Apple certified cables. How to choose a high-quality, inexpensive Lightning cable for charging iPhone and iPad

Earlier this month, Apple sued Amazon.com for selling counterfeit Apple products - specifically, unauthorized third-party Lightning cables and power adapters obtained from Mobile Star LLC - on its website.

Apple purchased a number of third-party Apple-branded adapters that were sold directly on Amazon.com and determined that nearly 90% of these products were counterfeit. According to the complaint, these counterfeit power adapters pose an "imminent threat to consumer safety" because they are susceptible to "overheating, fire, and fatal electrical shock to consumers during normal use."

But not all third-party Lightning cables and power adapters are fake or likely to explode; after all, Apple licenses third-party companies to make MFi-certified accessories.

Here are some tips on how to find out if it's fake. lightning cable, which you purchased on eBay or certified.

Are you MFi certified?

Apple is launching a licensing program that allows third-party companies to produce Apple-approved accessories.

Since Apple charges fees for each MFi (Made for iPod/iPhone/iPad) certified accessory of approximately $4 per connector, these accessories tend to be more expensive. If the cable was purchased for less than $4, it is likely not a licensed accessory from a third party accessory manufacturer.

What does the connector look like?

A counterfeit Lightning cable is unlikely to explode, no matter how well made it is. Most likely, the problem with a fake Lightning cable is that it won't charge the device (or it will charge the device very slowly), but there is also a risk of damage to the device from a poor charging process.

For this reason, Apple has created an entire page dedicated to identifying counterfeit cables. The easiest way to see if a cable is fake at one glance is to check the Lightning connector. Certified Lightning connectors are made from a single piece of smooth metal with rounded corners on the white part.

The USB connector can also tell you whether the product is Apple certified or counterfeit.

Where to buy MFi-certified cables on the cheap.

Apple products may have issues with many third-party products on Amazon.com, but Amazon actually sells its own MFi-certified Lightning cables in several lengths. A meter cable costs $6, and a 2-meter cable costs $8. Other MFi-certified manufacturers include Belkin, Griffin, Moshi and Ventev Mobile.

It’s not for us to tell owners of iOS devices about the unreliability of the supplied lightning cables. And six months is enough for the rubber winding to wear out, and the cable itself requires replacement. An additional battery, an analogue of MagSafe, an indestructible cable - the editors of McRadar have put together for you 5 alternative options that are superior to Apple Lightning to USB.

ZNAPS

For a long time, the appearance of magnetic charging, like in the MacBook, remained an object of desire and discussion among iPhone and iPad users. While MagSafe, introduced back in 2006, is gradually disappearing from MacBook cases, the guys from Znaps have presented an alternative implementation for iOS devices. The project is still raising money on Kickstarter, but even 23 days before the end of the campaign, the team of creators had at their disposal an amount that was 10 times greater than the original one.

A set of adapters for the iPhone cable and port costs $9, and to function, you only need to attach them once to the intended objects. Znaps can both charge the phone and synchronize it, and the adapter-plug for the lightning port does not interfere with the use of cases and bumpers. The first orders are expected to be delivered this fall.

Anker Lightning to USB Cable

The editors of the eminent blog Engadget expressed their opinion on choosing the best lightning cable. During extensive testing, engineers measured the “bandwidth speed” of 50 cables and declared the inexpensive Anker Lightning to USB the winner.

It is protected from refractions near the connector by a plastic casing, and when connecting the iPad Air to a 12-watt adapter, the tablet receives the reference 2.4 amperes necessary for fast charging. At the same time, Anker Lightning to USB is half the price of the supplied Apple cable, and the only reason to refuse the purchase is the massiveness of the plastic part of the connector. If you have a case with a small charging socket, this cable is not for you.

JUMP Cable

Native Union has created many interesting and functional accessories for gadgets, but JUMP is the most practical of them. This result of a successful crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter has been on sale for more than a year and replaces three gadgets at once.

JUMP is a cable, plastic case and battery for emergency use. Its fabric winding protects against creases, and the built-in 800 mAh battery comes in handy in moments when there is no outlet or laptop at hand for full charging. Auto-charging is another interesting feature of the new product, which automatically detects when the gadget is charged and transfers power to the batteries built into the plastic case.

Spring Lightning

If you are looking for a literally eternal cable for your iPhone or iPad, pay attention to MOS Spring Lightning. The manufacturer gives a lifetime warranty on it, which means there is no need to doubt its reliability.

