Worried about using sketchy 3rd party lightning cord & wall plug!

iParis · Dec 30, 2013

So for Christmas my mom got me this third party 6ft lightning - usb cord. I would have been worried about using it, but most of the reports I've heard of have been with the wall adaptor itself, not simply the cord. Though half the time I plug it into my computer I get a message saying charging isn't supported, then it works right when I plug it back in. Anyway, so I guess my mom also gave me a wall adaptor, third party. And not just one from Walmart or something, it looks like one of those ones you that's caused an iPhone to blow up. I'm not trying to be stingy or spoiled, I just don't want my phone to blow up or to get electrocuted.

Any thoughts? Does it look safe?

BSDanalyst · Dec 30, 2013

Go ahead and use it if you like playing Russian roulette

iParis · Dec 30, 2013

BSDanalyst said:
Go ahead and use it if you like playing Russian roulette

That's exactly how I feel like I'd be handling the situation if I were to use it! I don't want to sound mean or ungrateful, I just don't want to die. Haha.

ItBeMe22 · Dec 30, 2013

It will ether work or it won't work. It's not a bomb.

white4s · Dec 30, 2013

as long as you're not in china, you're good

iParis · Dec 30, 2013

It's also extremely lighter than the official wall adaptors.

white4s said:
as long as you're not in china, you're good

I dunno about that..

takeshi74 · Dec 30, 2013

I don't think any of us can conclusively determine if it's safe or not by looking at a photo. It's your call whether to use it or not.

iParis · Dec 30, 2013

ItBeMe22 said:
It will ether work or it won't work. It's not a bomb.

You really missed out on all the third party power adaptors that would "work," only to harm the device or the user after a short while, huh?

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takeshi74 said:
I don't think any of us can conclusively determine if it's safe or not by looking at a photo. It's your call whether to use it or not.

Here's another one if it can possibly show some more insight!

white4s · Dec 30, 2013

iParis said:
It's also extremely lighter than the official wall adaptors.

I dunno about that..

it was a joke referring to the electrocutions that have happened there recently since the Chinese love to us fake apple products

hansonjohn590 · Dec 30, 2013

I would have no problems using a third party cable. Worst happens, it simply won't work.

As far as wall plugs, you are 99% safe.

That one story about the Chinese lady who got electrocuted - she was charging and using her phone after taking a shower. That's just Darwin right there.

Use your charger normally, and you (and your phone) will be fine. Unless your house has a really ****** third world electrical system. Then you might want to stay away.

BrettDS · Dec 30, 2013

hansonjohn590 said:
I would have no problems using a third party cable. Worst happens, it simply won't work.

I think the danger really is worse than it just not working, but I don't know that it's a really huge risk either.

Here's a great blog post from Ken Shirriff where he tore down a real apple charger as well as a number of fake ones and what he found surprised me a bit. Some of the fake chargers had very little space between the high voltage components and the low voltage components... much less than is allowed by the FCC and there is a danger that 120V could be delivered through the lightening cable. There is also a significant difference in power quality provided by some of the counterfeit chargers.

http://www.righto.com/2012/10/a-dozen-usb-chargers-in-lab-apple-is.html
http://www.righto.com/2012/03/inside-cheap-phone-charger-and-why-you.html

tacotester1 · Dec 30, 2013

those are always breaking for me too

peapody · Dec 31, 2013

Just don't use it.

In the end, the advice you get here will only get you so far...we are not experts that can guarantee anything. Your safest bet would be just not to use it.

AFDoc · Dec 31, 2013

Some of you are the biggest babies in the world. Use the damn thing and get on with life.

24hrpizza · Jan 2, 2014

BSDanalyst said:
Go ahead and use it if you like playing Russian roulette

lololololol

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iParis said:
So for Christmas my mom got me this third party 6ft lightning - usb cord. I would have been worried about using it, but most of the reports I've heard of have been with the wall adaptor itself, not simply the cord. Though half the time I plug it into my computer I get a message saying charging isn't supported, then it works right when I plug it back in. Anyway, so I guess my mom also gave me a wall adaptor, third party. And not just one from Walmart or something, it looks like one of those ones you that's caused an iPhone to blow up. I'm not trying to be stingy or spoiled, I just don't want my phone to blow up or to get electrocuted.

Any thoughts? Does it look safe?

Probably will work, not for very long though.

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