How to determine the original iPhone cable. How to distinguish an original Lightning cable from a Chinese counterfeit

Apple data cables are special devices that can be used to connect a mobile phone to a computer or laptop. Through a data cable, media files are loaded into the phone and information is transferred from the phone to a computer device.

Apple data cables are equipped with two types of connectors: USB Type A male and Lightning. The metal tips are carefully pressed into the plastic casing, there are no gaps. There are small trapezoidal joints visible on the opposite side of the gold-plated connectors, but all components fit very tightly together. The branded connector has dimensions from 7.7 to 12 mm.

Where to buy Apple data cables?

You can buy original Apple data cables at an affordable price in the Eldorado online store. Orders are placed and tracked through the personal account of a registered user of the site. Delivery of goods is possible in Moscow and other cities of Russia.

There are known cases of overheating and fire of smartphones that were recharged using cheap cords from Chinese manufacturers. It also often happened that a low-quality Lightning cable did not allow devices to be synchronized. To avoid problems, it is better not to skimp on purchasing a cord.

And here the question arises: how to distinguish an original branded “Apple” product from a copy? To do this, when choosing an accessory, pay attention to the following details:

Price of the original Lightning cable

The original Lightning cable is not cheap. Depending on retail chains and regions, the cost of the cable varies from $19 to $35.

A little about quality

Many owners of iOS devices have encountered the problem of Apple branded cables - the insulation of the accessory begins to tear even with careful use after just a few months.

Fortunately, Apple listened to users and, starting in late 2015, the Lightning cable comes with improved insulation strength characteristics. The new cable is more rigid with a slightly rougher surface of the insulating material.

Packaging of the original Lightning cable

The original Lightning cable is sold in a box. The packaging must be made of high-quality cardboard and have impeccable printing. The box is protected from tampering by a plastic tag with an orange end.

The company’s branded cords must bear the inscription “ Designed by Apple in California" And " Assembled in China"(or "Assembled in Vietnam", "Indústria Brasileira"). There should be a 12-digit serial number nearby. The inscriptions are located at a distance of about 15 centimeters from the USB connector. In low light conditions, you may not even notice them; they are painted in light gray. If the inscriptions are too bright, this is a sign of a fake.

Lightning connector

There are three main signs by which you can distinguish an original from a fake. Firstly, the contacts of the Lightning connector on a branded cord will be solid, smooth and rounded, while on a counterfeit one they will be heterogeneous and rough. Secondly, the width and length of the plug of the original accessory are always the same - 7.7 mm and 12 mm, respectively. Thirdly, the metal element of the tip in the branded cable is gray, while in copies it is white or black.

USB connector

Here we have four distinctive features. The joints of the original plug are trapezoidal. In the original accessory, the connector contacts are gold-plated. The surface of the tip of the branded cable is flat and smooth, which is almost never found in fakes. Inside the original connector you can see a uniform back wall, while a counterfeit one will usually have extra holes and grooves.

Naturally, as an alternative, you can always use ones created by third-party manufacturers under the MFI (Made For iPhone) license, including Chinese ones.

In the Celestial Empire, they copy not only Apple products, but also their accessories, passing them off as original, but selling them at a lower price, thereby attracting customers. The most popular accessory for iPhone/iPad is, of course, the Lightning cable, which tends to get lost, break and tear at kinks. In your search for the cheapest option, you may stumble upon a counterfeit masquerading as the original. And the use of non-original accessories can result in the failure of the iOS device for the owner. In this article we will tell you, how to distinguish an original Lightning cable from a Chinese counterfeit. So, let's go.

• The first thing you should pay attention to is the packaging in which the cord itself is located. The original version involves packaging made of thick, high-quality cardboard with high-quality printing on it. On the top of the box, as a rule, there remains a “hanger” by which it was hung in the store. If you turn the box over, you will find a sticker with the batch number and device characteristics written on it.
• Next, look at the text on the cable. The original version assumes the presence of a serial number and the inscription on the cable “Designed by Apple in California, Assembled in China” (“Designed by Apple in California, assembled in China”). Sometimes the cable markings may not be indicated.

Naturally, the Chinese could not miss this, but their version is somewhat different. The text on the original is gray; higher quality printing is used. On the fake, the text is bolder and has a dark gray color.

• Now we examine the Lightning cable plug itself. The original is made of solid monolithic metal; the fake has several composite metal elements. Plus, the plug itself in the original version is very carefully inserted into a plastic case; a fake may have unevenness and gaps.