The plastic elements of the connectors were replaced with aluminum ones, the cables near them were prevented from kinking with metal springs, and protection along the entire length was provided with a special exoskeleton winding. What can I say, this is the most durable and beautiful cable in the selection.

MemoriesCable

If cables with a built-in battery don't surprise you anymore, then PhotoFast MemoriesCable will try to do it with 128 GB of additional memory. In addition to this, it is compact and the connectors use metal instead of plastic.

The cable has one drawback, and it is obvious: to use additional gigabytes of memory, you need a media harvester application. Listening to music, watching movies and even photos is done in this application. However, there are advantages to a proprietary solution. PhotoFast encrypts files, synchronizes photos from social networks, supports cloud storage, and backs up data at night while charging.

Hello everyone, reviews of micro usb cables can be seen on music almost every day, which cannot be said about lightning, I decided to correct this issue and do a small comparative test of eight cables from different brands.
For testing I chose as certified Mfi The cables are simple and do not have a certificate.

First, a little theory.

I think everyone in their life has been faced with the fact that after a certain amount of time there was a need to replace the standard cable. The reason could be damage to the old one, loss, etc. Owners of Android devices do not have any big problems with choosing a new cable, both in terms of selecting a model/brand and financially. The price of a more or less high-quality cable for Android ranges from 1 to 4 dollars.
But not everything is so simple when choosing a cable for Apple products. There are both expensive certified ones on the market and simple ones for half a buck - not certified ones. What's the difference?
The rights to the Lightning connector belong to Apple; third-party manufacturers cannot produce products with this connector without a license. Especially for this, the Mfi program (Made for iPod, Made for iPhone, Made for iPad) was announced in 2005, i.e. "Manufactured for iPhone, iPod." By seeing the MFi mark on your headphones or cable, you can be sure that the pinout of these accessories is done absolutely correctly and the device will work as expected. The cost of licensing fees for each Lightning connector is $4, which means that in theory, an MFi certified cable cannot cost less than $4 .
This is all clear, but how can you prove that the cable is truly certified? What prevents any unscrupulous manufacturer from simply applying a sign "Mfi" on products and sell them under the guise of being certified? But the point is that every Mfi cable contains a chip with a unique code sewn into it. The code must be present in the database. Thanks to this code, the device recognizes the cable as certified and operates in normal mode - charging/data transfer.
Non-certified cables do not have a chip in the connector, but Chinese manufacturers have learned to bypass this protection. Such cables can work normally for a year or just 1 day. Most often, after updating iOS, the cables stop charging and a warning is displayed that an uncertified accessory is connected.

Let's move on from theory to testing participants.

Heroes of the review:

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7. Original cable from Apple (included with the device)
8.

Pushingbest 1m/2A






The cable is from a little-known manufacturer, nylon with braiding, the only one of those reviewed that came without any packaging. The connectors have metal inserts that are poorly glued; one of them has come off. The cable is the thickest of all that have been tested, it is rigid, the actual length (excluding connectors) is 92 cm, while the stated length is 100 cm. Not certified, no warnings popped up when charging the iPad.

CRDCsmart 1.2m/2A/Mfi






The cable is braided, fabric, connectors are made entirely of metal. The manufacturer claims that it is certified, but for some reason I couldn’t find it in the Apple MFi database, maybe I didn’t look well (. The iPad charges without problems, there were no warnings about a non-certified cable.

Choetech 1m/2.4A Mfi






I think we all already know this brand for their cheap micro usb cables, which cannot be said about lightning. The price was a little more than $6, which is the average for MFI. As for the cable itself, it’s the toughest I’ve ever had. This cable can be used to cut logs)). The top is covered with mesh, it bends well and retains its shape, I think there is a screen inside. The MFI cable is also present in the Apple database.

Mcdodo 1m/2.4A Silver Mfi






Mcdodo 1m/2.4A Silver Mfi - most similar to original cable from Apple, but this is not a complete copy of it. The thickness and shape of the connectors is similar to the Apple original, but is inferior in flexibility. The connectors are metal and have brand logos.

Mcdodo 1m/2.1A Gray






Not certified cable from mcdodo in a rag braid, pleasant to the touch, flexible. Metal connectors with plastic inserts.

Original cable from Apple (included with the iPad)






The original cable from Apple, after a year of active use, has been stripped down to its metal braid, but still performs its function.

