High quality lightning cable. How to distinguish an original Lightning cable from a Chinese counterfeit

Wiring in a wooden house

Considering the huge number of fake Apple accessories that only partially work with the iPhone and iPad and often break, the method of identifying the branded one is very important. An official information has appeared on the company’s technical support website, telling how to distinguish an original Lightning cable from a fake.

The official cable in the Apple online store costs 1,500 rubles, but in stores located on a completely different side of the world, there is something very similar to what we need, but at the same time it has a five times lower price. We are talking about unofficial cords for iPhone and iPad, whose manufacturers pass them off as original products. The use of such accessories may result in damage to the electronic components of mobile devices or rapid failure of the product itself. It is not always easy to distinguish a fake, but any user can do it.

Packaging and text on the cable

If you received a cable in a package, then you should start studying there. The original box is made of thick cardboard with high-quality printing. At the bottom end there is a sticker with the characteristics of the accessory and the batch number. There is a plastic hanger glued to the top, which is used to hang the box in a store window.


Each Apple cable, in turn, has a serial number and the inscription “Designed by Apple in California, Assembled in China.” Of course, Chinese copies are also accompanied by an inscription and a serial number, but they look different. The text on the original cable is gray and printed with higher quality. The font on the fake is bolder and is painted with dark gray paint. It is worth noting that some branded Lightning cables do not have cable markings.


Lightning connector

Next, you should pay attention to the component elements of the accessory: each of them has features by which you can distinguish a fake. The original Lightning plug is solid - made of a single metal element. A fake connector consists of several parts. The metal tip of the original is very neatly pressed into the plastic casing, while the copy has noticeable gaps. The size of the proprietary connector is 7.7 x 12 mm; it may vary for copies.


Next you should study the contacts. On a certified cable, they are smooth and practically do not stand out above the surface of the connector; the boundaries of the contacts are round in shape. The metal contact itself is painted grey colour, fakes come in light and dark.


USB plug

The plastic housing of the USB plug has the USB logo on it. The original cable has a light gray paint applied very carefully. On the copy, the image is dark gray and has unclear borders.


The connector itself is also quite remarkable. The outer part of the original cable has only two holes on the side with the USB logo. A fake may contain four. It is also worth paying attention to the metal joints on the opposite side of the connector. They are visible, but in the original cable the parts fit very tightly together. In addition, the joints have a trapezoidal shape and are located at the same distance from the edges. The contacts themselves are gold plated.

The coating on the plug can give away the fake. The metal tip of the original cable has a smooth polish, while the unofficial one has a rough surface. If you look inside the convector, you can see the smooth rear part. The copy may have grooves and holes.

Dialogue in the Megafon office:

Woman: Do you have the original cable for my iPhone?

Salesman: There is no original, but why do you need it? Take this one for 450.

And he runs an ordinary white Chinese cable, which you can buy on Aliexpress for less than 100 rubles.

These cables are sold everywhere: in offices of cellular networks, at points of sale in shopping centers, in household appliances stores. But their prices are clearly inflated. What kind of business is this in Russian when the markup is 300-400%? Why overpay speculators?! Below I'll list some great alternatives to the original Apple cable.

The most common white cable

For a couple of bucks you can buy a regular cable that is most similar to the original one.

Bastec is another cheap option

We still don't go beyond $2. You can buy a cable from Bastec very cheaply.

Advantages:

  • looks nicer than a regular cable
  • several colors to choose from
  • several sizes to choose from (from 50 to 300 centimeters). The longer, the more expensive, but even the longest costs less than $5


Suntaiho - the Chinese are burning!

Nice cable option for under $2 again! In addition to the standard Suntaiho cable, this seller also sells a regular white cable for ridiculous money.


And this looks very much like a copy of Bastec. The Chinese don’t bother much - they copy each other... There are 4 color options, including glamorous pink. And the price is still the same - less than 2 dollars!

Let's move on to more expensive models.

Rock - MFI certified cable

If all previous cables were Chinese working crafts, then the Rock cable is officially certified by Apple. What does this give the user? 100% guarantee that Apple will not block this cable by any means using the operating system. It won’t block cheaper ones either, but still...

Well, accordingly, the quality and price of such a cable should be higher.


Another certified cable from Aukey. The creators did not invent anything, but made the cable similar to the original one.


Advice: Each purchase from Aliexpress is a separate package. Parcels arrive within 30-60 days. In the case of cables, I recommend not saving money and buying two different cables from two different sellers. It may be worth accepting in advance that one of the two cables will not suit you. If both work, then you will get an additional backup option for charging your iPhone and iPad.

