Apple may finally fix its flimsy iPhone charger cables:
Every iPhone user likely has had one Lighting cable fray [on] them. It's been an annoying issue, and one that's driven third-party sellers to create braided cables that can withstand more abuse.
It seems that Apple is at the very least researching ways to make its cables more resilient. According to a patent filing first noticed by AppleInsider, Apple has been working on a "cable with variable stiffness" that gets thicker toward the ports.
Lightning cables are known for having thick connector points. It's what Apple internally refers to as the strain relief sleeve. While the ends of Apple cables are meant to keep the cable from fraying, often those areas become pressure and kink points. Apple acknowledged as much in its patent filing.
"In addition to making the cable locally stiffer, the strain relief sleeve also makes the cable thicker at the ends. In some instances, the added thickness may not be desired," the patent filing reads.
To get around this, Apple is essentially designing a cable that has denser material toward the ends that tapers off. [...]
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Apple to put USB-C connectors in iPhones to comply with EU rules
Apple will ditch the Lightning connector on its iPhones, the company has confirmed, after European regulators decided all smartphones should have USB charging as standard in two years' time.
New EU rules require all phones sold after autumn 2024 to use the USB-C connector for their charging ports. The oval-shaped plugs are already standard on other consumer electronics such as e-readers, games consoles, laptops and the vast majority of new Android phones.
[...] Now, Apple's head of marketing, Greg "Joz" Joswiak, says the company is conceding defeat. "Obviously we'll have to comply, we have no choice," he told a technology conference in California.
But, he argued, it "would have been better environmentally and better for our customers to not have a government be that prescriptive".
Related:
UK Will Not Copy EU Demand for Common Charging Cable
USB-C to be Mandatory for Phones Sold in the EU by Autumn 2024
Apple May Finally Fix its Flimsy iPhone Charger Cables
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 05 2021, @06:41PM (21 children)
It's revolutionary!
Enjoy your Crapple!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 05 2021, @07:19PM (2 children)
USB cables are junk too.
(Score: 2) by NateMich on Saturday February 06 2021, @12:56AM (1 child)
I've never really had any issues with USB cables. Micro-usb connectors, oh yeah, for sure, but nobody puts those on devices anymore. Because they were crap.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 07 2021, @03:33PM
They're not crap, I've never had any issues with the connectors. I have had issues with the wires inside breaking on poorly engineered cables, but the actual connectors have yet to cause me any problems. There's nothing fundamentally bad about the design that isn't the case with other connectors.
(Score: 2, Informative) by crm114 on Friday February 05 2021, @07:23PM (2 children)
Actually, the problem is their existing "strain relief" causes the fraying. The connector to the existing "strain relief" connector holds up just fine.
see an example.: https://photos5.appleinsider.com/gallery/40148-77246-000-lead-frayed-cable-xl.jpg [appleinsider.com]
(Score: 3, Informative) by krishnoid on Friday February 05 2021, @09:07PM (1 child)
Why not use this one weird trick [youtu.be] to keep your lightning cable end from fraying? I mean, I presume it works.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 07 2021, @03:36PM
The correct answer is for Apple to just design the cable with stress relief in the first place. They've got an ungodly sum of money in the bank, it's bit like they can't afford stress relief on their overpriced cables.
(Score: 2) by Tork on Friday February 05 2021, @07:26PM (13 children)
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 05 2021, @08:46PM (9 children)
LOL!
Apple fanboys' distorted perception of reality is always hilarious!
(Score: 2) by Tork on Friday February 05 2021, @09:26PM (8 children)
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 06 2021, @12:16AM (7 children)
LOL!!!
Devastaing Apple fanboy response!!!
(Score: 2) by Tork on Saturday February 06 2021, @12:44AM (6 children)
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 06 2021, @01:53AM (5 children)
Hilarious!
Always funny when an Apple fanboy reveals their delusion -- even for a second time!
(Score: 2) by Tork on Saturday February 06 2021, @02:03AM (4 children)
In short, I'd rate your imitation of a Android Fanboy is a C+ but as a Slashdot Android Fanboy you're a solid B! So congrats on pulling up some ... but you're slippin'... that first one was A+! C'mon man. you've got it in you... do better!
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈
(Score: 3, Funny) by c0lo on Saturday February 06 2021, @02:25AM (1 child)
And it was that very moment in which the meta-realization hit Tork like Thor's hammer. His life won't be the same ever again. (grin)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by Tork on Saturday February 06 2021, @02:36AM
🤡
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 06 2021, @04:53AM (1 child)
Moving goalposts -- true Apple fanboy move!
