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Tex
Dave's not here
Premium Member
join:2012-10-20

Tex

Premium Member

[iPhone] Lightning to USB Cable

I wanted to purchase an extra cable or two for my iPhone 6+, so I go to the Apple Store. I find the cables, but then I see the rating is 1-1/2 stars out of 5 stars based on over 1,800 reviews! WTF, I wonder. After reading some of the reviews, it seems the cable has problems. I've only had my phone for a few days and this is the only Apple device I own that uses the Lightning to USB cable. Have y'all had issues with your Lightning to USB cables?

fourboxers
Mod
join:2003-05-04
Toronto

2 recommendations

fourboxers

Mod

We had one where the casing at the lightning connector end came away exposing the wires.

I went for monoprice cables when buying extras, the grip portion at the lightning end is larger than apple's and their length options and price were better for me.

buckingham
Doylstown Pa
Premium Member
join:2005-07-17
Buckingham, PA

3 recommendations

buckingham to Tex

Premium Member

to Tex
I have both the Apple and the Amazon Basics cables. The latter is sturdier and at a better price point. (and available in black when you want it to disappear, such as in a vehicle)

Nezmo
The name's Bond. James Bond.
MVM
join:2004-11-10
Coppell, TX

3 recommendations

Nezmo to Tex

MVM

to Tex
Seconded on Amazon-branded cables. I have 4 or 5 in white and black.

HiVolt
Premium Member
join:2000-12-28
Toronto, ON

1 recommendation

HiVolt to Tex

Premium Member

to Tex
I haven't had any issues with any of the cables that came with my iPhone 5 & 6 and iPad 4. Still in working condition and used daily.

I haven't had to buy any new cables, except I bought a short 1ft cable on amazon that i use to hook up a stem mounted battery to my phone when cycling which is handle bar mounted with a quadlock mount/case.

ArgMeMatey
join:2001-08-09
Milwaukee, WI

1 recommendation

ArgMeMatey to Tex

Member

to Tex
I had an Amazon Basics 6' lightning to USB replaced under 1-year warranty, when the cable jacket pulled out of the housing & bushing on the lightning end. Now on the replacement, it's failed in the same way but is still working.

I've had many 30-pin cables fail in this way over the years. I can think of only one reason they haven't improved the grip/strain relief design.
daveinpoway
Premium Member
join:2006-07-03
Poway, CA

1 recommendation

daveinpoway to HiVolt

Premium Member

to HiVolt
The cable that came with my iPhone 5 is over a year and a half old and still in perfect condition. I bought an extra (genuine Apple) one at a flea market last year (as a spare), but I might never need to use it. Oh, well, better to have it and not need it than to not have it and need it.

Nezmo
The name's Bond. James Bond.
MVM
join:2004-11-10
Coppell, TX

1 recommendation

Nezmo to Tex

MVM

to Tex
The only iPhone cable I've had fail was an Apple cable. The cable outer shell detached from the plug and left the inner cables exposed. I've used iPhones since the 3G came out. I never unplug by pulling the cable - only ever the plug itself but for some reason that Apple cable still failed.

My youngest son on the other hand could kill an Otterbox.
Riamen
Premium Member
join:2002-11-04
Calgary

Riamen to Tex

Premium Member

to Tex
Maybe I'm lucky but I've never had an Apple cable fail on me going back the iPhone 3G. I have bought a couple extra ones just so I could leave them in my car and at my desk.

darcilicious
Cyber Librarian
Premium Member
join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR
·Ziply Fiber

2 recommendations

darcilicious to Tex

Premium Member

to Tex
I have had issues with Apple's cables -- they're not as durable and eventually don't charge my iDevices unless they're positioned just right.

I have gone with Amazon's Basics, which I love. The price is great, I like the black version (for the car with the black/grey interior), and they are more durable.

kfsutops
Premium Member
join:2002-08-19
Lutz, FL

kfsutops to fourboxers

Premium Member

to fourboxers
said by fourboxers:

We had one where the casing at the lightning connector end came away exposing the wires.

Two of our cables have done the same thing. They still work but they sure do not age very well. One started to exposing the wires probably three months into ownership.

HiVolt
Premium Member
join:2000-12-28
Toronto, ON

HiVolt to Riamen

Premium Member

to Riamen
said by Riamen:

Maybe I'm lucky but I've never had an Apple cable fail on me going back the iPhone 3G. I have bought a couple extra ones just so I could leave them in my car and at my desk.

You know, come to think of it I've never had one fail completely either, even going back to the 30-pin cables i used with iPods & iPhones prior to lightning.

Some of the old ones frayed at either end, but never failed...