I'm original myself apple cable I won't buy anymore. And it’s not even about the price of 1500, but about the quality of execution. Almost all Apple cables in my memory sooner or later broke the insulation near the base. That's why almost all my cables are wrapped with electrical tape. And this is not normal... Why encourage poor quality?!

Take care of yourself!)

You might be interested.

Someday you will encounter the fact that your original Lightning cable from Apple, 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 779 UAH (in an official American store, $19). 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 50 UAH to a couple of 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 package with all stickers from $3 apiece. And what to choose?

Lightning cable - what is specific?

Let's go from afar... The rights to the Lightning connector belong to Apple. Third-party manufacturers cannot legally simply produce a cable with such a connector and sell it in the future. To do this, you need to obtain MFi Manufacturing Licensees authorization from Apple by fulfilling a number of requirements. Moreover, the manufacturer must pay Apple $4 for each Lightning connector, i.e. cable. It turns out that a certified MFi (Made for iPod, Made for iPhone, Made for iPad) cable cannot cost less than $4.

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. We will definitely check this in the review.

In this review we will not be able to test all existing cables, there are hundreds or thousands of them. But it will be possible to get a rough picture of the market. Let’s also try to formulate a general approach to purchasing Lightning cables.

Our test subjects

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. I wouldn't be surprised if there are more counterfeits sold than original cables. 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). I came across a similar cable offline. 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".

We already encountered a similar cable in a previous review, then it was the CN4 micro-USB cable - one of the worst cables according to the test results.

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 is found in our online and offline stores. It's cheap, I bought it for $3. 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. I specifically took a cable with the maximum length - 1.5 meters. 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 200 UAH to a thousand. On different trading platforms from $2. From reputable online stores from $10. In the official store $19. I bought it on eBay for $4. 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). If it weren’t for the burrs on the connector housing, I wouldn’t have found a single reason (without knowing the price) to recognize this cable as a fake. Considering the price, there is no doubt that this is a fake cable. My recommendation is that if you buy this cable, then only in branded and reputable stores. Otherwise, you can buy this cable for 500 UAH, but in reality it will turn out to be a cable for $2, you will not be able to distinguish it yourself.

It is what it is. We will call this cable “Belkin”.

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. I bought it on JD for $10. The cable is sold in many other stores, for example, on Amazon it costs $8. Let's call it "Lemfo".

Cable from YourCharger



We have already encountered cables from this manufacturer (seller on eBay) in the previous review. The long micro-USB cable (2 meters) was one of the best in the test. Now it's the turn of the Lightning cable. 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. I bought it on JD for $10. In China, you can buy it locally for $6. The kit includes Velcro for cable management. Let's call him "Snowkids".

Nillkin cable



This cable was recommended to me by many people in the past. The brand is popular. Thousands of sales on many sites and a 100% customer rating. I bought it on Aliexpress for $4.5 from an authorized seller. I saw this cable offline in many places. 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. Length of cable 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



This cable has already shown amazing results (for the micro-USB tail). Unnamed cable, 23 cm. Triple - microUSB, Lightning, Apple 30-pin. Fabric braid. Medium thickness, flexible. I bought it a few years ago for less than a dollar on eBay. 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. I bought it on JD for $10. Let's call it "ESK".

Biaze (MFi) cable



I bought this cable on Aliexpress for $6. It had no name, just “MFi certified cable”, there were “confirmation” photos. Buyer rating 100%. Upon receipt, the Biaze logo was found on the cable. I did not find this brand 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. Length of cable 1 meter. Let's call it "Biaze".

Just a cheap cable #1



I bought this cable 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. Length of cable 1 meter. We'll call it "Fake 1".

Just a cheap cable #2



I bought this cable in Moscow in some store for 200 rubles. I was just 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. Length of cable 1 meter. We'll call it "Fake 2".

Long cheap cable



I bought this cable a long time ago for $1 on eBay. Length of cable 2 meters(I bought it only for the length). 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 is one of the best micro-USB cables and a small adapter from micro-USB to Lightning. 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”.

Lightning Cable Testing

Output power test

In the test we will use the Tronsmart TS-UC5PC charger. This is a high quality multi-port charger.

Using a load module (dissipation power 10 W) we will check the output power of the cables. Connect the cable to the charger. Connect the Lightning to micro-USB adapter to the end of the cable. We connect the adapter to the tester, which has a micro-USB connector. This tester is not the best, but it allows you to use a minimum number of adapters. Let's connect the load module to the tester itself.