• The size of the original version of the Lightning connector is 7.7 x 12 mm.
• Next, we examine the contacts in more detail. In the original Apple product, they almost do not protrude on the surface, have a rounded shape at the ends, and the plate on which they are located is gray. Non-certified cords may have deviations in both shape and color.

• Now let's turn our attention to the USB plug. Here are a few characteristics that distinguish the original from a Chinese counterfeit: the USB emblem is light gray in high-quality application (the fake has a dark gray color), on the side with the emblem the plug has only two holes (the fake may have more). On the reverse side the joints are visible, but they are very tight, plus they are trapezoidal and located at the same distance from each other. Also pay attention to the surface of the metal plug - it should be smooth, without roughness. There should be no holes inside the plug.

We won’t talk about the importance of using the original cable when charging and synchronizing your phone, but we will show you in detail how to distinguish the original from a fake, with photo tips. Chinese craftsmen have learned to make high-quality fakes, but they only look like the original on the outside, and use low-quality parts inside. The first three points are the most important, give them due attention. The rest are the differences between the original and the low-quality fake.

How to distinguish an original lightning cable from a fake

• If you buy a cable separately, it must be in original packaging with a sticker with the number and characteristics. Pay attention to the tongue - by which the box is hung in the display case. In the original it is made as a separate element and made of transparent plastic; in the fakes it is made as a packaging element.

The lot number is 5T3381227, written on the new box - 97% of this is a fake. The cable in boxes with the number 5T5247500 should be checked more carefully.

• The instructions and the original warranty card are attached with glue. In counterfeit metal clips.

Number on the left, letter on the right.

1. The fake cable does not have the California Assembled in...
2. The pins on the phone side and on the charger side are not gold-plated. The original has gold colored pins.
3. On a fake, the cable appears heterogeneous, as if it consists of many parts.
4. Pay attention to the shape of the plug.

Video review with a lightning cable test using special equipment. For testing, wires were purchased from famous electronics hypermarkets. There are practically no external comparisons, but a lot is touched upon in the video about the filling.

How to distinguish an original charger

While a good copy of the original cable can still be used with almost no fear for the battery or the phone itself, using a counterfeit charger can lead to fatal consequences, including fire and explosion of the phone. How can you be sure that your iPhone charger is original?

• Number on the package. Chinese counterfeits are mostly produced with this number - 5T3387422. It's better not to buy such a charger. Also compare the charger's production date (4th digit in the product serial number) with the date indicated on the packaging (3rd digit in the code is the year of production).

• Inspect the plug; in the original, both pins are directed inward, as if towards each other; in the fake charger, they are either parallel or directed in different directions.

• The simplest and most effective method is to use a magnet. Take a magnet and bring it to the charger you are testing, to the USB connector. If the magnet sticks to the charger, this is a fake. The magnet does not stick to the original.
• This charger weighs about 27 (±0.15) grams. It is difficult to check, but if possible, check the weight of the device.
• The serial number in the depth of the USB connector in the original consists of 17 characters. In a fake it is either missing or has fewer characters. The location of the room is exactly as in the photo below:

When your iPhone cable breaks down, and sooner or later it will, you'll have to find a replacement. You can choose one of the cables, you can buy an original cable from Apple, or you can buy a Chinese cable, which we, of course, do not recommend you do. But how can you be sure that you bought the original cable and not a Chinese counterfeit? We will try to help with this.

I think you don’t need to explain why it is not recommended to use Chinese cables to charge your iPhone. In the best case, it will break itself quickly enough without harm to your smartphone. In the worst case, by skimping on accessories, you can render your expensive gadget unusable.

Pay attention to the cost and packaging of your cable. You will find the MFi logo on the packaging of third party cables. Of course, nothing prevents you from using the same emblem on packaging of non-original cables, and here common sense comes into play. Remember that you cannot buy a good quality cable for 200-300 rubles or less.

As for original cables from Apple, they must bear the inscription “Designed by Apple in California”, as well as “Assembled in China”, “Assembled in Vietnam” or “Indústria Brasileira”. After this inscription on the original cable you will find a 12-digit serial number. You will find all this text on the original cable at a distance of about 18 centimeters from the connector.

You can also check the Lightning connector. First of all, you must make sure that everything is done with sufficient quality.

You can check the USB connector in the same way. I'm sure you can understand what quality things should look like.