Lightning Cable

Fulgent

Got a number of iPhones & iPads in the house and we've gone through about 10 cables in the past few months, half of them are genuine cables with the devices, the rest are cheapies from eBay. The problem is they suddenly just stop working, it's doing our heads in.

Does anyone know where to buy cables that actually work for more than a month? Thanks

gjchester

Fulgent wrote: »

Got a number of iPhones & iPads in the house and we've gone through about 10 cables in the past few months, half of them are genuine cables with the devices, the rest are cheapies from eBay. The problem is they suddenly just stop working, it's doing our heads in.

Does anyone know where to buy cables that actually work for more than a month? Thanks

Copy cable fail for two reasons, One is Apple have changed the way they detect if its a genuine cable or not, and there been non update recently that's done that, the other is the cable fails.


Most of my pound land special work for about 2-3 months then fail usually at the connect because that how I tend to pull them out but honestly at £1 I don't really mind that much...

Fightsback

Read the comments over at the Apple store about just how poor quality the genuine ones are, lots of complaints.

http://store.apple.com/uk/product/MD818ZM/A/lightning-to-usb-cable-1m

Yet another reason to avoid Apple.

gjchester

Fightsback wrote: »

Read the comments over at the Apple store about just how poor quality the genuine ones are, lots of complaints.

http://store.apple.com/uk/product/MD818ZM/A/lightning-to-usb-cable-1m

Yet another reason to avoid Apple.

Hardly an Apple only issue, Micro USB have the same issue.


Its a small connector so any solder joints will be small, and strain relief, not matter how well can only help so much. The cable itself is small and so coiling up cable tightly also break them.


People tend to be hamfisted pulling cables by the cable not the connector. Pull it y the connecter and its fine, pull by the cable and it will break. Similarly tightly wrapping the cable up breaks the strands.

Fulgent

Thanks I have bought from them before and the quality of the lightning cable is lousy to say the least,

As for avoiding Apple that is just not going to happen as they are used for business, I have a Mac at home and work, it syncs in with business applications that are essential and only available on Apple.

The problem with the rest of the other company products are compatibility issues that for a business is not worth the hassle, my only issue with Apple are the lightning cables, my colleagues don't appear to have this.

Fightsback

gjchester wrote: »

Hardly an Apple only issue, Micro USB have the same issue.


Its a small connector so any solder joints will be small, and strain relief, not matter how well can only help so much. The cable itself is small and so coiling up cable tightly also break them.


People tend to be hamfisted pulling cables by the cable not the connector. Pull it y the connecter and its fine, pull by the cable and it will break. Similarly tightly wrapping the cable up breaks the strands.

89% of users rate it as 1*, there seems to be a problem.


Rating Breakdown (1.5 average) Number of stars Percentage Number of reviews 5 Stars (Read all reviews) 4%

20 reviews 4 Stars (Read all reviews) 1%

7 reviews 3 Stars (Read all reviews) 2%

12 reviews 2 Stars (Read all reviews) 4%

20 reviews 1 Star (Read all reviews) 89%

477

gjchester

Fightsback wrote: »

89% of users rate it as 1*, there seems to be a problem.
477

477 reviews out of how many millions sold?

Yes some will break or be badly made, but just like water damaged phones no-one will admit to it being their fault. I'm not saying the cables are perfect, of course some will fail, however many, many people will still be on the cable that came with the phone.

For the people who say they have loads of cable fail on them in a short time suggests it may not be the cable but how its being treated.

Fulgent

There is no question there are problems with these cables, but I am looking to buy new ones that actually do work, do you have any ideas ? I am not spending another £15 on a cable from Apple that lasts a month.

Fulgent

gjchester wrote: »

For the people who say they have loads of cable fail on them in a short time suggests it may not be the cable but how its being treated.

These cables for me are used on a desk or bedside unit, they are pulled out of the phone or ipad not by the cable, they look pristine but will not work.

Fightsback

gjchester wrote: »

477 reviews out of how many millions sold?

Yes some will break or be badly made, but just like water damaged phones no-one will admit to it being their fault. I'm not saying the cables are perfect, of course some will fail, however many, many people will still be on the cable that came with the phone.

For the people who say they have loads of cable fail on them in a short time suggests it may not be the cable but how its being treated.

A reality distortion field in true Apple style

More evidence :

http://9to5mac.com/2014/08/22/opinion-its-time-for-apple-to-deliver-on-its-lightning-cables-improved-durability/comment-page-1/

gjchester

Fightsback wrote: »

A reality distortion field in true Apple style

Hardly, that would be to claim there is no fault whatsoever.


The long and short is if you buy a genuine cable from the maker they are expensive but there no guarantee they will last longer than any other. Buy a Genuine Samsung or Sony cable and they will be around the same price point as a cable from Apple.


The wire cores are small, they break if bent too far, get over it, its just the same as with headphones. The wires are all sub mm in size, the solder pads are the same, and the entire connector is 5mm across, its just nigh on impossible to build a cable that small that can handle the strain of repeatedly pulling it out by the cable.


If Apple cable are so bad then Apples cables would fail but anyone other make be fine. Guess what, other brands fail too. I tried Griffin before the cheap ones came to the market and won't use Belkin, but I know others who do, they fail too.


Would it be an idea to improve the connectors strain relief / support, possibly, but it woul make the cable bigger, and slim and sleek is Apples style. I've an iphone and Ipad, my genuine cable is used nightly at home to charge the phone or pad and it still works fine after 2 1/2 years or so. I carry a poundland one in my work bag, and it gets treated badly, just thrown in the bag when done with and not cared for, and they fail every so often and I buy another.