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macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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After two electric shock incidents involving the iPhone in China, Apple has added a special page [Google translation, via The Next Web] to its Chinese website informing consumers about the identification and use of genuine USB power adapters for the iPad and iPhone.

china_apple_power_adapter.jpg
The page includes a message about Apple's continued dedication to consumer safety and testing. It also includes diagrams for identifying genuine power adapters for products that use the new Lightning connector and those that use the legacy 30-pin connector.
When you need to charge the iPhone or iPad, we recommend that you use the standard USB power adapter and USB cable. These adapters and cables are also available separately from Apple and Apple Authorized Resellers.
Last week, a Chinese man was left in a coma after receiving an electric shock while charging his iPhone 4, an incident which followed the death of a Chinese woman under similar circumstances. Both incidents apparently involved the use of unauthorized third-party adapters.

Article Link: Apple Instructs Chinese Users on Identification and Use of Genuine Apple Power Adapters
 

bushido

Suspended
Mar 26, 2008
8,070
2,755
Germany
beware of amazon as well, they sell multiple 3rd party adapters under the "original part" name which I am always amazed is even allowed.

i bought one of these by mistake once and the wire was already all out in the open without the plastic covering it up after one day of use
 
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iThinkIt

macrumors regular
Mar 21, 2012
164
0
Florida, USA
it's a shocking revelation (pun intended).... I have seen many Chinese after market items that are substandard... that said there are many good ones also.

how-shocking.jpg
 

Kissaragi

macrumors 68020
Nov 16, 2006
2,340
370
They should do this for every countries page. Theres a big problem of dangerous counterfeit chargers in the UK too.
 

H2SO4

macrumors 603
Nov 4, 2008
5,625
6,924
Oh please. Won't take long before the copies are looking 100% authentic.
 

sharkzor

macrumors newbie
Jul 10, 2012
7
5
WHY not make the original apple chargers cheaper so people won't have to use fake ones?
 

ad1815

macrumors member
Oct 30, 2012
38
5
Apple has two lessons to learn:
1: Original Apple accessaries are too expensive.
2: Metal is not the safest material.
 

kcamfork

Suspended
Oct 7, 2011
258
247
WHY not make the original apple chargers cheaper so people won't have to use fake ones?

This. Why does a USB adapter have to cost $20? Same with the cable. $10 is much more reasonable and will still ensure a profit.
 

Rogifan

macrumors Penryn
Nov 14, 2011
24,069
30,941
WHY not make the original apple chargers cheaper so people won't have to use fake ones?

Why do people have to use fake ones? I have a hard time believing someone can afford an iPhone or iPad but can't afford a charger.
 

bushido

Suspended
Mar 26, 2008
8,070
2,755
Germany
Why not make iPHones free so everyone can also have them?

cable few cent to produce != phone

Why do people have to use fake ones? I have a hard time believing someone can afford an iPhone or iPad but can't afford a charger.

its a principal, i could afford a dom champagne but the $2.99 bottle at aldi tastes just as good.

im not spending 30 bucks on a cable
 

pirg

macrumors 6502a
Apr 18, 2013
618
0
beware of amazon as well, they sell multiple 3rd party adapters under the "original part" name which I am always amazed is even allowed.

i bought one of these by mistake once and the wire was already all out in the open without the plastic covering it up after one day of use

Very true, I was looking for a replacement battery for my android from Amazon and it said oem in the description. I read reviews and it's a cheap knockoff. I don't get how they're allowed to do that either. There are even reviews with people saying the same thing happened to them on Amazon but not realizing until after they ordered and received the product
 

PhamQu

macrumors newbie
Jul 16, 2013
29
0
FL, USA
My best wishes to the families, it is always sad to lose a life. However, I can't help but have the thought that Apple's PR team jumped at this opportunity to encourage more people to buy their authentic accessories.
It's true, you can't put a price on safety. But $30 compared to ~$5 (USD) is enough to make you think twice.
 

mumph

macrumors regular
Apr 18, 2013
115
0
WHY not make the original apple chargers cheaper so people won't have to use fake ones?

Er... Apple products come with a charger so if you buy a knockoff one then you get what you deserve.

To buy a genuine one it costs more because they have to be put through tests and be approved for use etc. i.e. it costs more to get them to market, but at least they won't kill you.

Also my bro bought a cheap one and it wouldnt charge anything. Because both the wire and the plug part were crap and I didnt know he had bought a cheap one I thought it was my plug socket not working and fitted a new one only to find it was the dodgy cable he bought for £3.
 

bushido

Suspended
Mar 26, 2008
8,070
2,755
Germany
Cheap cables = cheap to produce

Good cables = bit more expensive

you can't compare genuine Apple accessories to the cheap knock off ones...quality is way different. :apple:

no one asked apple to invent a cable that includes its own ram and chip set which theyve only done to make even more money in the first place :p

the old one worked just fine or make it USB 3 at least
 

Rogifan

macrumors Penryn
Nov 14, 2011
24,069
30,941
cable few cent to produce != phone



its a principal, i could afford a dom champagne but the $2.99 bottle at aldi tastes just as good.

im not spending 30 bucks on a cable

OK but that's not the same as having to use a 3rd party accessory. You don't have to, you chose to. Also there are legit 3rd party options that are cheaper than Apple so its not a case of only two options - Apple or unsafe.
 

appleisking

macrumors 6502a
May 24, 2013
658
3,022
Why do people have to use fake ones? I have a hard time believing someone can afford an iPhone or iPad but can't afford a charger.

