Every iPhone user has probably had a fight with their lighting cables. It is an irritating problem that leads third-party vendors to create twisted cables that can withstand more abuse.
It seems that Apple is, at the very least, researching ways to make its cables more resistant. According to a patent application first observed by AppleInsider, Apple is working on a “cable with variable stiffness” that gets thicker towards the ports.
Lightning cables are known to have thick connection points. It is what Apple internally calls the strain relief sleeve. Although the ends of Apple cables are intended to prevent the cable from fraying, these areas often become pressure and twist points. Apple acknowledged this in its patent application.
“In addition to making the cable locally stiffer, the strain relief sleeve also makes the cable thicker at the ends. In some cases, the added thickness may not be desired,” says the patent application.
To get around this, Apple is essentially designing a cable that has more dense material at the narrowing ends. The image below demonstrates how it works.
Apple is also concerned with how far a cable can bend. It defines a minimum radius of curvature as “the smallest radius at which the cable can be bent without bending”, where “the minimum radius of curvature can be, for example, eight to twelve times the diameter of the cable”.
Granted, they are all patents, so there is a chance that none of these projects will reach consumers. And considering rumors suggest that the iPhone 13 may not have a port, it’s one more reason for Apple to skip cable innovation and go straight to wireless charging.
Still, MacBooks are unlikely to run out of doors at any time in the near future or ever. Therefore, an upgraded cable would be a welcome addition for anyone who is constantly on the move. Hopefully, when Apple releases an improved cable design, it will come with the next MacBook Pro with M1X.