![]() (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto/Getty Images/FILE It’s not as cheap or as convenient in the short term, but it might end up saving you money and grief in the end.Lightning cable and Apple logo on iPhone are seen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on September 25, 2021. ![]() ![]() ![]() Likewise, you can avoid fake cables by buying from the Apple Store or sticking with high-end brands like Anker or Belkin. You can avoid trouble by going straight to the company’s site by typing its address into a browser. The best way to avoid being phished is to treat all emails as suspicious, and never click on any link. In the end, it’s easier to go back to that phishing analogy. Say what you want about the longevity of Apple’s own cables, but they look great when they’re new. After all, it they could be bothered to make a perfect fake, why not just make a decent cable? You should look for blurry laser etching on the Lightning connector itself shoddy, rough surfaces instead of smooth ones odd colors, and generally non-beautiful elements. Usually it comes down to a lack of care when making the copy. There are several common signs that betray a fake Lightning cable or adapter. Fakes often have different-shaped interlocks, and may have silver-plated contacts or a rough surface. These interlocks look like tiny jigsaw-puzzle lugs, and are evenly spaced. On the big USB end, you should look for gold contacts, a smooth surface, and trapezoid interlocks where the metal casing wraps around and joins to itself. The faceplate should be made of gray metal, not black or white.Īlso check the plastic “boot,” the part that sits between the Lightning connector and the cable. Also, make sure the plastic surrounding the contacts is neat, and flush with both the contacts and the surrounding metal of the connector. Things to look for in a counterfeit Lightning cable include contacts that are misshapen, squared off, bulging or generally untidy. It’s actually pretty easy to spot a fake: Nice job, Chinese knockoff merchants. We all know what the genuine article looks like, because they come in the box with every new iPhone or iPad. Take a look at Apple’s showcase of bad Lightning connectors. It took me a minute or so to find it on a legit Apple cable. You’ll need to stand by a window or other bright light source to spot this, because the writing is tiny, and set in pale gray on white. A a 12-digit serial number should follow. On an Apple-manufactured cable (like the one that comes in the box with your iPhone), you should find “Designed by Apple in California,” along with one of the following: “Assembled in China,” “Assembled in Vietnam” or “Indústria Brasileira.” This writing should appear around 7 inches from the USB end, on the cable sheath itself. Packaging and writing on a legit Lightning cableĪpple says that an official MFi cable “often” has company branding on the Lightning-connector end of the cable. In the case of cables, several tells can help you spot a fake. We look for telltale markers that reveal the email as a scam. We’ve been trained to inspect emails from our banks, insurance companies, and so on. The idea, then, is to approach any unknown cable as you would a dodgy email. Apple has a page showing the official markings on an MFi cable, but those can be faked, too, although its a riskier proposition for the manufacturer, legality-wise. Like any kind of authentication, verifying that you have a genuine Made for iPhone (MFi) cable is something of an arms race. Fake Lightning cable arms race Apple’s guide to fake USB plugs.
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