Michal Ždanský Ve yesterday's article I stopped at the quality of cables from Apple, especially their durability and resistance. One of our readers pointed to an older article from 2011 where an alleged Apple engineer on Reddit.com explains the design change for iPhone and iPod USB cables.
After 2007, Apple changed the appearance of cables, on the one hand, the 30-pin connector became smaller, another change was also noticed just below the connector, it turns into the cable, i.e. at the place where cables are now destroyed most often. Here, the company has turned a perfectly functional design into one that is the cause of many broken cables. Here are the words of an Apple employee:
I used to work for Apple and was in contact with all divisions of the company, so I know exactly what happened. It has nothing to do with trying to force customers to buy more replacement adapters, but more with the power hierarchy at Apple.
But before I get to that, I'll explain the engineering side of power cables. If you look at the charging cables of any non-Apple product, you'll notice plastic "rings" where the connector goes into the cable. These rings are called strain relief sleeves. Their purpose is to protect the cable from bending into sharp angles if you bend the cable at the connector. The cable strain relief sleeve allows it to have a nice, slight curve instead of bending to a 90° angle. Thanks to this, the cable is protected from breaking during frequent use.
And now to the power hierarchy at Apple. Like any other company, Apple consists of many divisions (sales, marketing, customer service, etc.). The most powerful division in Apple is Industrial Design. For those unfamiliar with the term "Industrial Design", this is the division that decides the overall look and feel of Apple products. And when I say "most powerful," I mean their decisions trump those of any other division at Apple, including engineering and customer service.
What happened here is that the industrial design department hates the way the strain relief sleeve on the charging cable looks. They would much rather have a clean transition between the cable and the connector. It looks better from an aesthetic point of view, but from an engineer's point of view, it's suicide in terms of reliability. Since there is no sleeve, the cables fail in a big way because they bend at extreme angles. I'm sure the engineering division gave every possible reason why the power cable sleeve should be there, and customer service communicated how bad the user experience would be if a lot of the cables were destroyed because of it, but industrial design doesn't like the strain relief sleeve , therefore it was removed.
Does this sound familiar? A similar decision caused a pseudo-case known as "Antennagate", where the iPhone 4 lost signal when held in a certain way, as the hand acted as a conductor between two antennas, which were represented by a steel band around the perimeter of the iPhone divided by spaces. In the end, Apple had to call a special press conference to announce that iPhone 4 users would get a free case. Apple engineers were aware of this problem before launch and designed a clear coating that would partially prevent signal loss. But Jony Ive felt that it would "adversely affect the specific appearance of the brushed metal." So nothing was done about the problem. You probably know how he escalated after that...
I've been using the cable to sync my iPod for about 4-5 years about once a week and it still works as it should. I don't do any magic with the cable and it's still in the same place :) And I only see the "strain relief sleeve" on the cheapest cables anymore... so in this case I personally don't see any problem with it :)
I've had many of these sync cables for various Apple products, including the one with the "sleeve", and never had a problem. At the same time, I transfer them at least 2-3 times a week.. In addition, it is certainly a fact that the "new" cables look much better. The one with the sleeve on the left really looks like it's from the 90s.. :) So I'm glad that the Industrial Design division "rules" at Apple..
Why are the old 30-pin connectors being disassembled here? The new iron has a new connector -_- .
Otherwise, I've never had a cable come off with Apple. (It's been a few years of use since iphone 2g)
By the way. The transition from the connector in the sleeve is handled exactly the same with the new cable and there is the same problem of fraying the cable.
I don't have this problem even with the new one ;) . Having this problem with new completely different cables is no excuse for this article. They are taking apart a completely different and older technology. In that case, I can say that I had the same problem on my SE W800i (I really did).
The original cable never fell apart for me, while the cheap one from DX did after a short time.
of the three cables with a 30-pin connector, one of them is broken and repaired by the "insulator, chocolate, wire" technology. It is not broken on the connector side, but on the USB side. I don't have a problem with Apple accessories, and the life of the cable is from the iPhone 3G, so I would say a respectable life for the fact that it is connected and disconnected practically every day.
However, I agree with the fact that technologically the ends of the cables are made on a "pikachu".
Very soon I expect the cable to break or tear on the new EarPods where the grip part for pulling out the jack is so tiny that sometimes I can't even pull it out especially after sports when my hands are sweaty.
I've owned an iPhone 1,5s and an iPad 4 for 2 years now. I carry both devices between work and home every day. I charge my iPhone daily, my iPad about every other day, and I have to say that I have never had a problem with the power cable. Both look like new. The wife owns an iPhone 4s without any problems. But when I saw the photos of destroyed cables in yesterday's post, I have to say that they are probably not even used by people who value their things at least a little. After all, if I pull out the cable, I don't pull the cord, but I grab it by the connector and pull it out. I feel that it is the same as when it is written in the manual of the microwave oven .. do not dry pets !!
