A colleague has thrown some doubt on the authenticity of my new 85W MagSafe charger. His concern is that I did not buy it direct with Apple and that means it has to be a fake.
I have researched as many sites on how to spot a fake and spent some time comparing it with one bought direct with Apple, but have yet to find a difference. As I don't want a fire I thought it best to ask the gurus on here as the nearest Apple Store is over an hours drive away from me.
The Positives:
Has correct Apple logos
Has correct text markings
Correct shade of white and grey plastics
Good pins
Fit and finish no different to original with consistent neat gap lines
Dimensions identical
DC cable has silicone feel
Has the correct straight edged rather than beveled power-in connector (as seen on some fakes)
Has a serial number (MV0420DLZAKXA)
Green power light comes on after a second or so of being connected (rather than instant)
Green light goes off instantly on disconnection (rather than staying illuminated for a while)
Orange light comes on correctly when charging
Does not get unusually warm at the brick
Does not get unusually warm at the L-tip
Weighs exactly 309 grams (10.9 ounces)
Output when not connected of 6.8v
Output when triggered of 16.7v
AC amperage draw in the stated range
DC short protection circuit and power-on reset work correctly
Reports correct data to System Profiler:
AC Charger Information:
Connected: Yes
ID: 0x0100
Wattage (W): 85
Revision: 0x0000
Family: 0x00ba
Serial Number: 0x00199e5f
Charging: Yes
The Negatives:
Not purchased directly with Apple.
Found (via Google) a single occasion on an Italian forum where the reported Serial Number on System Profiler was the same as mine.
The DC power cable feels a little stiffer than my original (admittedly rather old) cable.
Is there anything else I can do to confirm if this is the genuine article or not?
I have researched as many sites on how to spot a fake and spent some time comparing it with one bought direct with Apple, but have yet to find a difference. As I don't want a fire I thought it best to ask the gurus on here as the nearest Apple Store is over an hours drive away from me.
The Positives:
Has correct Apple logos
Has correct text markings
Correct shade of white and grey plastics
Good pins
Fit and finish no different to original with consistent neat gap lines
Dimensions identical
DC cable has silicone feel
Has the correct straight edged rather than beveled power-in connector (as seen on some fakes)
Has a serial number (MV0420DLZAKXA)
Green power light comes on after a second or so of being connected (rather than instant)
Green light goes off instantly on disconnection (rather than staying illuminated for a while)
Orange light comes on correctly when charging
Does not get unusually warm at the brick
Does not get unusually warm at the L-tip
Weighs exactly 309 grams (10.9 ounces)
Output when not connected of 6.8v
Output when triggered of 16.7v
AC amperage draw in the stated range
DC short protection circuit and power-on reset work correctly
Reports correct data to System Profiler:
AC Charger Information:
Connected: Yes
ID: 0x0100
Wattage (W): 85
Revision: 0x0000
Family: 0x00ba
Serial Number: 0x00199e5f
Charging: Yes
The Negatives:
Not purchased directly with Apple.
Found (via Google) a single occasion on an Italian forum where the reported Serial Number on System Profiler was the same as mine.
The DC power cable feels a little stiffer than my original (admittedly rather old) cable.
Is there anything else I can do to confirm if this is the genuine article or not?
