Differences Between Real and Fake iPhone Chargers

With the popularity of the iPhone is the common issue with there chargers getting destroyed, many iPhone owners need to purchase expensive new chargers from Apple. iPhone owners look for cheap alternatives to save money when purchasing new iPhone chargers. But there are some major differences between the Apple and fake chargers.

The fake chargers can be fairly dangerous, as highlighted by the tragic story of a Chinese woman who was electrocuted by a counterfeit charger while charging her iPhone last year. Following up his look at the difference between real and counterfeit iPhone chargers, Ken Shirriff has taken to his blog (via Daring Fireball) to explore the differences between the real and fake iPhone chargers.He compared the differences between Apple’s real $19 iPad charger and a $3 he found on eBay.

Power Output Differences Fake and Real iPhone Charger 

A key difference is the power output. Apple’s charger outputs 10W at a steady rate while the fake outputs 5.9W with frequent spikes, which means that Apple’s charger charges the iPhone quicker with a higher quality of energy.

While they look exactly the same on the outside, he found major differences on the inside. Apple’s charger is crammed full of bigger, higher quality components while the counterfeit has low-quality components and more space. Another difference was a safety measure:

Insulation Differences

One safety difference is obvious: the Apple charger has much more insulation. The upper (high-voltage) half is wrapped in yellow insulating tape. The counterfeit charger only has minimal insulation.

Flipping the boards over reveals another obvious safety difference: Apple’s charger includes red insulating tape while the counterfeit does not. One not-so-obvious difference is the space between high and low voltage currents running through the boards. While Apple’s charger includes a safe 4mm separation between the two, the counterfeit only features a 0.6mm separation. Shiriff notes this means a simple drop of condensation could cause the charger to zap the user.