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As always the standards are:

Generic brand: what's the cheapest thing I can make that looks like it works.

Cheap mainstream brand: who can I buy this from that isn't going to get me sued.

Apple: how do we product something that is fit for purpose

First two for sure. 3rd option might be fit for purpose, but have to be really taken care of or they don't last too long.

Anker used to be decent but gotten pretty bad now. I have the OG cables from amazonbasics that are all still working to this day but unfortunately the newer ones are bad and started glitching much faster.

There isn't a lot of options nowadays.
 
Huh. Does this mean the Kuxiu 3 in 1 that I just got as a stocking filler for my wife was a bad idea? Saw it advertised on Facebook, which would normally set the alarm bells ringing. But did some googling and there seemed to be good reviews from several of the big Apple blogs.
 
Their are certain marketplaces online that are awash with dodgy as hell tech. Its not just chargers. Its wires, batteries… even some of the plastics in cheap devices can contain nasty chemicals. Especially some stuff thats recycled… and you have no idea at all what their source was for the material recycled.
 
It’s legit, My wife got an off brand charger and it ruined the watch. ever sense we only use certified and known brands (and usually verify they are sold via the Apple store even if that’s not where we get them from) and no issues ever sense.

I do wish we could use se the same wireless charging for iPhone, Airpods, and watch though.
 
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Apple : how do we force people to spend 20$ for a 10cm cable?

Apple sells the o ly electronics I know who “requires” “made for” cables.

Actually that only looks painful because the market is flooded with subpar garbage so the median price has gone down.

Cables used to be really expensive.

Not only that if you take your shagged cables back to an Apple Store they will give you new ones. I've been rinsing them yearly for the same lightning cable since around 2015.

Anyway in this case it's not just a cable. There's a microcontroller and a whole wireless charging stack in this cable so it's not just a cable.
 
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Can anyone recommend a decent folding travel charger suitable for iPhone 15 Pro Max and an Apple Watch?

They all seem to be cheap garbage or expensive and not much better.

I have this one. It works great, it can simultaneously charge my 15 Pro Max, Apple Watch Ultra, and AirPods Pro 2. When folded, it is very compact. It comes with a good charger & USB cable. It comes in a few different colors. I bought it six months ago, use it every day, and no problems. (I have no connection to the seller, I'm just sharing what's worked well for me.)

 
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SO it apple that has implemented the annoying chime that repeats over and over. I don't appreciate being forced to change with an apple overpriced cable. Is there any 3 or 4 in one that works?

If you're getting an "annoying chime that repeats over and over", odds are your charger or cable is broken.
 
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Sure, there are non-MFI chargers that are lousy and can damage your gear.

But I've used a lot of non-MFI chargers over the years with my Apple gear, and never had a problem.

I have a 2+ year old AW7 that I used continuously until getting an Ultra 2 a month or so ago. I used a non-MFI charger with the AW7 and never had problems. Battery lasts about 1 1/2 days, battery health is 93%, not bad for a 2+ year old device that was used daily.
 
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Apple : how do we force people to spend 20$ for a 10cm cable?

Apple sells the o ly electronics I know who “requires” “made for” cables.
Apple doesn't require "MFI" cables/chargers; you can use whatever you want. Even still, there are plenty of 3rd party MFI cables/chargers which are less expensive than Apple's, while still costing the same or slightly more than those unknown and uncertified cables/chargers.

Do people have such a hard-on to go against MFI that they would choose something from a company they've never heard of instead of a charger which is still less from someone reliable like Anker just to save a little more money?
 
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I have an off-brand multi-charger that includes an Apple Watch charger. It worked fine for a year, then it started doing the repeating chime thing after a WatchOS update. So it's a problem that Apple either created or enhanced to weed out the off-brand chargers.
 
Huh? I’ve a lot of anker power related gear, never really had a problem with any of it

Same. They seem to be the same quality as they have always been (good).

I only have official chargers, but my brother has been using an knock-off charger since the Series 3 without any issue.
 


Apple today published a support document that warns customers against using non-certified Apple Watch chargers, which could cause slow charging, repeated chimes, and reduced battery span.

apple-watch-charger-s7.jpg

According to Apple, customers should only use chargers made by Apple or chargers that have Made for iPhone (MFi) certification with the Made for Apple Watch badge.

Apple provides images of genuine Apple Watch chargers and explains the text and regulatory markings that may be on the cable. "Chargers that are not made by Apple might have different colors, text, or other designs on the surface of the charging connector," reads the support document.

Apple also provides a list of model numbers for all of the cables that it has produced to date, and gives instructions for checking the manufacturer of a charger using a Mac.

To use this method, the Apple Watch needs to be connected to the Mac. When connected, go to System Settings and then Click on General. Choose About, and then System Report. Under USB, choose the Apple Watch charger to view the details. Watch chargers created by Apple will list Apple Inc. as the manufacturer.

Apple says that customers can ensure they are using a certified third-party charger by looking for the Made for Watch labeling or searching Apple's public database of MFi accessories.

Article Link: Apple Warns Against Non-Certified Apple Watch Chargers
Never had a problem. You just want more money!
 
There are lots of posts in the AW forum of folks complaining about charging problems with 3rd party cables, esp fast charging, so maybe this is a good thing.

Yep. I hate hate hate crappy off-brand chargers. Back in my IT days they used to fry ports all the time when people would plug them into their computers. Pay a little extra for a certified charger and protect your devices.
 
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Always have used 3rd party 3-in-1 chargers. Will continue to as never had an issue. Sounds like fear mongering for apple to get more revenue from their chargers.
 
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SO it apple that has implemented the annoying chime that repeats over and over. I don't appreciate being forced to change with an apple overpriced cable. Is there any 3 or 4 in one that works?
That chime is the charging re-initializing over and over, and it’s not something new. Apple is making this announcement not because they added a chime, but because there are many complains of garbage chargers out there and this is one of the MANY symptoms.

when got my first Apple Watch—a series 7 because I wanted fast charging—I wasted money on chargers that I ultimately chose
Not to use. Not because they weren’t directly from Apple but because they were causing slight heat and charging slowly. Even if you don’t want Apple’s chargers (i don’t like the excess cord length) you can buy from other manufacturers that use the “made for Apple Watch” components and logo, so at least they aren’t causing unnecessary battery wear. I want to wear my watch for 3 years and keep the battery in shape.
 
More importantly, it would also reduce the More Financial Income (MFI) program.
I hope Apple wasn’t really counting on that MFI money… the manufacturing side of the company includes a free cable in every box! They really should communicate.
 
What I object to is the sheer flood of fake Apple chargers on Amazon and eBay. It's been over a decade since I swore never to buy an Apple charger off the internet, yet Apple has done nothing to stem this flood.

Fake Apple-branded laptop chargers, fake Apple-branded watch chargers, fake Apple-branded USB chargers for iPhones, the flood is never-ending. And I don't see any signs that Apple is putting any pressure on Amazon / eBay to deal with it.
Apple, working with Amazon, actually tried to do something about this, and it was effective to some degree. But, it’s likely that someone’s going to call it “anticompetitive” and end the practice. In truth, it is anticompetitive… in that it prevents many scam and unethical companies from competing.
 
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