... talk about "slippin'..."
HA, HA!
(Score: 2) by Tork on Saturday February 06 2021, @05:05AM
Oooo you totally brought it back... with a little heat on it. Bravo! I think you're ready to go pro!! You know, I mighta hung around the green site if the bar was at your level. Well done, man.
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈
(Score: 4, Insightful) by fakefuck39 on Saturday February 06 2021, @05:52AM (2 children)
They're not android fans. They're simply not apple fans. Making fun of a shitty product is not blathering - it's entertainment.
I get my wife iphones every couple of years. She's not tech literate, the iphone does everything she needs, and while overpriced is perfect, and the fact that it's locked the hell down is also perfect. I don't have to do shit to fix or maintain it, because she's locked out of screwing it up.
Now, we have people that use their phone for more than controlling netflix, looking at webpages, playing games, and texting - people like me. I need storage - as in leave the office for a presentation, dump a VM image file on my phone, put an iso on there, a few powerpoints. Show up at the customer site - plug the phone into the projector and show my slides, plug it into a server and load the VM for a demo. No, no one has a mac or itunes at the office. I need a filesystem - why would I carry a usb stick when I have storage in my pocket.
Then there's things like not tossing your old hardware. iphones don't last if you want the latest patches or ios version. With android, you can put the latest android on a 10yo phone, and there's a version out there w/o the eyecandy so it'll still run fast. 10yo iphone? hello mms virus, old browser without the plugins I want, oh, and by the time it draws the "pick up" slider that call is done ringing.
apple phones aren't as useful outside of what apple wants you to do. apple phones don't last since you can't load your own ROM. apple phones are made of slippery glass - stupid for a thing that gets dropped a lot. oh look, I'm typing this on my tv screen. because I chromecast my phone screen.
it's not android fanboys, just like it's not biden voters. we just think apple, for us, is a joke. it's a perfect product for gramma. just a joke for a tech person.
you know what's convenient? putting two big ass buttons on the home screen to toggle wifi and data. using the same cable to charge my vape, my laptop, my phone. hear a coworker play a cool song? plug that cable into his laptop and have him drag the file to it. I also only have one launcher screen for my apps. they all fit. I disabled the text under the icon, made the icons smaller and put less space in between.
of course my favorite is using cracked overpriced software I don't want to pay for.
not I'm not ranting about the glory of android. that's what an android fanboy would do. but what you call 'android fanboy' usually just keeps pointing out how shitty the iphone is. if there was something else that's not android with the features we want, we'd jump ship in a minute. we don't give a crap about android itself. we care about productivity, longevity, price.
the iphone, like a child's toy, doesn't do most of the things I want a smartphone to do. but for people who just want to talk to bigbird - it is the perfect solution.
(Score: 2) by Tork on Saturday February 06 2021, @05:57AM (1 child)
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈
(Score: 2) by fakefuck39 on Saturday February 06 2021, @06:52AM
classic Apple Fan blathering about Apple. Any features blocked and unavailable is over the top anywise, amirite? Who in their right mind would want to put a file on the storage they got in their pocket? It's a phone, not a usb stick. Those crazy super-users over-acting like they need files lol. You pay for your music install itunes on every computer you encounter, spend an hour inputting id3 tags, then you sync the whole phone. How else are you going to give a huge company a thousand bucks for a glass piece of crap you're going to throw out in 5 years - they need your cash.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 05 2021, @11:15PM
Will Apple charge an arm-and-a-leg for these less frayable cables? Like how they charge ~$400 for a matte screen on the iMacs. They'll probably give it a catchy & marketable name like the Infinity-cable or Krypton-cable?
Apple regular lightning cable:$9.99
Apple fray-resistant cable: $49.99 ??
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 05 2021, @07:21PM (3 children)
I call bullshit on USPTO and the invention obvious and most likely already been done.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 05 2021, @08:16PM
Old idea new twist.
https://tribebicycles.com/blogs/news/16951723-what-is-butting-breaking-down-the-tribe-triple-butted-frame-4130-chromoly-steel-frame [tribebicycles.com]
https://www.reynoldstechnology.biz/faqs/what-is-butted-tubing/ [reynoldstechnology.biz]
Also see NASA wiring book. Circa 1959? Has the same idea but with cloth overwire protection. Sometimes with a wax or glue stabilizer in the cloth.
