First Impressions
Very impressed with the new generation of Powerline II cables with its increased thickness, rugged and reinforced connector ends, and integrated velcro cable tie. It coils easily and connects perfectly flush on both ends with my iPhone X and the USB-C port of the 18W charger block with no wiggle-room. Obviously, this is much more durable and reliable (specifically for the connectors) than Apple’s own lightning cables. Notice in the comparison pictures below that the Apple Lightning cable tends to try to coil itself when trying to lay it straight while the Anker cables (Powerline+ is the red cable) do not. Unfortunately, I did not have Apple’s more expensive USB-C to Lightning cable to compare the charge time with, but it did charge my iPhone X at expected speeds as per Apple’s specifications.
Pros
- Ridiculously durable, easily twice as thick as Apple’s cables
- 22-AWG wiring protected by an aluminum mid-layer and TPE outer-layer
- Rugged connector ends that connect flush on both ends without being too large to fit through my phone case
- A good $5-10 cheaper than Apple’s cable with MFi certification
- A LIFETIME warranty and Anker’s warranty claim process is the best of any company’s by far but I have never had a premium Anker product like this break, nor do I expect to
Cons (very minor)
- Ends may be too thick if your case’s port is small, but it has fit perfectly fine with the smallest port case I used
- Only available in 3ft as of now
Overall a virtually perfect cable. I am looking forward to longer sizes and different colors (besides white/black) or nylon braided versions in the future. Anker kills it yet again!
