Belkin is a brand established since 1983 and has been an early manufacturer of Apple Mac and iPod accessories. Its popularity soared with Apple iPhone through its “Made for iPhone” certification program (MFi). Belkin has rode the wave of accessories brands over the decades, including overwhelming competition from generic OEM, but if you want the best undisputed product design and quality for your new iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max, Belkin is the brand to go to.
To show their commitment to product assurance, their DuraTek USB cables offer 5-year limited warranty. These cables are made of Kevlar-reinforced conductors and longer flexible strain relief that absorbs stress from bending. The Mixit DuraTek Lightning to USB cable supports optimal 12W, 2.4A charging and is MFi certified.
The double-braided nylon cable jacket is amazingly flexible, something that many generic brands have emulated but failed. This flexibility is important to ensure the cable is not too rigid. The aluminium casing at both ends of the connectors protects the embedded circuit board from damage.
Honestly, there is nothing much to test with a generic cable, and perhaps I could update this blog 5 years later to share if this cable still works then. The fact is that original Apple cables are terrible quality. The insulation breaks down due to electrical heat, exposing the cables. The connectors are covered with smooth surface and are small, which can be hard to grip and detach from the devices. The cable jacket is so thin that any accidental tug could possible break them.
Comparatively, the DuraTek cable is at the other spectrum, supremely tough and probably unbreakable.
Pay Peanuts, Get Monkeys
One does wonder why should one spend so much money on simple accessory products. With smartphone and data becoming integral to our lives, I cannot imagine the horror if a cheap cable can potentially damage the phone or cause data corruption during data transfer. iPhones have this tendancy to spoil due to non-certified cables. I know it, because it happened to me. Don’t waste your iPhones because you want to save money on cables.
The DuraTek Lightning to USB cable (1.2m) retails at S$44. With 5-year warranty, you are paying less than $10 a year, a small fee for assurance compared to the latest iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max. Belkin products can be purchased at the following stores in Singapore: Apple Store, Challenger, Gain City, inforcom, lazada.sg, Amazon, Newstead, Best Denki, Courts, epicentre, Harvey Norman, istudio, Mustafa, nubox, and Parisilk.
Note: Product provided free of charge for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. Music Photo Life does not earn commissions on purchases made through links in this article.
