Someone once commented here on HN that Apple engineering departments get boxes of Anker cables delivered all the time since they’re so much better than Apple’s own. I wish I had saved the link.
This is hardly surprising when you consider that Apple's business is selling a phone, where they generally have to throw in a cable so people can charge it, and Anker's business is selling a cable that you decide to buy even though you already had the one Apple gave you for "free".
Apple could make a better cable, but it's not worth it to do so.
That would make sense _except_ apple sells their cables on their website. They have already chosen to make selling cables part of their business.
What's more likely is that the quality doesn't matter. Lots of people only care about the official apple brand, so apple can get away with selling an interior product for more money.
Sure, they'll sell replacement cables, but they make a lot more "free" cables that sell with their phones and tablets. The cost/quality of the cables they package in phones matters to them a lot. They don't care a ton if additional cables sell well or not. And you're absolutely correct that many people will buy Apple official cables just because they're Apple official.
But here's the thing: Apple can't go selling premium cables and including cheapy ones in their phone boxes. The Apple brand has to be viewed as premium all the time, so they put a mediocre cable both in the box and sold on their website.
It sounds nice at first glance, but I don't think this argument holds up to scrutiny, because it could just as well equally apply to "companies other than Anker" manufacturing cables of this type, and the quality of a great many of those cables is almost notoriously terrible.
I'm certainly not saying Apple produces the worst cable. But that Apple only needs to produce a cable that isn't a detriment to the overall product: It usually works and accomplishes it's task. You aren't buying the iPhone based on the quality of the thrown-in charger cable.
Whereas Anker has distinguished itself as a company that makes quality cables... by selling quality cables.
I don't know what it is, but I've never broken a single Lightning cable since I got my first iPhone in 2016. I still have 2 new-in-box cables from upgrades. But a few weeks ago I was picking up a friend and when she got in my car she said "Why do you have the Apple cable? They're so fragile" and immediately tore the strain relief plugging her phone in.
I had never broken a lightning cable or a macbook charging cable (original magsafe or magsafe2) in maybe a decade of use, but as soon as my kids started using iDevices I've had to switch to buying extra-super-durable ones because Apple's don't stand a chance in the hands of a 7 year old. The Amazon Basics lightning cables with the braided external cover and solid metal housing at the ends seem pretty bomb-proof so far. The housing + strain relief is kind of absurdly long but it's very very sturdy. Anker stuff also seems quite solid.
Edit: I think a lot of people just naturally don't pay much attention to what they're doing to their cables. I used to work at a company where I was pretty much the only one whose MBP power cable wasn't visibly fraying at the ends, and I'm still using the same one 5 years later.
Wait so you dont tie your iPhone cable around a tree and swing on it while your phone is charging! Shocker. I'm in the same boat at you, not a single Apple cable failure in 10 years of using Apple products.
I’ve had two apple cables fail over the past five years despite being mostly just plugged into the charging ports of a powered (anker, hah!) usb hub on my desk. The cable I keep in my bag for when I’m not home is an anker one.
In Denmark most apartment building have a bin for recycling electronics.
I like to open the one on my building, and have a peek to see if there's something interesting. I like repairing (often just resetting) discarded electronics and donating them to people who need them.
Anyway, I find loads of broken Apple cables, but very few plain USB cables.
I do all those things. From past discussions I gather the trick is using the phone while charging causes the problem. I tend not to and haven't had issues.
I have noticed with both lightning and macbook chargers that high current draw (and associated heat) while the cable is bent seems to be associated with the cable degrading.
Not using the phone while charging negates this, as does having the cable flat on a table when using the macbook (as opposed to using and charging with the macbook on your lap, where the cable rops down immediately).
I think some people are just more meticulous with their stuff than others. I mean by this that it could be considered as going out of their way to make sure there are no tight bends, not pulling on cables, not shoving the cable in a purse whichever way you can, etc. My original iphone cable I bought more than 3 years ago still has its rounded shape as when it was new.
This, combined with poor quality products explains the difference in my opinion.
The only cable that frayed on me was a MagSafe 2, next to the computer connector. The cable is ridiculously thin. It was the adapter for my 15 MBP. In comparison, I'm still using the original adapter of my 2008 MBP and apart from being scratched and dirty, it's still as good as new, cable and all.
What I think happens often is that the cable will be under some kind of rotational stress. I've noticed I have a tendency to always turn the phone the same way, so the cable has a tendency to turn around its axis. It's something I see especially often on corded office phones. Also, cables are often at very tight angles close to the connector, so there beign next to no relief ends up tearing the housing.
I've also seen many people pull on the cable instead of the connector to uplug it. That can't be to good for longevity either.
Same. I should note that I'm a generally thoughtful person and am careful with my electronics. I don't have kids. My cats don't eat cables.
That said, I travel plenty, and I shove cables into my bag like anyone else. I can't think of a single cable for a single product (Apple or non-Apple) that I've destroyed. Some peoples' cables look like they get slammed in a car door twice a day every day.
Never broken an Apple cable (Laptop, Phone, iPad, etc) in 10+ years either. I grew up as a small child regularly pulling out / pushing in the power cable on a ZX Spectrum, which was a really fragile cable. I guess I learnt a lot of respect for handling cables fairly quickly at a young age from that.
anecdotally it seems to be a combination of using the phone while plugged in and it bends sitting against you/the table/etc (or pulling it tight).. and not plugging and removing the cable by the connector but pulling on the cable.
My kids taught me how to break them. Before the kids had iPads our family hadn't broken any, now... it's a weekly thing. Children are professionals at destruction.
I've damaged two magsafe connectors in the last two years. The rubbery plastic protection near the charge point (with the orange/green LED) splits. Then it's super easy to make worse since the split ends catch on things. Like https://i.imgur.com/l2uS8pv.jpg.
I'm pretty sure it's from heat damage from the power. Not mechanical strain. The heat slowly weakens the rubber material to the point of failure.
On one hand you have comments, replies and friends who have never broken a single Lightning cable in the pass 10 years of using iPhone. On the other hand I am may be on my 8th lightning cable over the past 10+ years of iPhone. And this one is from Anker Powerline II. Powerline III is even better but three years in, this Anker Powerline II is doing extremely well.
I have heard somewhere post iPhone 8 there is a "updated" version of Lightning Cable that is suppose to be more durable. But I have no way to fact check this.
Having been through quite a few Apple and Anker lightning cables I'd say the Ankers last about three times as long in normal use. The plastic frays and breaks on the Apple ones.
Maybe i'm just lucky, but i've never had an Apple cable break on me.
My original iPad 1 cable still works (and is still used occasionally).
Then again, i use my cables for charging, and i never use my devices while charging, so the bending/pulling that destroys most cables never occurs with mine.
One thing that does destroy cables though is a 2 year old kid with a fetish for sucking on the lightning end of the cables. My youngest kid did that for 6 months or so, and every cable he sucked on has a visibly corroded 3rd pin.
