I can personally attest that cheap 3rd-party lightning chargers are at best unreliable, and at worst dangerous. My husband coerced me into trying a few, until I finally put my foot down and went to the Apple store for my $30 6-foot cable. One of the cheap ones automatically caused my iPhone to reset upon insertion, and another didn't work at all. The third cable worked for a while, but the plug connectors looked crooked & fit too tight compared to my Apple one.
Because of these multiple scenarios, Apple really needs to make the charging circuitry more flexible and robust within reasonable limits.
That doesn't sound very profitable. Besides, flexibility in terms of compatibility isn't something Apple normally caters too. They prefer their users to stick with only Apple products. It also makes it easier for them to ensure that everything works just as they intend.
Yes, the iPod touch's immunity to this problem is rather odd, isn't it?
Also, Apple changed the power management IC in the 5s. Perhaps they realized that the iPhone 5 part wasn't that good.
I own a iPhone 5s and previously a 4S. It appears that the second iteration of every iPhone generation (basically the "S" model) has better/more reliable internals. We have seen this with CPUs (SoCs), camera modules, antenna design, and now power management ICs.
. But my cars have a USB port built in. No real way around that.
I've used Apple licensed car chargers since they came out in several cars for lots of hours and miles and never had a problem. Some "save $ sites' offer cheaper and have a few buds who bought there and had bad times. Pay your money or take your chances.[/quote]
I am talking built into our Honda's. Not something plugged into the lighter.
The problem is that iPhone (and other devices) are often used in situations where an Apple AC charger can't work or AC power isn't readily available.
The most common place would be in motor vehicles, and Apple does not sell their own car charger. They are all third-party accessories.
I agree 100% with your entire post.
I will also add that some of us will have chargers from prior hardware, and rather than contribute them to a landfill and buy replacements from Apple, we choose to try to re-use and avoid unnecessary waste. We reasonably expect our hardware to work and are not always trying to "cheap out". All we need are adapters... and have no reason to suspect that the Apple brand adapter is better than a generic adapter. Until we do. Just like we don't expect a generic alkaline AA battery is necessarily better than one by duracell.
If you need a car charger, don't go for the cheapest one. Get one that says "Made for iPhone", something licensed. Or get a charger with a USB port and use an Apple-made Lightning cable. That's what I do with my iPhone 4 at the moment...inelegant but it works. My old 30-pin 12V cable only works with the iDevices that supported charging with the FireWire pins.
So I'm supposed to BELIEVE IT when the seller says "Made for iPhone", and assume other products without those words are not going to work? I'm not that gullible. There is NO ONE selling a usb-to-lightning adapter who intends it to be used for a non-Apple device. Regardless of the magic words you quote. Because there is NO ONE with non-Apple hardware who has any use for a lightning adapter.
So your advice about the statement "Made for iPhone" is complete nonsense. All that's left is your urging that one should not buy the "cheapest" product among those being sold. Nothing stops a shady manufacturer from putting a big price on a piece of crap. So that advice is nonsense too.
Yes, don't by the cheapest chargers, but still, it would be nice if Apple's power management could be more accommodating. Apple doesn't make its own multi-port USB chargers etc.; at least give us a warning on screen if a charger isn't putting out the right juice.
So I'm supposed to BELIEVE IT when the seller says "Made for iPhone", and assume other products without those words are not going to work? I'm not that gullible. There is NO ONE selling a usb-to-lightning adapter who intends it to be used for a non-Apple device. Regardless of the magic words you quote. Because there is NO ONE with non-Apple hardware who has any use for a lightning adapter.
So your advice about the statement "Made for iPhone" is complete nonsense. All that's left is your urging that one should not buy the "cheapest" product among those being sold. Nothing stops a shady manufacturer from putting a big price on a piece of crap. So that advice is nonsense too.
If the seller is "Bobz Cheep Chargers" then don't buy it. If it's from Belkin or a reputable brand, then it is fine. Use some common sense and good judgment.
I've used Apple licensed car chargers since they came out in several cars for lots of hours and miles and never had a problem. Some "save $ sites' offer cheaper and have a few buds who bought there and had bad times. Pay your money or take your chances.
Well, the old adage is to never buy the _.0 cycle. Hardware, software, whatever. Even new model automobiles.
Let's just look at the iPhone 4 and 4S for a quick moment. iPhone 4 had a single core processor, Retina display and notably "Antennagate." The iPhone 4S has a dual-core processor, a refined antenna (even after Apple publicly declared there was nothing inherently wrong with the iPhone 4 antenna design then issuing free bumpers for a while), and a way better camera module.
Now the iPhone 5. Larger screen, Lightning connector. The iPhone 5S gets the 64-bit SoC, M7 motion co-processor, TrueTone camera flash, and Touch ID.
I am personally convinced that I am on the better two-year cycle by opting for the "S" models. iPhones in my neck of the woods are a dime a dozen, and impressing the person sitting next to meet at the bar holds zero interest. My "S" model iPhones look the same the previous hot new model, but the guts are far better. Nobody asks me about my "S" model devices which is fine. It's just a phone after all.
Notably, peripherals and cases with a new physical design cost a premium with fewer initial choices. A year later? Not so much, plentiful cheaper options.
If the seller is "Bobz Cheep Chargers" then don't buy it. If it's from Belkin or a reputable brand, then it is fine. Use some common sense and good judgment.
I agree that reputation is a reasonable criterion for buying decisions.