Just cuz you can afford an iphone doesn't mean you don't want to save some money on something as simple as a cable. I for one would not care where the cable has come from as long as it works and set at a reasonable price. There is no way in hell it's so expensive to produce that they couldn't sell it at half the cost. We KNOW it's overpriced, because all the other accessories are overpriced too.

----------

Er... Apple products come with a charger so if you buy a knockoff one then you get what you deserve.

To buy a genuine one it costs more because they have to be put through tests and be approved for use etc. i.e. it costs more to get them to market, but at least they won't kill you.

Also my bro bought a cheap one and it wouldnt charge anything. Because both the wire and the plug part were crap and I didnt know he had bought a cheap one I thought it was my plug socket not working and fitted a new one only to find it was the dodgy cable he bought for £3.

Omg you cannot be serious. Do you really believe that's the reason it's so expensive. This is Apple, my friend. Everything there is overpriced. I love their products but they are def. overpriced.
 

NATO

macrumors 68000
Feb 14, 2005
1,702
35
Northern Ireland
Cheap cables = cheap to produce

Good cables = bit more expensive

you can't compare genuine Apple accessories to the cheap knock off ones...quality is way different. :apple:

I agree with you, but there comes the point of diminishing returns where a $5 charger might be rubbish quality, a $10 one might be good quality but then Apple would happily charge $30 for something equivalent to the $10 one.

It's the same with cables, beyond a certain point it's just pure profit, the quality doesn't scale up any further.
 

appleisking

macrumors 6502a
May 24, 2013
658
3,022
Er... Apple products come with a charger so if you buy a knockoff one then you get what you deserve.

To buy a genuine one it costs more because they have to be put through tests and be approved for use etc. i.e. it costs more to get them to market, but at least they won't kill you.

Also my bro bought a cheap one and it wouldnt charge anything. Because both the wire and the plug part were crap and I didnt know he had bought a cheap one I thought it was my plug socket not working and fitted a new one only to find it was the dodgy cable he bought for £3.

No you don't. Unless you're suggesting you deserve to die just cuz you don't wanna be ripped off. Also, if I have a car, I want a cable there all the time, so there's a reason to have an extra one. At the same time, spending 30 bucks to do that.... No way. The solution is to get a cheaper one from a trustworthy manufacturer. That's what many people do I imagine.
 

Rogifan

macrumors Penryn
Nov 14, 2011
24,069
30,941
no one asked apple to invent a cable that includes its own ram and chip set which theyve only done to make even more money in the first place :p

the old one worked just fine

Yeah I'm sure Apple engineers spend time and r&d on that just so they can make more money on accessories. I'm sure Tim Cook walked in to Bob Mansfield's office and told him to do whatever he has to so Apple can charge more for a lightning cable. :rolleyes:
 

spyder0109

macrumors newbie
Apr 26, 2012
18
1
WHY not make the original apple chargers cheaper so people won't have to use fake ones?

next what do you want - why not make the original iphone cheaper so that people wont have to use a fake one (android)?

thats non-sensical to say the least - good things come at price. And, if someone can buy an iPhone then the person can buy an original charger (that does not risk his/her life)
 

UnfetteredMind

macrumors 6502
Jun 6, 2012
451
77
My best wishes to the families, it is always sad to lose a life. However, I can't help but have the thought that Apple's PR team jumped at this opportunity to encourage more people to buy their authentic accessories.
It's true, you can't put a price on safety. But $30 compared to ~$5 (USD) is enough to make you think twice.

My life is worth more than $25 to me. Enough to make you think twice.

As someone else said, there are quality third party products (UL approved, etc) that lie somewhere in between Apple's and the cheapest of crap from China or other locations that may kill you. In the end, it's up to you to choose. Choose wisely.
 

ArmCortexA8

macrumors 65816
Feb 18, 2010
1,074
205
Terra Australis
[url=http://cdn.macrumors.com/im/macrumorsthreadlogodarkd.png]Image[/url]


After two electric shock incidents involving the iPhone in China, Apple has added a special page*[Google translation, via The Next Web]*to its Chinese website informing consumers about the identification and use of genuine USB power adapters for the iPad and iPhone.

The page includes a message about Apple's continued dedication to consumer safety and testing. It also includes diagrams for identifying genuine power adapters for products that use the new Lightning connector and those that use the legacy 30-pin connector.Last week, a Chinese man was left in a coma after receiving an electric shock while charging his iPhone 4, an incident which followed the death of a Chinese woman under similar circumstances. Both incidents apparently involved the use of unauthorized third-party adapters.

Article Link: Apple Instructs Chinese Users on Identification and Use of Genuine Apple Power Adapters

When is Macrumors going to post CORRECT Translation links - http://translate.google.com/transla...F-8&u=http://www.apple.com.cn/power-adapters/
 

Kissaragi

macrumors 68020
Nov 16, 2006
2,340
370
Apple could drop the price to £1 a charger and the knock offs would still be being brought out 50p cheaper.

You cant compete on price with counterfeit products and a lot of people will always go for the cheaper option.
 
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