Reddit mentions of Anker Lightning Cable / iPhone Charging Charger Cable (3ft), MFi Certified for iPhone XS / XS Max / XR / X / 8 / 8 Plus / 7 / 7 Plus / 6 / 6 Plus / 5S (White)

I really think you are being somewhat unfair here:

> AND requiring the user to purchase a separate lightning-to-3.5mm adapter that costs $10 and is described as "fragile" and "poorly made".

They give it to you for free at no additional charge in the box when you purchase the phone.

>Mac OS is exclusive to Apple products, which forces me to pick up one of their $2000+ Macbooks if I want to even touch their operating system.

You can buy a Mac Mini for $499 on the website (not to mention the number of used offerings out there. I got a couple year old MM for $150 on Ebay). They don't sell the OS - they haven't for years. They give it away for free at no additional charge with their hardware.

>Want to add some songs to your iPhone? Better open up iTunes!

Which they give away for free at no additional charge

>Need a new cable? Time to go the Apple Store!

Or Amazon, where you can purchase a replacement cable for $6

>The company has done such a great job at establishing their brand image over the last few decades that they can send out overpriced, mediocre products and still make money.

While you may not agree with their product and pricing strategy, many people do get value for the products. That does not make them overpriced or mediocre.

Edit As someone pointed out to me, nothing is really "free" - it is all baked into the price of the products. The phrase "at no additional charge" is more accurate.

You don't have to get a Lightning cable from Apple, there are a bunch of Apple-certified cables for much cheaper.

Get MFi-certified cables. I've been using quite a few Anker and AmazonBasic ones and they've worked great.

AmazonBasics Apple Certified Lightning to USB Cable - 3 Feet (0.9 Meters) - Black

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009SYZ8OC/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_E6.Eub0QX7308


Also, I'm more biased towards Anker's products:

[Apple MFi Certified] Anker® Lightning to USB Cable 3ft / 0.9m...

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K4VQZCM/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_V8.Eub11J6KQ2

I like Anker. They're awesome.
http://www.amazon.com/Certified-Anker®-Lightning-Compact-Connector/dp/B00K4VQZCM

I recently completed a thorough research/comparison of three USB-Lightning cables versus the OEM Apple version. The brands were: AmazonBasics, Anker, and Monoprice. These are the most common non-Apple competitors when referring to USB-Lightning cable alternatives.


My findings are as follows: (All results based on 3ft/0.9m models)

• AmazonBasics ($13.99):
  

• Pros: Good quality; trusted name. Free/Fast shipping with Amazon Prime.
  
• Cons: Large housing around connectors which may not work with many cases without modification. Begins fraying fairly easily.
  
  
• Verdict: At a $13.99 price point, I'd have trouble recommending this cable simply due to the larger connector housing. Would not be ideal to remove the case from the device for each charge.
  
  

• Anker ($12.99):
  

• Pros: Thin connector housing. Great quality. Very good brand reputation. Free/Fast shipping with Amazon Prime.
  
• Cons: None.
  
  
• Verdict: Anker makes AMAZING products. Every item I've purchased from them is superb quality, all of which are still in perfect condition. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
  
  

• Monoprice ($12.09):
  

• Pros: Least expensive. Volume pricing. Thin connector housing. Choice of black or white.
  
• Cons: Highest failure rate/DoAs. Begins fraying after light to moderate use.
  
  
• Verdict: Would only recommend if buying in bulk to get worthy price point.
  
  
  I hope this helps making your decision a bit easier. Genuine Apple will always be superior, but for me the Anker cable is a close second.
  
  DISCLAIMER - All opinions expressed above are solely mine and I was not compensated in any way for these views.

I highly recommend Anker cables which you can get on Amazon here. You have to have an Apple certified vendor. Anker also guarantees theirs not to break for like 2yrs as well!

Nope, I have used may before and they're pretty much all shit, braided or not.

My current daily runner is this cable and it seems to be doing okay, 6 months and going strong.

What you read does not tell you the full story. You can buy a good charger and cable for like £15.

There’s a huge difference between this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K4VQZCM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_grRZzb7C53KV4 and this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0177NZ59S/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_F1BZzbBZHT3QV

You get what you pay for, and Anker certainly sells cheap as shit cables. Go for their premium product and it really lasts. I fully swear by the powerline plus cable

These anker chargers are the best ever. Amazing company. Super cheap and the coating is made with bullet proof fiber like a Kevlar vest. You would have to try to even manage to destroy these.
https://www.amazon.com/Anker-Premium-Lightning-USB-Cable/dp/B00K4VQZCM

I have used the ones from [Amazon Basic](AmazonBasics Apple Certified Lightning to USB Cable - 3 Feet (0.9 Meters) - Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B010U3XO3Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_zkj1xb1TP3DXA) and [Anker](iPhone charger, Anker Lightning to USB Cable (3ft) for iPhone 6s 6 Plus 5s 5c 5, iPad Pro, Air 2, iPad mini 4 3 2, iPod touch 5th gen / 6th gen / nano 7th gen [Apple MFi Certified] (White) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K4VQZCM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Blj1xb7GE9FCB/) and they have both worked real well. For the same price I would get Anker

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K4VQZCM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_FZpHAbQQSPK20