The Important Differences Between Real and Counterfeit iPad Chargers

[TruthFinder]

Hi guys,
Reading this I grow concerned that the US -> EU adapter I just bought for my brand new MacBook Pro could cause me problems. It is only the plug, which I have bought counterfeit as I live in Denmark and the computer comes with a US plug. So I will be using an official Apple charger with this Chinese-made European wall plug.
Should I be concerned?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-MacBo...=US_Audio_Cables_Adapters&hash=item3f1a64a701
Thanks!

No, you shouldn't be concern, as long as the Apple charger is real. If you look at your charger, it should say "input 110v - 240volts" and "50 - 60hz" The US uses a 120volts, 60hz input, and Denmark uses 230 volts and 50hz input.

So you'll be fine.

That plug is just changing how the power supply goes into the wall, and has nothing to do with the power that's going through the supply. If you wanted to, you could use something like this:

http://www.batteryjunction.com/eoplad.html

and your Macbook Pro would still work the same.

 

[nebo1ss]

Hi guys,
Reading this I grow concerned that the US -> EU adapter I just bought for my brand new MacBook Pro could cause me problems. It is only the plug, which I have bought counterfeit as I live in Denmark and the computer comes with a US plug. So I will be using an official Apple charger with this Chinese-made European wall plug.
Should I be concerned?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-MacBo...=US_Audio_Cables_Adapters&hash=item3f1a64a701
Thanks!

That is just an adapter, no electrical components just copper wires connecting one end to the other. I use something similar for the UK made by a UK company called Velox and as per UK regulations it is fused.

 

[Nevaborn]

Having gone through 2 ipad chargers and 3 Macbook chargers in the last couple of years (all failing at the device connector end) I'm sure Apple could kill the counterfeit market simply by stopping theirs from breaking on a regular basis. The guy in our local apple shop even recommends to people that they wrap a spring out of a pen around the end to give it more support!

Something needs to be done, I have gone through countless chargers and they always go at the connector, there is just not enough support.

 

[nebo1ss]

Something needs to be done, I have gone through countless chargers and they always go at the connector, there is just not enough support.

Never had a problem with the charger just the cable which is replaceable. Now if only they would modify the MacBook Pro charger so that I could replace the cable without having to replace the charger. The fault always occur at the plug where you plug into the Computer.

 

[ikir]

What did the chargers ever do to you? Why do you need to abuse them? From my experience, Apple chargers take a lot to break.

Totally agree, but users always blame Apple not themself

 

[Giro413]

Thank you!

No, you shouldn't be concern, as long as the Apple charger is real. If you look at your charger, it should say "input 110v - 240volts" and "50 - 60hz" The US uses a 120volts, 60hz input, and Denmark uses 230 volts and 50hz input.

So you'll be fine.

That plug is just changing how the power supply goes into the wall, and has nothing to do with the power that's going through the supply. If you wanted to, you could use something like this:

http://www.batteryjunction.com/eoplad.html

and your Macbook Pro would still work the same.

Thank you very much for this knowledable answer!

 

[good.lad]

Ground contact missing

Anyone noticed the ground contact missing in the counterfeit?
THAT is a security issue.

 

[cliffak]

No, you shouldn't be concern, as long as the Apple charger is real. If you look at your charger, it should say "input 110v - 240volts" and "50 - 60hz" The US uses a 120volts, 60hz input, and Denmark uses 230 volts and 50hz input.

So you'll be fine.

That plug is just changing how the power supply goes into the wall, and has nothing to do with the power that's going through the supply.

There are safety standards for plugs as well. For a "Europlug" like that the pins are supposed to point slightly inwards towards each other and the metal parts should also stay attached to the pins. Many Chinese knockoffs don't even meet these basic requirements.

----------

Anyone noticed the ground contact missing in the counterfeit?
THAT is a security issue.

