Why do Apple's stock cables fray so easily?

Apple prioritizes thin, flexible cable jackets for aesthetics. Braided third-party cables add reinforcement at the stress points (connector junctions) where Apple cables typically fail.

Do braided cables charge slower?

No. Cable braiding is the external jacket — it has no effect on internal wire gauge or charging speed. A braided MFi cable charges identically to Apple's stock cable.

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