Every iPhone user has experienced frayed lighting cables. This is a vexing problem and has caused third-party sellers to make braided cables that can withstand more abuse.

Apple at least seems to be working on ways to make the cables more resilient; according to a patent application first noted by AppleInsider, Apple is working on a "cable with variable stiffness" that gets thicker toward the ports.

Lightning cables are known for their thicker connectors. This is what Apple internally calls a strain relief sleeve. Apple's cable ends are meant to keep the cable from fraying, but often that area becomes a point of pressure and kinking. Apple acknowledges that in its patent application.

"In addition to stiffening the cable locally, the strain relief sleeve thickens the ends of the cable. In some cases, the added thickness may be undesirable," the patent application states.

To get around this, Apple basically designed the cable with a more dense material and tapered towards the ends. The image below shows how it works.

Apple is also concerned about how far the cable can bend. The minimum bend radius is, for example, 8 to 12 times the cable diameter.

Granted, none of these designs are likely to reach consumers since they are all patented. And given the rumors that the iPhone 13 may be portless, there is even more reason for Apple to skip cable innovation and go straight to wireless charging.

Still, it is unlikely that MacBooks will go portless in the near future, or ever. So the upgraded cables will be a welcome addition for those who are always on the go. When Apple releases a cable with an improved design, expect it to be included with the next MacBook Pro with M1X.