This is a repost of an article we published a while back that we felt should be brought to the forefront again. As long as third parties manufacture accessories for the devices we use and love this information is relevant and should be shared. We also added a helpful link at the bottom to another article on this subject. Editor: CupertinoTimes.com
Counterfeit Third Party Accessories
There are now so many choices for third-party, accessories for Apple devices in the market. Most users forget an important thing, many of these are counterfeit. Here are a few things to consider when buying accessories for your Apple device. First, check whether the accessory manufacturer is approved by the company or not. Even if it supports the device there can be issues. Overlooking these basic details can and has lead to damaged iPhones and even a health hazard in case of a fire.
How To It Play Safe?
To combat this menace of an overflow of shady accessories, the tech-giant started an initiative to educate its customers on how to spot counterfeit accessories. The Cupertino-based company posted an online guide on their website to differentiate between genuine and supported accessories from unsupported and potentially dangerous products.
Apple’s Official Website:
“Beware of counterfeit parts. Some counterfeit and third party power adapters and batteries may not be designed properly. And could result in safety issues. To ensure you receive a genuine Apple battery during a battery replacement. We recommend visiting an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider. If you need a replacement adapter to charge your Apple device. We recommend getting an Apple power adapter.”
This stance came after a lawsuit that claimed, “As 90% of Apple adapters and cables marketed as genuine on Amazon are counterfeit.” A U.S. certification company UL later found 99% of fake Apple chargers sold online fail basic safety tests.
Apple’s official website gives simple instruction on how to spot counterfeit devices, like:
“To identify counterfeit or uncertified cables and accessories, look carefully at the accessory’s packaging and at the accessory itself. Certified third-party accessories have the MFi logo on their packaging. An Apple Lightning to USB cable has ‘Designed by Apple in California’ and either ‘Assembled in China’ ‘Assembled in Vietnam’ or ‘Indústria Brasileira’ on the cable about seven inches from the USB connector. You’ll see a 12-digit serial number at the end of this text.”
More information can be found on Apple’s official support page.
For more on this topic check out this article: