Anker likes to tout the durability of its cables and the actual cable part seems durable, but the part where the connector and the cable join does not hold up. Usually, these are the cables my children use, and they are not gentle at all with these cables. Again, the actual cable part seems to hold up, but usually after 6-12 months the part where the connector and cable meet look like this:
Anker Lightning Cable Durability
Do you have the latest PowerLine III series?
An indirect response.
No comment on the cable durability.
But I see the Lightning port bent up, that implies the iPhone is getting some stress.
The cable, if it were any stronger would, instead of bending, and then fraying like you show, just be stiffer and so your iPhone’s port would receive even more stress. The cable bending saves the phone.
Regardless of your cable choice, for this situation, I’d consider moving the kids to small portable chargers, ones which stay near the phones and just cause the cables to have to drag/bend less. Ideally a strong force should be when the cable comes out of the phone, rather than bends.
A portable charger is of the order of $20 cost, lasts 2-4 years, an iPhone is of the order of $500-$1000 cost. If you connect a regularly used iPhone to a portable charger, it makes the cable shorter and it experiences less stress as it doesn’t have to stretch to the wall.
You may be doing that already, so apologies if done already.
Also looking at the nature of the cable fatigue, the kids may do less harm to the phone with a right-angled cable. It would change the bend, potentially to a worse one as if a cable is going to get pulled violently out, it is best pulled straight out. You know the problem.
Not justifying at all a cable design, but a problem avoided is better than solved.
I think the solution here is wireless charging.
If this is the condition of the cable I’d hate to think of the stresses the charging port on the phone is under.
Uhh, maybe it’s just me but it looks like your cable caught on fire at some point.
It’s a red cable, with a significant annoying of black (presumably charcoal from it burning?).
This cable has gone through hell and back lol
No. I know the black one is a Powerline II. Not sure about the red.
The problem with wireless charging is that my kids use their phones/iPads while plugged in quite a bit, because they use it all the time and these devices are several years old. Plus, these kids do not understand the concept of “battery care”. They use a device until it dies, plug it in and use it again. (Should my children be on their devices less? Yes).
The black is from electric tape that I wrapped around it. That kept it working for a while.
The good news is that PowerLine II and later comes with a lifetime warranty. Just email support@anker.com!
Cough.
Exclusions.
Discount off new.
But agree, Anker is good on warranty. Never ever had a bad experience.
What do you mean?
Warranty is against reasonable use. Means they factored common usage into the warranty. They will honor warranty via judgement, they’ll decide if it looks a product failure and send new, similar/better, or judge excessive wear and then offer a discount to a new.
Lifetime cannot become, from a company liability, a financial deficit, as it has to be reported to shareholders. Limited liability.
You know this right?
I’ll pick an obtuse, deliberately, example. You put a pair of scissors to the cable. It worn. Lifetime warranty. New cable send. Owner does it again. For eternity. All warranties are therefore to judgement, means you’ll be judged if reasonable use and then treated based on that. A business will then factor that cost into the product cost, and then factor into the price. That means you paid for the warranty across all sales.