ORICO 23 cm White 4 in 1






A universal cable from Orico, a kind of travel cable that you can carry with you. Does not have a certificate; when charging Apple devices, a message about not being used was sometimes displayed. certified accessory.

Cable from Zapals 3 in 1






The three-headed spare lanyard was received for free during the days of daily freebies. The quality is poor, there are burrs and casting irregularities. The lightning cable does not have a certificate, specifications not impressive.

Testing

The test bench was presented with an Orico QSE-5U charger, testers from Juwei, a USB load (with smooth adjustment) and a board for connecting cables. In order to minimize losses, I soldered the board and load directly to the tester.



In the first test, I compared the voltage drop at a current of 1A. Without a cable, the voltage was 5.12V. The results obtained during testing of the cables themselves were compiled into a general table.
The best values ​​were shown by specimens with MFI; the spare cable refused to work at all.

The next test is similar to the first, only the current was increased to 2 amperes. The leadership of cables with MFI has remained here as well. I don’t know why, but the spare cable didn’t want to work here either.



And finally, I tested the cables directly in the field, i.e. when charging a device from Apple, namely the 2013 iPad Air. Through the native cable, the iPad took 1.97A, I expected more, perhaps such a low value is due to the fact that the cable is no longer the first freshness. Cables with MFI turned out to be the best in this test, but in fairness I want to note that Mcdodo without MFI and Pushingbest without MFI showed not bad values, they coped with 2A. The cables from the stock and Orico did not allow more than 1A through.

Are all Lightning cables the same? Why can wire prices vary several times? Which cable is better to buy? Experts decided to answer these questions with practical examples and experiments. The study focuses on ordinary consumers who are familiar with physics as part of the school curriculum. But the test results may also be of interest to advanced users.

Someday you will encounter the fact that your original Lightning cable, with frequent use, will tear near the Lightning connector. Nothing personal just business. And an accessories business can be very profitable. What could be easier than buying the same original Apple cable as a replacement? You go to a store or a store’s website and see that an Apple cable costs from 1,200 rubles (in an official American store, 19 dollars). This price will make someone wonder why a piece of wire costs so much? At the same time, there are dozens of Lightning cables nearby from other manufacturers, both famous and anonymous, costing from 150 rubles to several thousand. There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of manufacturers that produce such cables under different brands. Fans of Chinese shopping will find that all major Chinese sites offer Lightning cables from 50 cents per kilogram each. There are hundreds of options. And there is no end to the offers of “100% New Original Genuine Real Authentic Apple Lightning” in a box with all the stickers starting at $3 each. And what to choose?

Both certified and non-certified cables are available for sale. Moreover, the market is full of counterfeits of the most popular brands (for example, Apple, Belkin, etc.). There is one more caveat with non-certified Lightning cables. The Lightning connector has an authentication chip built into it, with which Apple is trying to combat uncertified accessories. Previously, you could encounter the fact that the cable stopped working after updating iOS; the device reported an uncertified accessory. But Chinese manufacturers have long learned to get around this “problem”; such messages have become rare.

Original cable from Apple (MFi)

Everyone is familiar with this cable. The cable is thin, medium rigidity. Length 1 meter. Let's call it "Apple". A small recommendation for purchasing this cable. This is the most counterfeited Lightning cable. Sellers on eBay will be happy to sell you such a cable for $3 in original packaging, considering that it costs $19 in the official Apple store. You should only buy such a cable from an authorized store to reduce the risk of buying a counterfeit.

Original cable from Apple after a couple of years of active use (MFi)

Without a broken cable, the test will be incomplete. This picture was highlighted by many consumers of Apple products. The cable is absolutely working, but it doesn't look very nice. The test will show whether the characteristics of the damaged cable change. Let's call it "Apple U".

One of the cheapest cables from Aliexpress

This cable was purchased on Aliexpress for $0.67. It had a couple of tens of thousands of sales and a rating above 96%. By the time the article was published, the lot had been removed from the site (but there are plenty of similar lots). The cable is flat, very thin, even translucent. There are burrs on the plastic case. There are different colors. Length 1 meter. We'll call it "Red".

KALUOS cable (MFi)

This cable is sold literally everywhere. It is present on all major trading platforms, even in popular and reputable non-Chinese online stores. It's cheap, about 3 dollars. The appearance and quality are simply amazing. A thick medium-hard cable, nylon braid, aluminum connector housing - when you pick it up, you get the feeling of a very high-quality and expensive product that you want to use. There are two colors: silver and gold. And two lengths. Something strange has arisen with MFi certification. MFi logos are indicated and displayed everywhere, but this brand is not in the Apple database. We will call this cable “KALUOS”.

