to charge the iphone at maximum rate even while the phone is being used. Also works great on ipad air 2 for rapid charging especially while under use. The thicker cable with larger gage wires transfers more current.

 

[QuarterSwede]

No I lied to make everyone envious...............geez.

Yes they really did that. I pushed the fact that I have always had applecare+ and the last time I did it I had to elivate to next level at Apple Store. But, yes they really have done it for me more than once. Returned four cables so far when the ends became undone with insulation splitting.

I also have purchased longer cables along with iPad power adapters. Never had a power adapter go bad on me. Just some of the cables.

We've done the same thing multiple times and just decided to try Amazon basic cables. Haven't had one of those fail yet and that's with one being used in my car getting abused quite a bit more than Apple's cables ever were. They're of fantastic build quality.

 

[HEK]

We've done the same thing multiple times and just decided to try Amazon basic cables. Haven't had one of those fail yet and that's with one being used in my car getting abused quite a bit more than Apple's cables ever were. They're of fantastic build quality.

If my memory serves me right, i believe Apple's cables became less resilient when the outer casing formulation changed for better recycling. The early cables lasted longer but were not as biodegradable.

 

[Will22]

Sounds like you're using the iPad charger, wave goodbye to your battery, they ship with a 1A 5W charger for a reason!

What a load of cr@p, I have been using an iPad charger for years with no affect on the battery on my iPhones.

 

[QuarterSwede]

What a load of cr@p, I have been using an iPad charger for years with no affect on the battery on my iPhones.

Same. My 6 Plus has been using an iPad charger as well for over two years. It's battery is still fantastic!

 

[C DM]

Sounds like you're using the iPad charger, wave goodbye to your battery, they ship with a 1A 5W charger for a reason!

And the reason that the iPad charger is listed by Apple as being perfectly compatible with iPhones as well is then what exactly by that logic?

 

[Sparky1603]

Yes and that reason is cost. No problem with charging an iPhone at 10W.

It doesn't cost more to increase the wattage...

More amperage equals more heat, and more heat equals more wear and tear on the battery.

 

[Brookzy]

It doesn't cost more to increase the wattage...

More amperage equals more heat, and more heat equals more wear and tear on the battery.

It costs more to make and is bigger and heavier, thus increasing iPhone shipping costs.

 

[Will22]

It doesn't cost more to increase the wattage...

More amperage equals more heat, and more heat equals more wear and tear on the battery.

You believe that makes anything more than a miniscule difference if you want.

 

[1rottenapple]

delete

 

[HEK]

You believe that makes anything more than a miniscule difference if you want.

Makes as much sense as debating what shade of white the iphone is. Is it too white? No, not white enough. If Apple makes it whiter will it sell more?

Just use the freaking phone and charge it with whatever power adapter you want, when ever you want. You will never know the difference. Mass produced batteries are not identical, and you won't even get the same longevity from two different phone if you charged them identically thier entire life. Find something else to obsess over. Like the critical question if black is better or worse than jet black.

 

[Susurs]

Could anybody tell me the product number for this thicker cable. I want to replace my 7 plus oem cable, but not sure that I will get the thicker cable in box if I order an original one. Is it MD818ZM/A or different? Or the product name did not change when thickness of the cable changed?

P.S. I know that these cables have a metal coating under the plastic, so they are very hard to damage. Unfortunately, my cat did try to do this, and even if he did not succeed to damage the cable itself, he scratched the plastic coating a lot.

 

[Susurs]

I visited a local reseller shop and found out the lightning cable boxes have MD818ZM/A written on it. I didn't have an opportunity to open the box to check whether the cable is the thicker one. They told me that this shipment has arrived yesterday so it it is not an old batch. Can anyone approve that the MD818ZM/A box have the thicker cable inside? Maybe only specific products like iPhone Plus comes with this type of cable.

 

[Will22]

Could anybody tell me the product number for this thicker cable. I want to replace my 7 plus oem cable, but not sure that I will get the thicker cable in box if I order an original one. Is it MD818ZM/A or different? Or the product name did not change when thickness of the cable changed?

