We spent several Let’s Talk iOS episodes chatting about fraying cables. Many people suffer from OEM Lightning cables that over time fray near the tip. Arguably, this happens from bending, flexing, and tugging on the cable. Personally, like Cody, I have never experienced this problem. However, most of my cables remain in place, whether in the office, kitchen or car, I do not tote them around. Also, I am careful to pull them from the pin head, as opposed to using the wire as my tugging point.
Here to resolve several issues, including the fray, is AwesomeCables. The newly released 6′ Braided Cable showed up for review, thanks to their offer. I am a big fan of the build quality and, most importantly, MFi certification.
Braided for toughness
To offer a bit of background, the MFi licensing program is Apple’s certification process for official compliance with hardware. Anytime you see the “Made for iPhone/iPod/iPad” logo on a product, the manufacturer is part of Apple’s certification process to guarantee the item will properly operate.
When Lightning first released, there were many cables sold without applying for, or waiting to receive, MFi certifications. Because Apple built a microchip into OEM cables required for them to operate, any non-MFi versions show(ed) an error on Lightning capable hardware devices.
AwesomeCables were thoughtful enough to make sure they are selling cables with MFi certifications. Therefore, I can recommend them in this review. Using a durable braided outer cable, the 6′ Braided Cable will stand up to prolonged usage and should prevent the fraying issue caused by Apple’s own Lightning cable. The C48 Lightning tip will work with almost all cases, even Lifeproof, and with a 2.4 amp passthrough to charge iPhone or iPad.
Personally, I have been using braided cables when possible. For example, my most used cable is a 3.5mm headphone braided cable in my car. I really prefer braided cables for their flexibility. AwesomeCable is no exception. The 6′ Braided Lightning cable is offered for $25Â in Camo and Black, through the AwesomeCable website only. Considering an Apple Lightning cable is $19 and only 1 meter, the AwesomeCable is arguably the better deal, coming in approximately twice the length.
I do wish the cable tips were aluminum. Some competitors in the space offer competing cables with metal tips for durability and matching class to the Apple computer line. Other than the aluminum preference, I can still recommend the AwesomeCables. Sure, there are way cheaper options on Amazon, but the key is MFi certification.