How can I tell I'm buying a genuine Apple phone charger

lonestarfan

I need to buy some iphone4 chargers. The last lot I bought were cheap off ebay and lasted weeks lol. We have a need of 4 as we have a few iPhone 4 and the new ipod etc. The charger provided by Apple when we bought the products have all failed in exacyly the same place - they develop a hole right where it joins the charger bit. I've never got round to complaining and sending them back for replacements. Now my ipad charger which I've had for a year has developed the same fault so wont last much longer. I don't want to pay £24.99 each off Apple but have found some at £8.99 on play.com. So how can I tell that they are a genuine apple product as feedback on some sites say they have been advertised as genuine but when they are received they are cheap copies and they've not been able to get their money back. TIA.

CORRECTION as pointed put by others later on:- the triangular shaped apple plug charger works fine. It's the cable that gets a tear in it where it joins the charging piece that you put into the iPhone.

mummyroysof3

I got my non apple one from amazon and its lasted longer than an apple one

chunkychocky

I am amazed! I had my iPhone 3GS for about 3 years and not once did the charger fail. I have an iPhone 5 now, and it is a completely different cable so no idea how it will compare but it seems fine. DH had an iPad 2 for ages with no problems, and has also had an iPhone 3GS, followed by an iPhone 4 and then an iPhone 4S also with no problems. How on earth do they develop this fault?

I have always found them to be brilliant in the apple store. If you take your genuine ones in they will almost certainly replace them for you.

lonestarfan

I'm having an iPhone 5 in a few weeks so that sorts me out lol! Even the cheap Chinese ones that I got for £5 off ebay failed in precisely the same place. I'm equally stunned that no one has said that there's has failed in the same place as we live in 3 different houses and everyone's has broken in the same place. If I knew how to post a photo I would show you. The trouble is Apple shops are a long way. It's a full day out to get there and we've had some of them 2 years and the ipad one for 1 year. So if I ever get chance then I might take them back but it's a long shot now. Should've been done as soon as it became apparent. Anyway the Chinese ones were worse then the Apple ones so does anyone know how I can tell I'm buying genuine apple? TIA.

chunkychocky

Sorry no idea, other than to order them direct from Apple.

macman

If they are a third of the Apple price, then they ain't genuine. Apple do not allow their retailers to discount product by more than a tiny amount.

Guys_Dad

lonestarfan wrote: »

I'm having an iPhone 5 in a few weeks so that sorts me out lol! Even the cheap Chinese ones that I got for £5 off ebay failed in precisely the same place. I'm equally stunned that no one has said that there's has failed in the same place as we live in 3 different houses and everyone's has broken in the same place. If I knew how to post a photo I would show you. The trouble is Apple shops are a long way. It's a full day out to get there and we've had some of them 2 years and the ipad one for 1 year. So if I ever get chance then I might take them back but it's a long shot now. Should've been done as soon as it became apparent. Anyway the Chinese ones were worse then the Apple ones so does anyone know how I can tell I'm buying genuine apple? TIA.

I can not understand why, if you have had multiple failures on Apple chargers, you would want to buy some more!!!! I would want anything but Apple or cheap Chinese chargers.

I would go on to Amazon and buy from someone who had decent product reviews on their 3rd party chargers.

As an aside, my OH works with a number of people who have Apple products. They rave about the excellent customer service they receive from Apple shops when things go wrong with their Iphones and Ipads. All of them said the same thing.

She simply pointed out that having had 3 Samsungs, she couldn't comment on their customer service as nothing had ever gone wrong with them and they are all still working fine.

Apple ain't that wonderful or superior quality, I'm afraid.

lonestarfan

Guys_Dad wrote: »

I can not understand why, if you have had multiple failures on Apple chargers, you would want to buy some more!!!! I would want anything but Apple or cheap Chinese chargers.

I would go on to Amazon and buy from someone who had decent product reviews on their 3rd party chargers.

As an aside, my OH works with a number of people who have Apple products. They rave about the excellent customer service they receive from Apple shops when things go wrong with their Iphones and Ipads. All of them said the same thing.

She simply pointed out that having had 3 Samsungs, she couldn't comment on their customer service as nothing had ever gone wrong with them and they are all still working fine.

Apple ain't that wonderful or superior quality, I'm afraid.

I need a charger. End of. The Apple chargers lasted a long time but won't last to the end of the iPhone life. The cheap charger lasted hardly any time at all - days in one case so even tho the Apple one needs replacing it is still the superior of the 2. Having re read my op it probably isn't as accurate as it could be. The chargers haven't failed. They do work so they do charge up our phones so they'll keep going for a while. A more accurate explanation is that the rubber that the wires run thru is wearing. It wears just at the junction of the bit that goes into the iPhone. It splits and becomes a hole. Eventually the bare wires inside start to show and start to create loose connections so you have to make sure your iPhone & the charger is lying flat so that the charger isn't pulled down by gravity and encouraging a loose connection. I'm not certain that putting electrical tape around them will work. So really I'm not being fair when I say they've failed as we've had them 2 1/2 years but all 4 have split in the same place. I've no allegiance to Apple but we've all been happy with our iPhones. I had to be persuaded to buy Apple but I've no regrets. I'm determined I'll never buy Samsung again though. I bought my sis a Samsung last April as I felt it was better value than an iPhone as it was a good price and did the same. I bought 2 samsungs for me too as my spares to give the family etc when needed. both are no good. turned out to be false economy. The one i bought my sis has stopped working 3 times for about 8 hrs each time whilst it recovers from being on 24 hrs a day as its almost never turned off. All the other 3 iPhones I bought don't get turned off very often but have been ok. I can only speak from my own experience since 2009 as I'm no mobile phone guru. Apple has been reliable for all 5 of us so I'll stick with it.

jm2926

I use the Griffin iPad charger. It's approved by apple, but not produced by them. Charges faster and has been very reliable.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Griffin-Ga23102-PowerBlock-Charger-iPhone/dp/B003LGQLTO/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1364165666&sr=1-1

lonestarfan

Originally Posted by jm2926
I use the Griffin iPad charger. It's approved by apple, but not produced by them. Charges faster and has been very reliable.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Griffin-Ga23...4165666&sr=1-1Faster charging will be v attractive to the 2 younguns but also to grandma lol! Actually in case it helps others - nephew has been saying for some time that he nicks my genuine apple charger when he's without his as it charges quicker than the cheap one. I didn't realise that was true but it is - I'm always able to charge mine whereas teenagers (& Grandma) need a lot of charge on the run lol. It doesn't help that I live a long way from them so we do need one each and a spare. Poor youngest nephew has been without a charger for 3 days and can't use his iPod as eldest nephew is away competing all weekend so he had to take it with him. Grandma's got the other one but can't get out to him in the snow to take it to him! That's why I've resolved to get some more as the poor kid has gone cold turkey lol! Still all the homework's got done so he can enjoy the Easter break. ��. Grandma is 70 this year and cannot be without her iPhone for an hour never mind 3 days �� well I'll give your suggestion a go as its sort of mid price between the 2. Thanks a lot.

lonestarfan

jm2926 wrote: »

I use the Griffin iPad charger. It's approved by apple, but not produced by them. Charges faster and has been very reliable.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Griffin-Ga23102-PowerBlock-Charger-iPhone/dp/B003LGQLTO/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1364165666&sr=1-1

Forgot to ask - how do you know they are approved by Apple? Thnx.