Frayed charging cables could soon be a thing of the past – at least for iPhone users
The iPhone maker has a new patent for stiffer, sturdier cables
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Apple’s proprietary charging cables have long held a reputation for fraying easily, but the Cupertino company could finally be set to address the problem if a newpatent submissionis anything to go by.
The patent, first discovered byAppleInsider, sees the iPhone and Mac maker freely admit that it “is well known that bending of the cable near the termination point may cause unwanted strain on the wire connections, which may lead to cable failure.”
Apple’s patent goes on to list a number of possible solutions, with most options leading back to a “Cable with Variable Stiffness.”
The proposed cable would sport a core with sections of varying thickness that would be “surrounded by an outer sleeve having a uniform thickness”, as detailed in the submitted diagram below.
It’s worth noting that the patent does not single out Lightning cables by name, meaning the submission could be in relation to a complete overhaul of the company’s iPhone, iPad and Mac cables. That means we may see updated Thunderbolt 3, USB-C and MagSafe charger cables in the near future.
Of course, the submission of a patent is by no means a confirmation that Apple will indeed start producing stiffer cables, though it does suggest that the company is seriously looking into it.
Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.
Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.
Stephen primarily covers phones and entertainment for TechRadar’s Australian team, and has written professionally across the categories of tech, film, television and gaming in both print and online for over a decade. He’s obsessed with smartphones, televisions, consoles and gaming PCs, and has a deep-seated desire to consume all forms of media at the highest quality possible.
He’s also likely to talk a person’s ear off at the mere mention of Android, cats, retro sneaker releases, travelling and physical media, such as vinyl and boutique Blu-ray releases. Right now, he’s most excited about QD-OLED technology, The Batman and Hellblade 2: Senua’s Saga.
A newly reported iPhone phenomenon could be bad news for both cops and robbers
The iPhone 18 series could include a variable aperture, ‘significantly enhancing’ the camera
Arcane season 2 finally gave us the huge Caitlyn and Vi moment we’ve been waiting for – and its creators say ‘we couldn’t have done it in season one’