Belkin Cable (MFi)

The main problem with this cable is the huge number of fakes. Because The brand is incredibly popular, this cable has come under attack from an army of fakes. It is very difficult to distinguish the original from the fake (even the packaging is completely copied). Our prices range from 500 rubles to several thousand. On different trading platforms from 2 dollars. From reputable online stores from $10. In the official store 19 dollars. It's $4 on eBay. Everything came in original packaging. The seller swore that the cable was original from Belkin. The cable is thick, medium hard. Length 1.2 meters. The Lightning connector is the same as on MFi cables (cheap cables usually have a different connector). Considering the price, there is no doubt that this is a fake cable.

Lemfo (MFi) cable

The MFi certified cable is in the Apple database. And not just certified, but a complete copy of the original cable from Apple (the company provides a template). You can distinguish it from the original Apple cable only by the lemfo logo and the absence of the inscription “Designed by Apple...” on the cable itself. The same thickness, the same rigidity, the same connectors, no differences. Length 1 meter. It costs $10 on JD. The cable is sold in many other stores, for example, it costs $8 on Amazon. Let's call it "Lemfo".

Cable from YourCharger

Length 2 meters. The cable is thick and very flexible. You can only buy it on eBay for $8. White color and different lengths are also available there, up to 5 meters. This cable is for charging only (all wires inside are for power only), and you cannot sync data with it. We'll call it "YourCharger".

SNOWKIDS cable (MFi)

Certified cable, present in the Apple database. The cable is thick, medium hard. The connectors are massive. Length 1.3 meters. In your hands it creates the feeling of a quality product. On JD – 10 dollars. In China, you can buy it locally for $6. The kit includes Velcro for cable management. Let's call him "Snowkids".

Nillkin cable

The brand is popular. Thousands of sales on many sites and a 100% customer rating. On the Aliexpress site it will cost 4.5 dollars. High-quality packaging with a secret code to verify originality (like Xiaomi). The cable is flat, thick and flexible. There are small burrs on the connectors, but in the hands it gives the feeling of a very high-quality product. Cable length 1.2 meters. The cable has a strap for cable management. Available in different colors. The cable does not have MFi certification, this is not written anywhere and there is no brand on the database. Let's call him "Nillkin".

Triple cable

Unnamed cable, 23 cm. Triple - microUSB, Lightning, Apple 30-pin. Fabric braid. Medium thickness, flexible. Let's call it "Triple".

ESK cable (MFi)

MFi certified cable, present in the Apple database. But there are no labels or logos on the cable itself. A complete copy of the original cable from Apple (made according to a template). It is impossible to distinguish, only by the absence of the inscription “Designed by Apple...” on the cable itself. Length 1 meter. You can find $10 on JD. Let's call it "ESK".

Biaze (MFi) cable

This cable costs $6 on Aliexpress. Sold without a name, just “MFi certified cable”, there were “confirmation” photos. Buyer rating 100%. Upon receipt, the Biaze logo was found on the cable. This brand is not in the Apple database. At first glance, it may seem that this is a 100% copy of the original Apple cable (made according to the template), but upon comparison it turned out that the Biaze cable is thinner. Cable length 1 meter. Let's call it "Biaze".

Just a cheap cable #1

This cable sells for $0.62 on Aliexpress. The main task was to find the cheapest cable that is similar to the Apple cable. The most popular Lightning cable on Aliexpress - more than forty thousand sales, customer rating above 95%. Not a cable, but a dream. It's similar to the Apple cable, but the differences are immediately noticeable. The connectors are different in detail, the cable itself is thinner. Cable length 1 meter. We'll call it "Fake 1".

Just a cheap cable #2

This cable can be bought in Moscow for 200 rubles. They were looking for the cheapest cable offline: “Give me the cheapest cable to charge my iPhone.” It's similar to the Apple cable, but the differences are immediately noticeable. The connectors are different in detail, the cable itself is thinner. Cable length 1 meter. We'll call it "Fake 2".

Long cheap cable

I bought this cable a long time ago for $1 on eBay. Cable length 2 meters. This cable and YourCharger are the longest in the review. The cable is similar to the Apple cable, but the differences are immediately visible. The connectors are different in detail, the cable itself is thinner. Let's call it "Fake 3".

