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It might be tempting to buy a cheap, identify fake Apple charger, especially since they are easy to find and don’t cost much. But the real-world risks that come with it aren’t worth the few dollars you’ll save by buying a fake Apple charger.
Fake Apple chargers are getting harder to spot because they look a lot like real ones, at least on the outside. You might have to open the product and look at its parts to be sure. There are many ways to tell if an Apple charger is fake, which is a good thing. I’ll tell you all the ways you can tell you have a fake Apple charger and why you should get rid of it as soon as possible.
Ways to identify fake Apple charger
Scrutinize the Packaging
Most of the time, you can tell if something is fake before you even open the box. First, look at the box that your charger came in. A black-and-white picture of the product should be on the container. Next, look at the end of the USB connector. Fakes often use a colour version that makes the metal prongs look gold.
Apple chargers that are real, though, come in a white box. Details are also often wrong in fakes. For example, the bottom of the fake packaging below has two barcodes, which you won’t find on the packaging of a real charger.
Analyze the User Manual
There are a lot of details and text in user manuals, so it makes sense that this is where many scammers go wrong. For example, the booklets that come with real Apple products are bound by professionals, while this fake one is held together by a big staple.
Also, look for mistakes in the spelling and alignment of the text. Scammers usually try to copy the text from a real product, but sometimes they add extra spaces or letters that don’t belong there.
When in Doubt, Don’t Test It
You can tell a fake charger from a real one by using it on your phone, but we don’t recommend doing this if you’re not sure. But if you’ve already been using the suspected cable and noticed that it gets too hot or takes a lot longer to charge, it’s likely that you have a fake.
Check the End of the Lightning-Connector Cable
On their support page, Apple gives you several ways to tell a real charger connect end from a fake one. For example, the end of an Apple charging cable is smooth and has rounded gold (or silver) contacts, while many fakes have a rough finish and contacts that are squared.
Find the MFi Badge
Apple adds the “Made for iPhone” badge to all of its certified products. While fakes can copy this label, too, you can rest assured that a product without this badge is almost always going to be a fake.
Weight
Products that aren’t real are made with materials that aren’t as good and don’t have as many safety features. For example, in fake chargers, the wires are not secured or protected, and the windings of the transformer are not well insulated. Chargers should have a minimum weight of 40 grammes (g). Anything a lot lighter could be a fake.
Warnings and instructions
The user’s guide is another place to look. Because user manuals have a lot of information about the product, it’s not unusual to find mistakes. For one thing, the manuals that come with real Apple products are professionally bound, while the ones that come with fakes are held together with a big staple.
FAQ
How do I know if my Apple charger is genuine?
- Interlocks on USB shell are trapezoidal. Interlocks are equally spaced from edge.
- USB contacts are gold-plated.
- USB surface is smooth and consistent. Surface of USB shell is flat.
- Surface of the insulator for the USB connection is uniform and flat.
What does a real Apple plug look like?
The shell of the USB connector on the end of a real Apple charger is shaped like a trapezoid. These joins are all the same distance from the edges. Fake chargers have right-angle connections that aren’t always the same distance apart.
Where is Apple charger serial number?
If you still have the original box for your product, you can look at the barcode to find the serial number. You can also find the serial number on the original receipt or invoice that came with your product.