Well, I have to say that the big original 30-pin cable has never been damaged. The new, narrow one is really quality like from DX. On the other hand, I bought an iPad mini now, and when I first removed the Lighting connector, its cover remained in my hand and I could look at the cockroach inside it. So it's really different. I prefer cables that I don't have to worry about. I've never had that feeling from Apple products.
I've never had a similar problem.. but maybe it's because I don't use just one cable, which I always wind up, carry, etc., but I have different ones at every place where I need to connect it.. anyway, if it doesn't last two years, it's going to be a complaint, where do you put new ones.. so I don't see such a problem with it again..
Jesus Christ, why are the supposedly breaking cables still being discussed here?! …
Many people write that you do not have this problem. It will probably be because you only have the given cable in one place and it simply "is" there. In my case, I travel a lot and have to carry the cable. And although I try to transport the cable carefully, the damage between the connector and the sleeve is already visible. So it is already clear to me that within a year this cable will end up the same as my previous one for the 3GS. I am talking differently about the original cable as an accessory for the iPhone 5.
Well, I have both types of cables and they all fall apart around the connectors in the same way. First, the rubber begins to curl slightly, later it tears and finally it doesn't work at all. A complaint is a matter of course. And I don't disconnect it at all by pulling the cable, but normally by the connector. The problem may be that I often use the iPhone and iPad mini while charging. And from products for 300+ and 500+ € I would expect higher resistance :(
According to the comments I read, it is possible that the durability of the cables can be affected by some external factors - humidity, temperature, sun. What do you think? It doesn't seem to depend only on the users.
You're definitely right, it can. But I would add one more factor and that is handling.
For me, this problem occurred only with one cable from the iPod Nano 4G, right at the place where the sleeve starts from the cable, both for USB and for 30Pin, already after a week of use. It was sealed with insulating tape, but it still sleeps until today, and it's been 4-5 years already!! It didn't happen to me with any other cable... As it is written here. It is mainly about the way of treatment!!
Ten years ago, I first bought an iPod and then an iPad 1,3,4, 4,4, 5 gen and an iPad mini, also an iPhone 10, XNUMXS, XNUMX, and other iPods and I NEVER had a problem with a single cable and I didn't even think that there could be one... but if you write that it's falling apart, it's probably bad. Such APPLU errors, and it's no small thing when you lose the signal in the case of the antenna, or your display flickers with the retina of the Macbook,..., it doesn't spoil the overall impression. the model was completely stupid, everyone wants her in the finale :) and everyone will always be envious of the one who has her, but what about her when she's completely stupid. I understand that I took it hard, but this is how APPLE comes to me sometimes, terribly beautiful, terribly expensive But I love him so much and I have everything I can possibly have from her, that I just can't do it without her :) I just hope she doesn't start making cars, because that would be a divorce at home, that's already clear. And I say for me, I had maybe XNUMX boxes and everything was OK
I've been using an iPhone, MBA, iPad and MBP for several years, and I have to admit that almost all of the original cables have broken just below the connector. So the plastic cracked, but the functionality was preserved. So it seems that the technicians did a good job and the aesthetes (designers) did it. :-) I also have one noname cable, which is tough, but after three years it's just a bit dirty.
Well, I don't know... Of all the Apple cables I've ever had, only the one that came with the iPhone 3G broke like this - and it's true - it happened soon after purchase. But otherwise, the MacBook charger has survived perfectly for 3 years (and I take it with me wherever I go), the new one for the Air is still OK after a year, and the original cables for the iPod Classic, iPhone 4S, Shuffle, Universal Dock are in the same condition and others, can be purchased separately. So tell me if I'm just getting cables made of some better compound or if most users treat cables like cattle.
Just about the strain relief clamps - although I remember my original iPod Nano 1G cable being quite reliable, I've had quite a few PSP chargers 'break' right at the clamps... So even those can't prevent damage. Maybe the cable won't break in that place, but it can still stop working.
I don't think it's a problem with Apple... the problem is with the users, because if I value something and don't treat it like some blonde, the cable must also last... I haven't had any problems so far, no signs of breaking, cracking or similar issues ... just like I said, the problem is with the users, because I've seen various iToys from various users and sometimes I've been scratching my head at how people manipulate it, but that's how those devices looked too ... so take care of what you buy, and don't go to devices like blondes or spoiled children, and even the cable will last you :)
Whoever makes a device (even for) idiots can't be surprised that some users treat him like an idiot.
I have a cable from an ipod nano 1st generation used almost every day and nothing (it's the one with a socket :-) ) and then it broke on my iPhone after a year and a half (the insulator fixed it) and I treat both cables quite well, I think that in some cases the design could step back for functionality.
P.S. I still like the cable with the sleeve better.-)