LG micro-USB cable and Lightning adapter

The cable from LG, according to experience, is one of the best micro-USB cables. There are many different adapters (including certified ones). In this review we will use the cheapest non-certified adapter for $0.5. We will call the cable “LG”.

Experiment

As part of the experiment, we used Charger Tronsmart TS-UC5PC. Using a load module (dissipation power 10 W), the output power of the cables was checked. The test results showed which cables have lower overall resistance (the wires themselves, connectors, soldering).

• Apple: 4.52 V, 1.69 A, 7.64 W.
• Apple U: 4.41 V, 1.65 A, 7.26 W.
• RED: 3.6 V, 1.34 A, 4.82 W.
• Belkin: 4.18 V, 1.57 A, 6.56 W.
• YourCharger: 4.29 V, 1.6 A, 6.86 W.
• Nillkin: 4.40 V, 1.64 A, 7.22 W.
• Lemfo: 4.54 V, 1.69 A, 7.67 W.
• KALUOS: 3.95 V, 1.47 A, 5.8 W.
• Biaze: 4.21 V, 1.57 A, 6.60 W.
• Snowkids: 4.61 V, 1.72 A, 7.93 W.
• Fake 3: 3.2 V, 1.19 A, 3.81 W.
• Triple: 4.51 V, 1.68 A, 7.58 W.
• ESK: 4.20 V, 1.56 A, 6.55 W.
• Fake 1: 3.69 V, 1.37 A, 5.06 W.
• Fake 2: 4.09 V, 1.52 A, 6.22 W.
• LG: 4.38 V, 1.63 A, 7.14 W.

Snowkids turned out to be the undisputed leader, he has minimum resistance of those tested:

Z Current measurements when charging iPad

Only 4 cables out of 16 provide a current of 2.01 A. All the rest do not allow the iPad to consume maximum current. What does it mean? Roughly speaking, then, for example, with a RED cable your iPad will charge 2.25 times longer than with cables: Apple, Lemfo, Snowkids.

conclusions

From the test, only 4 cables out of 16 provide the maximum current for the iPad mini: Apple (MFi), Snowkids (MFi), Lemfo (MFi), triple cable. Does the presence of the MFi logo guarantee that you will receive the best quality cable that will charge your device at the maximum amperage? It doesn’t guarantee, but the chances of purchasing a high-quality cable increase.

Does lack of MFi certification guarantee charging or data transfer issues? Absolutely all cables in the review charged iPad and iPhone with iOS 9.2 without any problems, without any reports of uncertified accessories. Absolutely all cables from the review provided connection to a personal computer for data transfer without warning.

If you need a cable and are ready to easily part with 1,500 rubles, then calmly buy an original Apple cable at any authorized store. You will get excellent quality (for a couple of years until it breaks again) without compromise.

If you want to buy a cheaper cable, then the general recommendations for purchase are as follows: the packaging should contain the MFi logo (Made for iPod, Made for iPhone, Made for iPad); make sure that the brand is in the Apple database; the cable should cost more than $5 (including royalties and quality components).

The Snowkids cable is the absolute leader in the review. It surpassed all cables in the review, including the original cable from Apple, in terms of measured characteristics. With this cable you can charge any Apple device with maximum output power, and with an adapter you can easily charge any device without significant losses.

The Lightning cable replaced the previous 30-pin connector in 2012. Since then, most Apple wearable gadgets have been connected via an 8-pin USB Lightning cable.

What is the main difference? Lightning is an entirely digital connector and does not carry an analog signal. A practical bonus: the cable has become symmetrical - it can be connected to either side. It's comfortable.

Apple devices most often come with a native, original Lightning to USB cable marked .

Good cable - long and flexible

Textile or leather braid options are elastic enough not to burst. They are less prone to tangling and are a good choice for longer cable options.
If you need a long cable, take a closer look at the 1.8 meter long nylon option - this material is both flexible and durable.

Multi-layer protection

When nylon braid is not enough, additional layers of PVC, EMI and Kevlar fiber come into play. The cable from .

It is important that the additional protection does not affect the thickness of the cable - cables that are too thick are more at risk of breaking in a pocket.

Like Apple, only Belkin

The cables are as close in characteristics as possible to the original Lightning cable from Apple, while offering various colors and a more wear-resistant design.

It is important to purchase only real products; counterfeits cannot boast of MFi certification.

Connectors are important

Lightning cables often break at the base of the short attachment. The transition to the cable should be flexible, and it is better to choose stronger USB and Lightning connectors themselves.