Slashdot Mirror


Apple Warns Of Counterfeit Power Adapters and Batteries Following Lawsuit (9to5mac.com)

Following a lawsuit revealed back in October in which Apple exposed an issue with a large percentage of fake Apple adapters being marketed as "genuine" online, today the company has posted an official warning to customers. From a report on 9to5Mac: The message, posted on the front page of the company's support webpage, warns customers that counterfeit power adapters and batteries could pose safety issues. The company also offers customers that might have had a recent battery replacement the option to bring in their devices to an Apple Store or authorized service provider to check if the battery is genuine.

15 of 101 comments (clear)

  1. Nonsense by 110010001000 · · Score: 3, Funny

    This is nonsense. I buy batteries for my Apple products all the time online and they all work fi

    1. Re:Nonsense by 110010001000 · · Score: 4, Funny

      It says "Batteries" in the headline. DAMN, you just got OWNED sucka, 1990s style!

    2. Re:Nonsense by 110010001000 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Mommy! A man is being mean to me on the Internet!

  2. fire Fire FIRE! by Thud457 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This is what happens when you outsource manufacturing to China.
    Also, watch out for Amazon. Are there currently problems with counterfeits getting into the stream when fulfilled by Amazon? Or is it just their affiliates?

    --

    the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

    1. Re:fire Fire FIRE! by magarity · · Score: 4, Informative

      Also, watch out for Amazon. Are there currently problems with counterfeits getting into the stream when fulfilled by Amazon? Or is it just their affiliates?

      They've fooled you with the "fulfilled by Amazon". That just means the seller shipped a pallet or whatever of stuff to Amazon's warehouse so their picker robot stuffed it in a box when you ordered it. Other than that, Amazon doesn't give a hoot what the item is. What you need to watch for is "Sold by Amazon, fulfilled by Amazon" if you want them to have any liability for the quality.

  3. Maybe if Apple didn't insist on reaming... by Radical+Moderate · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ...their customers this wouldn't be such a problem. I know, then they wouldn't be Apple. My cat chewed through my power cord one fine morning, I was able to fix it but forget about coiling it up and throwing it in my laptop bag anymore. A new one is $70. That's nuts. Are there any quality third-party vendors? I'm guessing patents on the mag-safe connector means NO.

    And it seems like the reaming is just getting worse.

    --
    Never let a lack of data get in the way of a good rant.
    1. Re:Maybe if Apple didn't insist on reaming... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      ... My cat chewed through my power cord ... A new one is $70. ...

      $70 for a new cat is WAY too much

    2. Re:Maybe if Apple didn't insist on reaming... by theskipper · · Score: 3, Funny

      Agreed. Heck, Apple gave away Snow Leopard and Mountain Lion for free. And not to be outdone, Microsoft recently was begging folks to take their mangy alleycat that kept peeking into everyone's windows.

  4. Warning! by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Buying those counterfeit products could endanger our profit!

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  5. Re: That it matters, means that they've failed by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Want to bet that those "counterfeit" products come from the same assembly line as the "genuine" ones?

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  6. Yeah by Sebby · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Those counterfeit adapters always have cables that keep fraying.

    Oh wait.... those are Apple's own expensive adapters fraying...

    --

    AC comments get piped to /dev/null
  7. Re:That it matters, means that they've failed by guruevi · · Score: 4, Insightful

    There is a reason some of those items are pricey. A well designed power supply includes large capacitors and a good heat sink and margin of errors and safeties for out of spec components, brownouts or spikes. There is also space on the circuit boards so the line voltage of 110/220VAC doesn't become part of the rest of the circuit.

    Some of these counterfeits actually run components that are underpowered (e.g. a 3A regulator will often do 5A as long as you have thermal capacity), are simply removing capacitors and fuses to save costs. Also they often put up UL certificates without owning them and have traces that are both too thin and too close so as to become a safety issue under stressed conditions.

    --
    Custom electronics and digital signage for your business: www.evcircuits.com
  8. Re: That it matters, means that they've failed by UnknowingFool · · Score: 3, Informative

    Based on teardowns of counterfeit chargers, I would say it is highly unlikely. The whole point of countefeits is to pass off as authenticate just enough to fool the buyer. If the chargers came from the same line they would be near full price as 100% of the money would go to the people who manufactured them off the books. They wouldn't be that much cheaper as they are technically authentic chargers.

    --
    Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
  9. Re:That it matters, means that they've failed by UnknowingFool · · Score: 3, Informative

    Have you looked at an Apple charger vs a counterfeit? A lot more engineering goes into an Apple made one; it's not about more capacitors.

    --
    Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
  10. Breakdown of countefeit vs genuine by UnknowingFool · · Score: 3, Informative
    Here is the latest breakdown of a counterfeit from Ken Shirrif. He's been documenting them over the years. While counterfeits are getting better at looking genuine on the outside, their internals are noticeably inferior.
    • Countefeit:
    • The ground pin isn't connected to anything. It's not grounded at all so it's a major safety hazard.
    • Lack of complex circuitry. There might be one IC controller chip if there are any chips at all.
    • Hand soldered. Often the solder joints is also subpar and might be in such close proximity that a short can occur.
    • Power quality is terrible with spikes
    --
    Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.