I've never seen an apple cable that made it more than few months before the insulation failed at the connector. They're notorious for it. The minimalist aesthetic design provides no strain relief whatsoever.
Funny, I've used Apple cables since I got my first iPod in like 2003, and none of my cables have ever failed. I'm pretty sure I still have my original 30-pin iPod cable from >10 years ago, as well as all of the 30-pin and lightning cables since then, again all of which are still in pristine condition.
Then again, I treat wires and cables properly. I don't tie them in knots, rip at them from the side, coil them up in 1cm diameter balls, or any other blatant abuse that the average consumer puts their cables through.