P.S. I know that these cables have a metal coating under the plastic, so they are very hard to damage. Unfortunately, my cat did try to do this, and even if he did not succeed to damage the cable itself, he scratched the plastic coating a lot.

Your 7 plus came with the new thicker cable.

 

[Debel]

Your 7 plus came with the new thicker cable.

Lol mine felt the same. But then again. It's in the wife's car lol. I'm in love with braided

 

[Susurs]

Your 7 plus came with the new thicker cable.

Yes, but I want to buy another thicker cable and don't know where to get it (as I am not sure that the thicker cable would be deffinitely included in a retail box).

 

[Will22]

Yes, but I want to buy another thicker cable and don't know where to get it (as I am not sure that the thicker cable would be deffinitely included in a retail box).

If it is a new phone and not a refurbished/replacement phone then it will have the newer thicker cable. If you want an extra cable then all Apple the cables that Apple sell are the thicker ones.

 

[mei_yuu]

Measured it with a caliper. New cable is beefier than old cable, both the actual cable/strain relief and the plastic housing for the lightning plug. Significant enough that I noticed it right away the day I pulled it out of the box, before any kind of testing.

Hello I'm Mei

My iphone is Iphone 7...
I got ripped off by my friend's friend.. :\
I bought it from him.. *since the ip 7 wasn't released yet in my country*

And for the charger and the lightning cable.. I got the fake ones in the box.. *sigh*
I asked for the new ones.. but still this seller :\ gave me the fake ones.. and convinced me that I can't claim anything but the iPhone -.-
Since I am a fanboy, ofc I know that I could change whatever's broken if it's an error product inside the box as long as they are genuine :|
At first I didnt notice.. I noticed the cable got thicker and bigger than my old ones.. but I think it was because the phone's new phone and maybe they made it thicker.. and the charger was lighter.. i too thought it was the new innovation...
So one day when I charged, my screen got crazy as I played the phone.. @w@ I thought there was error with the touchscreen. But when I tried to prove it to my friend.. it was fine because I unplugged it from the charger. Then it happened again. My screen got crazy when I played the phone while charging..
So i did some research and got the problem..

Luckily the phone was genuine and the eaphones' too..

Later... I bought another cable from an unofficial store *my another friend's friend and she guaranteed that this guy won't cheat*
Soo I trusted my female friend @.@
This new guy.. he said it's the genuine from-the-box cable of Iphone 6 (or 6+) I don't quite remember...
I compared the charger.. his was heavier than my fake one.. then the cable .. it was also bigger @,@ (similar to what I got in my box. But why I'd think that what I got in the box was fake one? I belive it was because of the writig.. "made by apple california ..." the one in the box's writing was blur.. ) so i bought the new guys' cable also charger ~ in which he claimed it was genuine from ip 6(or 6+)'s box from his customer who wanted to exchange her Singapore charger to Japan's charger (3 holes to 2 holes)

but now I am still not certain whether the cable is genuine one.. since it's thicker and bendier.. the old ones (I got the 5s one.. and ipod's also my macbook's) they were more elastic.. please help me >.< it was also a lil shorther than my old 5s cable.. (my colleague said it was because it's more bendier) am not to sure :\

And sorry for my rant and long post and my bad English @.@

I hope someone would answer my curiosity >w<

 

[Stefan johansson]

Today I went to replace my old iPhone 6 charging cord that was starting to come apart at the lightning end. Grabbed the cord out of my iPhone 7 Plus box and noticed it's much thicker than the old one.

Being curious I did some charging tests with a USB inline current meter. With my phone down to about 60% charge the old cord would charge at 1.3A (6.5W) and the new cord charges at 1.6A (8W). So looks like older lightning cords will slow down the charging speed compared to what Apple is currently shipping.

Figured I would share my findings as I searched first but didn't find the answer I was looking for.

PS. As a side note, kind of interesting that iPhones still ship with a 5W wall charger. They should toss the 12W ipad adapter into the phone boxes. But that's a different topic all together.

The thicker cables is a reply to customer complaints about broken cables,just like yours. About the charger question,I use the same two 12W chargers for my phone,my iPad,my apple Magic Mouse and my fenix 3 watch withouth any problems. The built in charging relay stops overcharging automatically.