I'm sure you're not referring to the flaky accessory company.
Have you never used their cables? I don't think I've seen a single Apple cable lasting more than a few years if they're being used daily, the only ones that last are the ones that are kept static for the entire time.
Their computing hardware is great otherwise, no disagreement there. But their cables are the polar-opposite of whatever engineering methodologies they use for their computing hardware.
I'm not sure if the newer braided cables are better or not as they don't have them.
I have never needed to replace mine as when the phone is plugged in and charging I don't use it.
Is that something Apple advise iPhone users not to do, or why would that be a problem? Other cables can handle being bent sharply, Apple's cables break way faster than other's.
Failure at a mission statement does not mean you have a different mission statement.
Was something else bad about them too?
I don’t think I’ve ever had an Apple cable fail, all the way back to the 30 pin.