Apple’s Charging Cable Mystery

Every morning I browse the depths of internet to research all things Apple. This morning, I decided to watch an unboxing video of the Apple Watch. Four minutes and twenty seconds into this particular unboxing, the man featured in the video mentions that the Apple Watch charging cable is especially long. He goes on to say that it is much longer than the Lightning cable included with the iPhone. This sparked my interest. Why is the Apple Watch charging cable so long? Why is it longer than the charging cable that comes with the iPhone? I set out on a mission to find accurate information.

I ventured over to Apple’s website to check Apple Watch specifications. The Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport, and Apple Watch Edition product pages explicitly read that the included charging cable is 2 meters long.

I then had to verify that the iPhone charging cable was indeed shorter than the one included with the Apple Watch.

Interestingly enough, nowhere on Apple’s website does it mention the length of the included iPhone 6 Lightning cable. I then decided to call Apple. The first tech support woman read through all her manuals, checked the product’s box, checked the website, and wasn’t able to validate the length of the iPhone 6 charging cable. She transferred me to another tech support woman who made the same unsuccessful efforts. She then transferred me to a senior tech support official who was also unable to verify the exact length of the charging cable.

I had no other choice than to validate the length of the included Lightning cable myself. Using a 5×7” photograph and Google measurement converter, I found that the length of the included  iPhone 6 charging cable is in fact 1 meter long. Why doesn’t Apple provide this information? The iPhone chargerhas proven, so far, to be half as long as the charging cable included with the Apple Watch, but why?

The senior tech support official said over the phone “the Apple Watch charging cable could be longer to make sure it reaches your bedside table.” Shouldn’t our iPhones be able to reach our bedside tables as well? Another tech support person mentioned that some people might want to wear their Apple Watch while they are sleeping and would effectively need a longer charging cable. But, isn’t that dangerous? I surely would never wear a charging device while I was sleeping and would advise anyone to avoid doing so.

At this time, Apple’s Public Relations and Media Team has yet to reach out to me with a solid answer and we are left with the same mystery we started with. Why is it necessary for the Apple Watch charging cable to be over 6 feet long? Conversely, why is the iPhone charging cable so short?

Tell us what you think in the comments below!