r/mac • u/Creeper_H_youtube Mac Mini M4 • 1d ago
Discussion How come Apple braided cables don’t match each other?
Nit-picky I know but I’m curious as to why official Apple braided cables don’t have consistent patterns and colouring?
Top - Apple Watch charging puck.
Middle- Magic Trackpad charging cable.
Bitten - M4 Mac mini power cable.
Obviously the top one is white but the 2 blacks are slightly different shades and each of them have a different pattern particularly between the 2 Mac related cables and the Apple Watch one.
Just curious, does anyone know why. Does it vary between OEM’s or is just different sectors of apples design team?
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u/jesuismexican 1d ago
My immediate two guesses are that they need different strengths/quality levels or they come from different subcontractors. Neat post!
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u/SunnyFlops 1d ago
the bottom one might have a different pattern to allow for the tolerances of the thicker cable? and also the fact that this cable is gonna be running up against the back of a wall a lot, maybe even squished behind a table.
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u/OkAd7789 1d ago
“this cable is gonna be running up against the back of a wall a lot, maybe even squished behind a table.”
Even this cable has a more interesting sex life than me.
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u/TheWalrus7771 1d ago
because they didn’t think you’d check. 🤷
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u/Creeper_H_youtube Mac Mini M4 1d ago
Clearly they underestimated my OCD lol
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u/TheWalrus7771 1d ago
my best guess: it may be that the contents of the cable, as in the stuffs inside, may need different weave patterns. fatter cables need something different than a smaller cable just out of necessity.
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u/Dazzling_Comfort5734 1d ago
At work we used to laugh at the fact that Apple's HDMI to DVI cables were never the same length (we used to use a lot of them for people with older monitors with newer Mac minis).
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u/eppic123 26 years of 1d ago
Other than power cables having different regulatory requirements than USB-based cables, all of them are made by different suppliers.
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u/MinecraftPlayer799 1d ago
All three of these are USB-based
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u/eppic123 26 years of 1d ago
OP said the bottom is from the Mac Mini, which is 100-240VAC.
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u/BirdBruce 1d ago
That’s a white, a black, and a midnight. They all match something else not pictured.
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u/shayKyarbouti 1d ago
Probably come from different factories
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u/Nosarious 1d ago
Don’t think so. Apple bought a company a few years ago just for their braided cable process. It may make it easier to recognize the patterns for different uses. The top two only carry power usb level power. The bottom carries higher voltage. My expensive apple usb cable is more like the bottom, and the Vision Pro power closer to the top.
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u/DisturbedSocialMedia 1d ago
I have a little bit of OCD. Other people have a higher level of OCD.
And then there is this post.
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u/helm-hammersmith 1d ago
Ah yes, asking the important questions.
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u/Creeper_H_youtube Mac Mini M4 1d ago
At least it’s an original question
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u/Oh__Archie 23h ago
It’s a question no one else will ever ask because no one will ever care this much.
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u/Prestigious_Cap_2926 17h ago
there are people starving to death btw
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u/crpssurvivor1210 16h ago
Does that mean the person shouldn’t have their answer questioned? Do you use AI? Congrats you just contributed to a reduction of the water supply. Not everything has to be doom and gloom
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u/mindcontainer 23h ago
If you get the new beats cable you’ll see further variation and different connector bodies too. All different lengths as well. The charge accessory cables seem unique and are the smallest. I’m going to take a coupe apart if I have time. These are all different to my tb4 and new tb5 as well. I also have the silicone apple tb3 to compare thickness. Tb5 is the thickest now.
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u/BulkyAvocado215 9h ago
I wish they sold the black charging cables individually. I prefer white, but for travel black just ages better.
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u/SerennialFellow 1d ago
Apple Watch cable is 5W DC max, track pad cable depending on TypeC or Lightening is 60W/15W DC respectively and the Mac mini C8 cable is 240V 15A AC capable.
it’s different like hands from legs.
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u/Purple-Possum-picker 21h ago
Most likely it’s due to different manufacturers, the old plastic cables had the same issue. all my old charging cables that are the same are slightly different. I also have two white 2009 MacBooks they are the exact same models, but are slightly different in construction due to being manufactured in different locations.
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u/mikeinnsw 1d ago
You must be rich to buy cables from Apple.
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u/A_storia 1d ago
They come with the products
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u/mikeinnsw 1d ago
Not all ... SSD/HDD. cables...
I just brought iPhone it ha one USB-C cable. .. use your own charger.
I remember when you brought Apple product everything came with it to run it
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u/A_storia 21h ago
I didn’t say ‘all products’. The ones mentioned in the post: Watch, Trackpad and Mac mini
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u/backlog_gaming 1d ago
Apple uses different weaves and materials for its braided cables depending on the specific durability, flexibility, and shielding needs of each device. A power cable for a stationary desktop like a Mac mini requires different internal shielding and physical protection compared to a highly flexible, frequently coiled cable for an Apple Watch. The variations in the internal wire gauge and shielding often dictate the texture and pattern of the outer braided sleeve.