Apple annoyed a lot of people when it switched to the Lightning Cable for the iPhone 5 and its newer devices. Not only did everyone need to snag the new cable, but all devices that used the old 30-pin cable would need an adapter. And buying new things, means spending money.
To avoid shelling out 20 bucks for the cheapest Apple-made Lightning to USB Cable, people opted for cheaper, Apple knock-offs. But Apple warns that these pretenders could really cause your device some damage. Here’s how to detect fake Lightning cables and accessories.
How to identify fake Lightning cable and Lightning connector accessories
From Apple: If you use a counterfeit or uncertified Lightning accessory, you could see these issues:
- Your iOS device could become damaged
- The cable might be easily damaged
- The connector end might fall off, get very hot, or might not fit properly into your device
- You might not be able to sync or charge your device
Obviously you don’t want any of these things to happen, so Apple has provided a help list of images and notes to inform users about uncertified and counterfeit cables and accessories.
How to spot a fake, non-certified Lightning to 30-pin Adapter
How to spot a fake, non-certified Lightning to Micro-USB Adapter
These are just a few examples Apple provides; and while these new warnings could be seen as Apple fear-mongering, saving ten or twelve bucks really isn’t worth the risk of damaging a $600 device. There are still places to get cheaper, certified alternatives for your Lightning Cable, like this cable from Amazon. Just make sure your products are certified and use the Apple Support page as reference.