I've used three stage heat shrink tubing to reinforce wire connector ends. The inner tube is longest and against the wire. The next one is over that and is shorter. The last one is over those and is the shortest. Two larger ones have the ends inside the connector butted together at the end of the insulator, The small inner tube extends two millimeters past the end of the insulator to provide support for the wires inside the connector.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 05 2021, @08:40PM (1 child)
But they added "on an Apple device."
(Score: 2) by kazzie on Saturday February 06 2021, @06:38PM
In that case, other device manufacturers can copy their design, because they won't be on an Apple device.
(Score: 3, Informative) by lars on Friday February 05 2021, @07:33PM (2 children)
They use two durometer values for PVC in their connectors. It looks like one solid piece until you look close and try moving it. I've not found a company that makes better cables.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Friday February 05 2021, @10:59PM (1 child)
I've never had a product with more cable failures than my Apples, including MacBook Pro 2006, iPad One, iPod Touch, iPad Mini, iPad 4th gen...
every
single
one
has had poor strain relief on their power cables leading to failure within 3 years or less. I suppose if you always replace with the newest model when it comes out that doesn't affect you - but, oh, wait, Timmy Cook wants to spread the love by not including powerbricks or cables with new products anymore.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 06 2021, @03:35PM
And yet you keep buying their stuff...It's almost like you're aware their stuff is crappy but you're willing to accept it (and whine about it on Soy News). Attention seeker much?
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 05 2021, @08:46PM (1 child)
They're selling a product known to be defective.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 07 2021, @03:29AM
Maybe more apple users are neat freaks who care more about the way things look and so will adjust, untangle, rearrange or even wind their cables more so that they look neater and nicer. The more you mess with cables the faster they wear out. If they are tangled up but you don't care and just leave the cables the same way for years, they won't fray by themselves.
And Apple stuff is more expensive so people care more when it fails. In contrast if some android phone user's USB cable fails, they'll just throw it away and get another one for 2-3 dollars.
(Score: 3, Informative) by epitaxial on Friday February 05 2021, @09:46PM (9 children)
I'm not an oaf and my cables last practically forever.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 05 2021, @10:59PM (2 children)
I've had various Apple mobile devices for at least 7 years, and never have had a cable fray. What are y'all doing to them?
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Saturday February 06 2021, @02:31AM
Classy Apple G-strings, what else? (grin)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by helel on Saturday February 06 2021, @03:59AM
My partner used to chew through USB cables for their android phones, generally about three cables every two years, until they decided to switch to iPhone threeish years ago and haven't broken a cable since. I can't even imagine how much rougher everyone with these complaints must be on their gear. Maybe they like to use their phone and charger as nunchucks?
(Score: 3, Touché) by JoeMerchant on Friday February 05 2021, @11:07PM (5 children)
I thought just this when my fanboi boss trashed his MacBookPro mag-lock power cable within less than a year of ownership. So I tried, I mean really really tried to baby mine and see just how long I could get it to last. 18 months for me. Mind you, Dell, Sony, Acer, and many other laptops I have owned I have NEVER had a power inlet cable fray or go non-functional on me. I think I had one inlet crack its connection to the inside PCB, but that's like one of 30 laptops I've had over the years. The mouse I'm using right now is 8 years old - daily use, no strain relief issues whatsoever.
When we brought our iPad One into the Apple store to replace its faulty proprietary cable, the applespurt gave us a big speech about how "3rd party cables are really low quality - see here how your cable is made differently than the one I'm handing you?" "Well, dude, not really because this iPad has only been used inside our home since it came new out of the sealed by Apple box, we've never bought a replacement cable, and, frankly, the $30 white string of shit you are selling me looks EXACTLY like the one we've been using, but as you are a resident Genius I know better than to even try to tell you anything." Not to worry, a few months later Apple pushed a basically mandatory iOS update that hobbled the iPad One to the point of non-usability. Nice thing to do to an $800 device just a few years old, thanks guys - I think I know how much I'm going to be locking into your eco-system in the future.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by helel on Saturday February 06 2021, @04:03AM (1 child)
Laptops have been around for about forty years. You've had thirty of them. That would put the average lifespan at 16 months if you bought the Compass 1101 when it came out. It sounds like the real problem is the Mac just plain lasted too long, compared to the other machines you've used.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Saturday February 06 2021, @04:28AM
I've been using laptops since they had black on grey LCD screens, and that was only 27 years ago.