Same goes for my original first gen MacBook, the MagSafe that everyone complained about, never failed or even frayed at the connector end... I've long retired this laptop, gave it to a friend who couldn't afford a computer at all, and she's still using it in fact I saw her a few weeks ago and my old MB still works.

rjackal
Premium Member
join:2002-07-09
Plymouth, MI

rjackal to Tex

Premium Member

to Tex
Apple sold nearly 170 million iPhones last year, and they all shipped with a Lightning cable. If they were that bad, you'd be hearing about it a lot more.
People don't write good reviews when they're satisfied with their cable. The reviews that you're seeing are heavily biased towards people who are unhappy with the cable, and probably a bit miffed that they have to spend money to buy a new one!

HiVolt
Premium Member
join:2000-12-28
Toronto, ON

HiVolt

Premium Member

I just wish that they were cheaper... They make so much money on the devices, and they still have the balls to charge $20 for a lightning cable.
daveinpoway
Premium Member
join:2006-07-03
Poway, CA

daveinpoway

Premium Member

From what I understand, the Lightning cable is not an ordinary cable- there are IC's (and other components) built into it. Also, the quality level can vary greatly between cables. I saw a (used) cheap Lightning cable at a flea market last year- the gold plating had "smeared", such that there was barely any insulating (non-gold) spaces between the pins. That has not happened with my genuine Apple cables.

You can do the job right (with genuine IC's and quality plating, which cost more) or cut corners (using copycat chips and plating of questionable quality, which are cheaper).

HiVolt
Premium Member
join:2000-12-28
Toronto, ON

HiVolt

Premium Member

Yeah the cable isn't a simple setup like a usb or microusb, but come on... The cables probably cost them a dollar to make in the volume they get them at... To charge $20 for a basic cable is outrageous.

darcilicious
Cyber Librarian
Premium Member
join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR
·Ziply Fiber

darcilicious to daveinpoway

Premium Member

to daveinpoway
said by daveinpoway:

You can do the job right (with genuine IC's and quality plating, which cost more) or cut corners (using copycat chips and plating of questionable quality, which are cheaper).

Or you can make a quality product and charge a reasonable price like Amazon has managed to do. (Apple certified as well)

rjackal
Premium Member
join:2002-07-09
Plymouth, MI

rjackal to HiVolt

Premium Member

to HiVolt
said by HiVolt:

The cables probably cost them a dollar to make in the volume they get them at... To charge $20 for a basic cable is outrageous.

It's certainly a moneymaker for Apple. They make more from Accessories than iPod and Software combined. It does annoy when one thinks about the $150 billion they're sitting on...
»www.asymco.com/wp-conten ··· 7-PM.png

crazyk4952
Premium Member
join:2002-02-04
united state
Ubiquiti EdgeRouter Lite
Ubiquiti UniFi AP-LR
Polycom VVX300

crazyk4952 to Tex

Premium Member

to Tex
I've been using Anker lightning cables for the past few weeks and they feel pretty well-made. I haven't been using them long enough to comment on longevity, but at least they are half of the price of the Apple cable!

The Wire Cutter did a pretty in-depth comparison of lightning cables (»thewirecutter.com/review ··· g-cable/). They liked the Monoprice cables the best. However, the Anker cables were the runner up and they are available to be shipped through Amazon Prime.

HiVolt
Premium Member
join:2000-12-28
Toronto, ON

HiVolt to rjackal

Premium Member

to rjackal
said by rjackal:

It's certainly a moneymaker for Apple. They make more from Accessories than iPod and Software combined. It does annoy when one thinks about the $150 billion they're sitting on...

Yeah thats what rubs me the wrong way... They just keep gouging on stuff like that, when they have as much as they do and just want more more more more... corporate & shareholder greed has no bounds.

crazyk4952
Premium Member
join:2002-02-04
united state
Ubiquiti EdgeRouter Lite
Ubiquiti UniFi AP-LR
Polycom VVX300

crazyk4952 to daveinpoway

Premium Member

to daveinpoway
said by daveinpoway:

Also, the quality level can vary greatly between cables. I saw a (used) cheap Lightning cable at a flea market last year- the gold plating had "smeared", such that there was barely any insulating (non-gold) spaces between the pins. That has not happened with my genuine Apple cables.

You can do the job right (with genuine IC's and quality plating, which cost more) or cut corners (using copycat chips and plating of questionable quality, which are cheaper).

Apple has a support article on how to identify counterfeit lightning cables: »support.apple.com/en-us/HT5609

gjrhine
join:2001-12-12
Pawleys Island, SC

gjrhine to rjackal

Member

to rjackal
said by rjackal:

It does annoy when one thinks about the $150 billion they're sitting on.

Not me as a shareholder.

Nezmo
The name's Bond. James Bond.
MVM
join:2004-11-10
Coppell, TX

Nezmo

MVM

said by gjrhine:

said by rjackal:

It does annoy when one thinks about the $150 billion they're sitting on.

Not me as a shareholder.

You're a shareholder? I would never have guessed.


gjrhine
join:2001-12-12
Pawleys Island, SC

gjrhine

Member

earnings announced

some are going to be even more annoyed lol