The Lightning to micro-USB adapter will increase the resistance, but for us this is not important, because... All cables are tested under the same conditions.

The test results will show which cables have the lowest overall resistance (wires themselves, connectors, soldering).

Let's connect the load module to the charger directly.



5.05 V, 1.89 A, i.e. 9.54 W.

Now let's connect the cables one by one and take measurements.

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.

Let's sort by output power and put them into a single diagram. More is better.



Snowkids is the undisputed leader, he has minimum resistance of those tested.

Current measurements when charging an iPad

We will use an iPad mini (third generation) and measure the current output from the charger. iPad is almost empty. In an ideal situation, it should draw a current of 2 A.



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.

Current measurements when charging a battery pack

We will use a discharged Yoobao battery pack and a Lightning to micro-USB adapter.



The higher the current, the better.



The picture with output power measurements is completely repeated.

Compatibility test

I planned to make tables, but there was no need. During the entire testing period, there were no problems with any of the cables. No matter which side of the connector I connected them to the charger, neither the iPhone 6 nor the iPad reported that an uncertified accessory was connected. The devices had iOS 9.2 installed. The same thing happened with the computer. iPhone and iPad were perfectly detected in iTunes and allowed data to be synchronized. The only exception is the YourCharger cable; with it the computer did not see the device, because... The cable is for charging only.

conclusions

From our test, only 4 cables out of 16 provide the maximum current for the iPad mini. Our heroes: 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 800 UAH, then calmly buy the original cable Apple in 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 (if you don’t clearly know which cable to buy):
- the packaging must contain the MFi logo (Made for iPod, Made for iPhone, Made for iPad)
- make sure the brand is in the Apple database
- the cable should cost more than $5 (including royalties and quality components)

Cable Snowkids 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 quality of the cable materials is excellent. The length is 1 meter 30 centimeters, which is longer than most Lightning cables. There is Velcro for cable management.



If you want to save a little, you can buy a cable Nillkin. It is not MFi certified. You will lose quite a bit in power output, but you will get a quality product. The cable is made of high quality materials, it is flat and does not get tangled. You can choose the color you like. There is a strap for cable management.

If you need versatility, acceptable quality at the lowest price, then take a high-quality LG micro-USB cable from the previous review, it costs from $2, and the simplest non-certified Lightning adapter is cheaper than $1. There are complaints that such adapters are fragile and often break, keep this in mind.

If you need a long cable, then the situation is dire. Only the YourCharger cable more or less passed the test, but the drawdown was significant. Considering its price, it can be recommended.

Of course, it is worth mentioning the “penny” triple cable in a rag braid. This cable surprised me. I don't use it, but its performance is excellent (due to its short length). Through it, the test iPad was charged with maximum current, as with high-quality MFi cables.

We should also mention the KALUOS cable. It is perfectly described by the proverb: “All that glitters is not gold.” If I were asked to choose based on appearance and tactile sensations, I would certainly choose it. But in reality the cable turned out to be complete rubbish.

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.

In September 2012, Apple announced the start of sales of the iPhone 5. It received an increased screen diagonal from 3.5 to 4 inches and a new power connector. The Lightning cable replaced the old 30-pin connector that had existed in Apple mobile devices since 2003. This material will help you better understand its features and operating principles.

Peculiarities

The Lightning cable for iPhone is significantly different from its predecessor. At the presentation of the new connector, Apple representatives named five main qualities that it has:

  • completely digital data transmission mechanism;
  • adaptive connection interface ensuring compatibility with USB ports of standards 2.0 and 3.0;
  • service life increased due to increased mechanical strength;
  • a reversible connector that allows you to automatically switch the internal power supply circuit depending on which side it is inserted into the device;
  • overall dimensions reduced by 80%.

The most user-friendly feature was the reversibility of the cable or, in other words, in simple words, two-sidedness. There is no need to think about which side to insert it into the smartphone. In some cases this is very convenient. You can connect your phone to the charger by touch on the first try, even in pitch darkness, without fear of damaging the cable itself or the charger socket.

What's inside the Lightning?

The new connection interface not only caused a storm of various emotions among users, but also awakened a desire to understand how the Lightning cable works. Armed with testers and scalpels, enthusiasts and repair center specialists began to open the shell of new devices. Let's see what we found out during these “surgical” experiments.

It turned out that the 8-pin connector has as many as 16 contacts. Power is supplied to the outermost contact, the first for the top row and the last for the bottom. That is why, no matter which way you plug the 8-pin Lightning cable into your iPhone, it starts charging.


