How to Tell if an iPhone Lightning Cable Is Genuine or Fake

Disadvantages of charging an iPhone with a fake cable

The main and probably only advantage of using a cable that is not certified to charge the iPhone is the price factor. They are usually very cheap and paradoxically they tend to be easier to find than those that do have certification. That is why in emergencies they may seem like the best solution, but it really is not.

Sometimes we find some that, despite being false, do their job well. However, the most normal thing is that they can present some type of problem that is noticed especially in the long term. From problems connecting to a computer to failures such as charging slower than normal even using the original Apple adapter for fast charging. Power outages can also occur, which for all practical purposes is like continually connecting and disconnecting the cable. Sometimes they may even overheat the iPhone .

These problems ultimately affect the health of the iPhone battery, which can deteriorate faster than using normal cables. It is understandable that, from what has been previously commented in reference to its price and availability, they can be a very tempting option if your cable has suddenly broken and you have no other options, but it will be convenient for you to use it as soon as possible until you can make yourself with an original one.

Ways to know if they are original cables or MFi

Below we will give you a series of guidelines to follow with which you can find out if your cable is original and complies with the provisions so as not to damage the iPhone while charging. Of course, check everything well because there are very well made forgeries, so the place of origin , that is, where you bought it, can also be key.

Know if it is the one manufactured by Apple

If you took the cable out of the original iPhone box, no further testing is needed to determine that it is authentic. Now, if the cable that you doubt has been around your house for a long time and you don’t remember its origin, you can verify it in a very simple way and it will have the phrase “Designed by Apple in California printed on it. To this phrase is added the place where it was manufactured, which could be China, Vietnam or Brazil.

Of course, it is not ruled out that it could be an imitation of the original Apple cable. Therefore, it is advisable that you do not rule out any of the other reviews that we will explain in the following sections. It would not be the first time that we find cables with that silkscreen that end up being false, although obviously it will not be like that if you are sure that it is the cable that came in the iPhone box.

Look at the label on the original packaging

The MFi certificate refers to the acronym Made For iPhone, this being a standard used by third-party manufacturers to design their cables for iPhone. If a cable has it, it means that, despite not being from Apple, its quality and reliability is fully guaranteed, the charging and data transfer of the device being just as safe as with the originals. Usually this certificate appears in the form of a label like these:

This label should appear on the cable box or packaging and / or in the accompanying use and warranty guides. If it is not included anywhere it is a clear indication that it is not original. You might think that perhaps they do have that certification and yet they have not added it, but the fact is that the manufacturers of this type of accessories should not only add that information, but they are also interested in having it appear so that there is no doubt that their product it is of quality.

Detect counterfeits with connectors

The first thing you should know is that there are two types of Lightning cables for iPhone. Both have that Lightning on the end that connects to the phone, but on the other side we can find USB-C or USB-A . There are a series of keys to take into account in all of them as explained by Apple itself, the guidelines being suitable for both its own and for third parties that are MFi.

Lightning

Here are the key Lightning connector differences that could help differentiate a genuine Apple or MFi cable from a counterfeit cable:

• Pins: These should be in one piece, smooth and with rounded contacts in a single silver or gold color.
• Connector base: must be a single color in metallic gray or silver.
• Connector sleeve: must be exactly 7.7 millimeters wide and 12 millimeters long.

In the cables that are false, some of the previously commented keys may not coincide, with aspects similar to those in the images: that the pins are rough or protrude is excess, construction materials that differ in color, lengths not exact to those mentioned and even variable in width in the same hood …

USB-A

The USB-A cable is not proprietary to Apple, as it has been a universal standard known for many years. However, we can also find false cables that even in a connector of this type are reliably false.

• Interlocks: the so-called USB-A casing inserts must be in the shape of a trapezoid, both facing the same side and at the same distance from the edge.
• USB Contacts: These can be checked for fake if they are not a gold color, as the originals should be.
• Surface: this part must be completely flat, smooth and regular.
• Interior: if we see the surface from the connection part, we must pay attention that the insulation is uniform and flat.

In the false USB-A, silver-colored contacts, rough, grainy surfaces and distortion are usually found in the sockets that close the capsule, as well as in the insulators or interlocks.

USB-C

USB-C cables are the most difficult to detect if they are fake, so it will be necessary to observe certain characteristics that could be definitive to verify their authenticity. The most important is that it consists of 24 pins in a very small size and that 12 are distributed above and 12 below, as you can see in the image. Although in the end most of the counterfeits that we find in cables with this end do offer an authentic USB-C standard, having in the end the counterfeit in the Lightning cable.