That depends on the design of the charger. In Europe the official iPad chargers are Class II (double or reinforced insulation) which means they are not required to be grounded. Since the Class II symbol (a square within a square) is present on the (presumably US) charger in the blog no ground is required for safety.

Needless to say, the counterfeit charger does not fulfill the Class II requirements with only 0.6 mm insulation distance. It is also a clear example of illegal use of various certification marks and illegal use of the CE mark.

 

[beejam]

Something needs to be done, I have gone through countless chargers and they always go at the connector, there is just not enough support.

These kind of postings made me so paranoid when I got my MB Pro that I put this on the charger right away:
http://www.thefrayfix.com/
I really don't know how much it helps, but it does make my charger easy to identify.

 

[cliffak]

Same with power supplies consumers mostly buy based on price.

Yes, but in the developed world electrical products are required to meet certain safety standards. This type of counterfeit chargers are often pulled from the market by the authorities. Unfortunately the influx from various sources is so large it is impossible to control so only a tiny percentage gets tested and removed from the market.

----------

Also worth pointing out is the counterfeit charger's complete lack of EMC filtering. There is no way it would pass EMC testing which means it certainly could lead to interference problems with other equipment or the iPad itself.

 

[nick_elt]

Anyone noticed the ground contact missing in the counterfeit?
THAT is a security issue.

security issue? do you mean safety issue or am i missing something here?

 

[Laptopdog78]

Having gone through 2 ipad chargers and 3 Macbook chargers in the last couple of years (all failing at the device connector end) I'm sure Apple could kill the counterfeit market simply by stopping theirs from breaking on a regular basis. The guy in our local apple shop even recommends to people that they wrap a spring out of a pen

around the end to give it more support!

Stop pulling the wire! Get hold of the solid connector!
Why is it that there are always a number of people that say they go through numerous wires and chargers? Yet others have no problems over many devices, over many years?
At the end of the day, it does not matter who makes the product, if it is missued, it will eventually fail.

 

[Giro413]

There are safety standards for plugs as well. For a "Europlug" like that the pins are supposed to point slightly inwards towards each other and the metal parts should also stay attached to the pins. Many Chinese knockoffs don't even meet these basic requirements.

Does that mean that there could be an issue with the mentioned counterfeit Euro-plug, after all? http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-MacBo...=US_Audio_Cables_Adapters&hash=item3f1a64a701

Thanks

 

[gnasher729]

I've actually done design work on power supplies. The hard part is not simply designing something that works but one that remains safe AFTER a major component failure. You you ask "does the unit remain safe AFTER a short inside the transformers. If a capacitor blows and bits of metal are scattered around does the unit remain safe. The trouble is that there are about a b-zillion ways things can break and you can't think of them all so you use general purpose "backups" like wrapping the higher voltage part in tape. This is a "backup" and costs money but contributes ZERO visible features. It's the same with the gap on the circuit board. board manufactures charge by the square inch, so gaps cost money can add no visible features. The better design will have two or three backups and will remain safe even after a major component failure but people don't like paying for this

My bet is that if air bags and seat belts were an optional higher priced option on cars, many people would not spend the money. Same with power supplies consumers mostly buy based on price.

I think the problem is that people by counterfeit chargers that try to look like the original. It's much easier to build a safe charger if you make it bigger; gives you lots of extra space so your parts are less likely to break in the first place, more cooling through bigger size, more distance between electrical parts that a damage has to get across. Of course it's bigger and clunkier. But if I don't want to pay for small, nice, safe and expensive, I'd rather have big and ugly and safe and cheap than small, nice, cheap and dangerous.

 

[cdmoore74]

If Apple chargers and cables are such high quality why are people complaining about them breaking down?

 

[SchneiderMan]

You get what you pay for?

 

[gnasher729]

By far, the worst I have at my home, is a genuine Samsung charger form a Galaxy Nexus.

IDK if it's safe or not, but it makes a very-high pitch noise when charging.

