Charging cables. Is there any accessory more boring, yet more essential?
There are plenty to choose from, but the cheap options often skimp on the important specs. Higher wattage cables charge devices faster, while low-wattage ones will struggle to power a laptop at all. Length, durability, and data transfer speeds all matter too – though the prevalence of USB-C has at least simplified the choice of connectors in most cases.
If you want quality cables that work across all your Apple gear and will last, first-party Apple fare is a safe bet. But bizarrely, Apple itself sells an alternative branded cable that’s even better than its own, for the same price. The Beats-branded cables – a brand Apple owns, remember – are longer, more durable, and come in colors other than just white. Including a lovely “Power Pink” version that was just added to the range. All other specs, including the price, are identical.
So why would anyone choose the Apple ones?
What you get
Beats cables aren’t just for use with Beats headphones. They work with any USB-C device: iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, Android phones, whatever you’ve got.
The longer option is 3m (10ft) long and supports a beefy 240W of power. Apple’s 240W cable is just 2m long, so Beats wins if reach is your goal. Both are priced at $30/£30. Both use a woven design, but Beats goes further – the cables are reinforced internally to help prevent fraying, and put through thousands of hours of testing during manufacturing. Apple makes no equivalent durability claims.
Full disclosure, Beats sent me some free cables for testing, and I can attest that they thick and rope-like to the touch. They’ve quickly become the favorite wires in our household, especially the pink and red ones.
Beats also offers a 1.5m (5ft) cable rated at 60W – fine for iPhones, iPads, and potentially MacBook Air. If you have a MacBook Pro or need the very fastest charging speeds, you’ll want the longer 240W version mentioned earlier. Apple’s equivalent is just 1m long, with all other specs matching. Both are priced at $19/£19.
Both Beats cables come in five colors: Bolt Black, Surge Stone, Nitro Navy, Rapid Red, and the new Power Pink. They’re quite striking, and would certainly help differentiate ownership in households where cables often go “missing”. Apple’s cables come in any color you like, so long as it’s white.
Power adapters are sold separately, and the good news is you’ve probably got a few kicking around already – just check the wattage before picking a cable. Note that Apple doesn’t make a 240W adapter, so you’ll need a trusted third-party brand like Anker for that. So unless you really love white, there’s no longer a good reason to go Apple-branded. But there is a good reason to go to the Apple Store.