The plastic thickening located next to the contact plate, carefully opened by specialists, contains a miniature control board. It is responsible for determining the type of data being transferred and, apparently, for the dynamic redistribution of contacts depending on what role the Lightning cable is currently performing.

Why not microUSB?

Back in 2009, under pressure from the European Union, the largest manufacturers of mobile electronics adopted the microUSB charger as a single standard. Apple was forced to release adapters that connect the old connector to the standard one for European countries. It would seem that since we are changing the connector in the iPhone 5, why not make it like everyone else, but the Apple company went its own way here too.

However, if you delve deeper into this issue, it turns out that the point here is not the harmfulness of the overseas technology giant, but the limitations of the microUSB standard. Almost immediately after the iPhone 5, the fourth generation iPad entered the market - a tablet equipped with the same Lightning connector. The charging current consumed by it was 2 A, while microUSB could produce no more than 0.9 A.

And finally, the standard European connector is not “smart” enough. It uses only five contacts instead of the Lightning's eight. As a result, its capabilities are limited only to data synchronization and charging. There can no longer be any question of transmitting video in HD quality, which Lightning allows for.


Apple released a new adapter to at least formally ensure compliance with the European standard, and that was it. As time has shown, the rich capabilities of working with peripherals turned out to be much more necessary for the user than unity.

Apple and the pirates

Let's go back a little, to the very chip that was discovered by specialists in the process of “opening” the Molniya shell. Subsequently, it turned out that its functions are not limited only to the dynamic redistribution of contacts. USB Lightning cables turned out to be “trickier” than it seemed at first glance.

After the next software update, numerous products from the “eastern neighbors”, which by that time filled the market, simply refused to work. Chinese USB Lightning iPhone cable did not perceive it, giving a message about the use of an uncertified product.

Of course, users experienced certain inconveniences due to this. But in general, this had a beneficial effect on the iPhone accessories market, ridding it of the most obvious and low-quality fakes.

Price or quality?

Of course, you can find a cable that will not refuse to charge your device and at the same time will cost several times less than the original. Apple gives several reasons why you should not use such accessories. The main one is the likelihood of damage to the device.

Considering how durable Apple devices can be under normal use, no other reason is needed. Agree, it is difficult to find the point in buying a top-end smartphone and subsequently using accessories from unknown manufacturers with it. If you need to save money, then it’s easier to immediately buy a Chinese smartphone: at least it will be of high-quality factory production.


From time to time, stories appear in the news about smartphones exploding or catching fire while charging. And the story of Samsung with unsuccessful batteries in the Galaxy Note 7 series of smartphones has not yet been forgotten. Apple devices are also in the news; Each such case does not go unnoticed and is carefully examined. In many incidents, non-standard people are ultimately to blame. charging device and cables.

Of course, the choice of accessories for your smartphone is a personal matter for everyone, as are the conditions of its use or service life. However, the ancient Romans said: “Forewarned is forearmed.” Knowing the consequences of using a low-quality cable, the user can make an informed choice.

What is the MFi program?

It’s quite natural: with the number of i-devices in the hands of users, Apple alone is not able to produce the required number of cable products and other useful accessories. Therefore, starting in 2005, the so-called MFi program was launched - Made For iPhone, iPad, iPod.

Manufacturers participating in it receive a production license and can produce permitted products themselves, in this case cable. Lightning cables made under this brand cannot cost less than five dollars, if only because the manufacturer pays four of them to Apple for the right to produce it.


Of course, maintaining the quality of the brand, the materials used, etc. leads to the fact that the cost of such a device is quite high. But by purchasing such a wire, you at least guarantee yourself that your electronic device will not cause a fire and will work without wearing out for quite a long time.

As a result, all products of this type can be divided into three large categories:

  • original cables produced by Apple itself;
  • cables manufactured under license under the MFi program;
  • products made in China.

Original or not?

There is a whole section dedicated to how to distinguish an original Lightning cable from a counterfeit one on the Apple technical support page. Naturally, we will not give all the parameters here, but will indicate only the most basic ones, by which it will be possible to accurately identify a fake.


Six easily distinguishable signs of a certified product:

  • The dimensions of the Apple connector are always standard and are 7.7x12 millimeters;
  • the connector is a solid gray metal part;
  • the connector connectors, located on a white plastic backing, have rounded ends;
  • the connections on the USB contact body are made in the shape of a trapezoid;
  • USB contacts have a golden tint;
  • contact insulation is solid, flat, white;
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