I couldn't sleep, I couldn't find the noise in my bedroom, until I found it was the charger that started whining when I charged my phone.

Yuck!

Clearly defective, so take it back to the store and ask for a new one. A charger making noise that stops you from sleeping is defective.

 

[DanneSAndin]

Awesome post! I my self have been planning to get one of those Apple chargers!

 

[gnasher729]

What do you guys think about the Poweslayer?
http://web.velvetwire.com

What I said, by making it big, it's much easier to make it safe.

HOWEVER the design makes it impossible to plug in two to charge two devices side by side. Or to plug in one, and plug in anything to another wall socket close by.

If Apple chargers and cables are such high quality why are people complaining about them breaking down?

Because they survive. Dead people don't complain.

 

[Menel]

Worth saying, in case any confused, not all lower priced chargers are that bad.

The article is strictly talking an eBay counterfeits.

Chargers from retail store brands (Belkin, Scosche, Griffin) should have similar protections and real NRTL approval listing.

Even easier, stick with Apple MFi certified partners.

 

[Menel]

What do you guys think about the Poweslayer?
http://web.velvetwire.com

The kickstarter video says their entire supply chain is in the San Francisco Bay Area. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/powerslayer/powerslayer-a-revolution-in-charging

Apple sure seems to *talk* a lot about "Made in America", but these guys seem to be actually doing something concrete about it. Why is it that these guys can build a piece of gorgeously designed high-tech electronics in one of the most expensive regions of the country, while all Apple can seem to do is slide an aluminum tube on top of a Chinese-assembled Mac Pro down somewhere in Bumf*ck, Texas?

Ridiculously silly

Exterior
The organic form fits naturally in the palm of your hand. A latticed design, in neutral and expressive colors, complements any environment.

Seriously? For a wall wart? Seems more joke than real product.

They claim UL approval, so it should be adequately safe, in context of the OP article. And I assume they're factory is getting proper and regular inspections that comes with that approval.

How do they do it in the USA?
1. They charge a premium, its 33% more expensive than an Apple charger
2. They're staff is likely extraordinarily slim. They haven't experienced the need for legal/HR/insurance glut a 20,000+ Corp has to fund. So they can tolerate slimmer product margins.
3. They, like many startups may be operating in the red, off of venture capitalist funding to build their brand.
4. They are only making a handful. Not 30million a month requiring a 400,000 population manufacturing campus/city living around and dedicated to building massive quantities.

 

[RightMACatU]

life and death

Indeed... All comes down to a $16 decision ($19 vs $3)
Seriously, at $3 it just screams garbage.

 

[ElTorro]

Perhaps if Apple charged a fair price instead of trying to squeeze every last penny out of their users, people wouldn't go for the knock-offs.

 

[output555]

Personal experience

I bought my 87-year old mother an iPad Air for Christmas. Unfortunately, I gave her a counterfeit cable cable to use with it along with the supplied Apple cable. Last week she showed me the counterfeit cable: It had completely melted where the wire and plug connect. She said it suddenly started sparking then burst into a flame while it was charging on her nightstand. Had she been asleep or away, it could have burned down her apartment. Very scary.

 

[DTphonehome]

What do you guys think about the Poweslayer?
http://web.velvetwire.com

The kickstarter video says their entire supply chain is in the San Francisco Bay Area. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/powerslayer/powerslayer-a-revolution-in-charging

Apple sure seems to *talk* a lot about "Made in America", but these guys seem to be actually doing something concrete about it. Why is it that these guys can build a piece of gorgeously designed high-tech electronics in one of the most expensive regions of the country, while all Apple can seem to do is slide an aluminum tube on top of a Chinese-assembled Mac Pro down somewhere in Bumf*ck, Texas?

That usb power adaptor is $40. If Apple sold them at that price people would scream bloody murder. You can get high-quality usb chargers for less than $20. So you can tout the advantages of a socially-conscious usb charger all you like, at $40 there's not many people buying them.