30 laptops, 2 stacked on my desk to my left at the moment both roughly 4 years old, a third downstairs that's 8. My wife is still using a cast-off I bought 10 years ago as a backup to her daily driver. Then I've got a couple in the dresser drawer aged 11 and 13 that still work but are hopelessly outdated. That's 6 on hand at the moment. Oh, and 3 more that I prepped for a production line at work - they're 2016 models, so 9 at the moment.
That 2006 MacBookPro ran (with a power cord replacement after 18 months) until around 2008 before it started having GPU overheat issues, apparently there was a large percentage of that production run where the assembly line wasn't putting the thermal paste on correctly. I limped it along until about 2010 doing various things with it that didn't mind if the screen would go black unexpectedly before giving up on it entirely. It is the absolute shortest lived laptop I have owned in the last 20 years.
Corporate environments tend to cycle the official company imaged laptops every 3 years or so, I've stretched mine at this job to 2 in the last 8 years partly because my boss gave me a non-corporate imaged workstation laptop that we can actually do development work on - while the corporate imaged ones are necessary for various company focused functions they are hopelessly nerfed when trying to install dev environments and particularly alternate OSs.
As for the 20 laptops before that... I remember them going obsolete inside a year through most of the '90s, would typically have two or three at a time in simultaneous use, had one stolen from a supposedly secure lab - that was my all-time favorite one: power brick inside, 110 cord plugged straight into the laptop, really pissed me off. The death of many/most older laptops was when the batteries wouldn't hold a charge anymore, and the cost of a replacement battery was 80% of a new superior laptop... oh, that reminds me: those 2006 MacBookPros, they also had mushrooming battery problems - virtually all of them inside 18 months. The batteries were replaced under warranty - once - and then they did it again, more slowly the 2nd time so I guess they were improving the process, but still toward the end I was running my GPU-defekt MBP with no battery because the 2nd one also blew up until it didn't fit in the case anymore. Sure, all laptop batteries die, I even had one other get scary hot after its management system freaked out, but that was another uniquely fruity experience: to have the mushroom transformation in combination with scary temperatures.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by PiMuNu on Saturday February 06 2021, @10:57AM (1 child)
Anecdotal: I had two Dell power supply cables die on me lasting about a year each.
(I ran through a couple of Thinkpads about the time IBM sold out to Lenovo, then IT did a deal with Dell and they became required - but I have been pretty not impressed by Dell).
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Saturday February 06 2021, @02:37PM
Dell is not my favorite... hell, I don't really have a favorite other than that Sharp that they don't make anymore - nor anything like it. None are infallible, but Apple cables? That's like a Tesla MCU - designed to wear out on a schedule rather than even attempting to follow some well known, cheap and easy practices that would extend MTBF 10x or more.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 07 2021, @03:59AM
Mine is still unfrayed and working fine after 11+ years. But I wound some tape around the cable right at the start. It's ugly but I'm not a "true apple fanboi" who cares about how stuff looks. I was assigned the macbook pro by my workplace.
I also don't go out of my way to arrange or untangle the cable - I usually leave the cable the way it ends up. In contrast I notice a co-worker winding his cables and doing "cable management" stuff regularly. For example, when packing up his laptop he'll wind the cables up and then put the stuff in his bag. And his cables fail often. Whereas I'll just put the cables in my bag without changing the cable arrangement.
No surprise all this winding stuff wears out the cables:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4THXtIvJcV0 [youtube.com]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KW6SwWuutfM [youtube.com]
I'll untangle the cable if it gets too tangled up. But my definition of too tangled is more related to function than looks, so I only do it once every year or even few years. I seldom need the full length of the cable after all.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 06 2021, @08:16AM
Thank you for your gracious benevolence, O Apple. Now can you please fix your shitty Mac charger cables?
I've had to replace every one of my Mac chargers because of the fraying and eventual demise of the cables.
OTOH I've had a couple of Dell adapters from 15 years ago still going strong.
(Score: 2) by DavePolaschek on Saturday February 06 2021, @02:40PM
I haven’t had a single Lightning cable die on me before the phone did, in spite of using nothing but iPhones since the 3G.
Then again, I plug my phone in every night at the same charger next to my bed, and have used wireless charging as long as it’s been offered, so the lightning cable is plugged into the Qi pad most of the time, and doesn’t get strained from moving. Before wireless charging was available, I had a cradle that the phone sat in. Again, the Lightning cable didn’t move except when I had to dust under the cradle.
On road trips, I generally carry a Qi pad. Before that, I did wear out one Apple cable, but it was the old 30-pin connector, not Lightning, and I’m pretty sure it was the one that came with an original iPod that I used on the road with my iPhone 3G.