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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

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.

ocdtrekkie 6y ago
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.
- pryce 6y ago
  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.
  - ocdtrekkie 6y ago
    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.
- dahfizz 6y ago
  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.
  - ocdtrekkie 6y ago
    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.
    - deleted 6y ago
      [deleted]
jbay808 6y ago
Well, Apple seems to think strain relief doesn't meet their aesthetic criteria, so that's not surprising.
- foolfoolz 6y ago
  i thought this was for green efforts that better materials for the environment don’t hold up to physical use as well
- PascLeRasc 6y ago
  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.
  - machello13 6y ago
    I don't know what it is about certain people — I also have never broken a single cable ever in 14+ years of using Apple stuff.
    - christoph 6y ago
      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.
  - xenospn 6y ago
    Same. I really have no idea how people break these cables.
    - cfeduke 6y ago
      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.
saagarjha 6y ago
There are certain adapter combinations that Apple doesn't sell themselves, like USB C to Ethernet. IIRC that one is Belkin.
FrenchTouch42 6y ago
I can confirm that it's not true. You get Apple cables.
tim333 6y ago
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.
- 8fingerlouie 6y ago
  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.
wiseleo 6y ago
Algolia's search is pretty good ;) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18424630 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18424630

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.

ocdtrekkie 6y ago

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.

pryce 6y ago
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.
- ocdtrekkie 6y ago
  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.
dahfizz 6y ago
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.
- ocdtrekkie 6y ago
  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.
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]

jbay808 6y ago

Well, Apple seems to think strain relief doesn't meet their aesthetic criteria, so that's not surprising.

foolfoolz 6y ago
i thought this was for green efforts that better materials for the environment don’t hold up to physical use as well
PascLeRasc 6y ago
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.
- machello13 6y ago
  I don't know what it is about certain people — I also have never broken a single cable ever in 14+ years of using Apple stuff.
  - christoph 6y ago
    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.
- xenospn 6y ago
  Same. I really have no idea how people break these cables.
  - cfeduke 6y ago
    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.

saagarjha 6y ago

There are certain adapter combinations that Apple doesn't sell themselves, like USB C to Ethernet. IIRC that one is Belkin.

FrenchTouch42 6y ago

I can confirm that it's not true. You get Apple cables.

tim333 6y ago

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.

8fingerlouie 6y ago
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.

wiseleo 6y ago

Algolia's search is pretty good ;) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18424630 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18424630