So I'm supposed to BELIEVE IT when the seller says "Made for iPhone", and assume other products without those words are not going to work? I'm not that gullible.
Are you really completely unaware of Apple's Made for iPhone trademark licensing program?
So you're saying when I buy an electrical appliance I shouldn't look for the UL logo, since non-UL listed products are perfectly capable of not burning my house down? So therefore the UL logo is a scam.
I have an iPhone 5 and suffer from unexpected shutdowns, I.e. All tbies fine until about 40% charge. Then the charge level drops within short time in steps to say 27%, 21%, 16 etc. Or just shuts down ubexpextedly. Upon plugging into the charger it immediately stars up again, showing about 30% level.
Could this be relatd to a damage of that chip?
I travel a lot and mostly use my 12V charger in the car plugged into the lighter.
As I read the article te issue may have been caused by the charger.
I also read to "at least" use an original lightning cable. Which I do. How would this protect the device from current or voltage in rush?
Does Apple make a car charger? I tell ya, I was considering looking at one of the larger iPhones coming out this year, but now don't want to. I use my device in the car for navigation and media play and need it plugged into power. Can't do that with an Apple product...might harm it.
The title is talking about chargers and cables, not car chargers or plugging into laptops, or dashboard USB ports. They are already putting out DC. The combined AC/DC is the problem I think. Those tiny chargers converting AC to DC puts out a lot of heat in a confined space. We all know how the corners cut with the Chinese knockoffs and the dismal quality they have.
Auto chargers aren't a problem. It's a 12v DC system going down to 5vdc, if it even does. Laptops aren't a problem. Most use an external AC adapter which will fry first or fry the laptop before it takes the phone with it. Same with the other stuff.
External devices do not regulate or limit current. They can limit voltage. Current limiting is a function of the receiving device of a charging current.
My electricity supply is 240 Volts with 13 amp of alternating current.
So you think an iPhone, a small electronic device with small power requirements, should handle the same energy in a 13 amp current which an electric cooker uses to cook, a washing machine uses to spin a drum or an electric car stores to drive around town?
Or could be the phone charging adaptor which regulates what gets to the iPhone?
MFi is no guarantee of quality. I had a MFi licensed car charger and while plugging it in one day, it fried my phone to the point where it would no longer power on. Thankfully, Apple replaced it for me. I thought that maybe I got a bad one and the manufacturer replaced it for me. A few months later the thing literally falls apart inside my 12V outlet causing the fuse to blow. I've since gone with a charger with a USB port and an Apple Lightning cable.
Apple is saying this because they don't make money on third party products, so they're going for the FUD angle to scare people away from buying things that don't pay them.
Folks, you're just fine using third party cables, you're no more likely to burn out your iPhone than if you use a cable made by Foxconn for Apple than if you buy one made by Foxconn for Joe Schoe's iPhone Parts.
Fortunately, the Lightning connector has a limited remaining lifespan anyway. The EU is about to kick Apple's butt for not using the standard Micro USB connector, and I'd seriously doubt Apple will produce an EU phone and a rest-of-world phone, so we'll see the benefits of EU law here. Conveniently enough, Micro USB is about the same size as Lightning, so Apple doesn't have to change the design much. Maybe we'll see it with the iPhone 6.
Comments
That doesn't sound very profitable. Besides, flexibility in terms of compatibility isn't something Apple normally caters too. They prefer their users to stick with only Apple products. It also makes it easier for them to ensure that everything works just as they intend.
£66 ? $112
And I am on the non S cycle. Hmm...
I've used Apple licensed car chargers since they came out in several cars for lots of hours and miles and never had a problem. Some "save $ sites' offer cheaper and have a few buds who bought there and had bad times. Pay your money or take your chances.[/quote]
I am talking built into our Honda's. Not something plugged into the lighter.
The problem is that iPhone (and other devices) are often used in situations where an Apple AC charger can't work or AC power isn't readily available.
The most common place would be in motor vehicles, and Apple does not sell their own car charger. They are all third-party accessories.
I agree 100% with your entire post.
I will also add that some of us will have chargers from prior hardware, and rather than contribute them to a landfill and buy replacements from Apple, we choose to try to re-use and avoid unnecessary waste. We reasonably expect our hardware to work and are not always trying to "cheap out". All we need are adapters... and have no reason to suspect that the Apple brand adapter is better than a generic adapter. Until we do. Just like we don't expect a generic alkaline AA battery is necessarily better than one by duracell.
If you need a car charger, don't go for the cheapest one. Get one that says "Made for iPhone", something licensed. Or get a charger with a USB port and use an Apple-made Lightning cable. That's what I do with my iPhone 4 at the moment...inelegant but it works. My old 30-pin 12V cable only works with the iDevices that supported charging with the FireWire pins.
So I'm supposed to BELIEVE IT when the seller says "Made for iPhone", and assume other products without those words are not going to work? I'm not that gullible. There is NO ONE selling a usb-to-lightning adapter who intends it to be used for a non-Apple device. Regardless of the magic words you quote. Because there is NO ONE with non-Apple hardware who has any use for a lightning adapter.
So your advice about the statement "Made for iPhone" is complete nonsense. All that's left is your urging that one should not buy the "cheapest" product among those being sold. Nothing stops a shady manufacturer from putting a big price on a piece of crap. So that advice is nonsense too.
If the seller is "Bobz Cheep Chargers" then don't buy it. If it's from Belkin or a reputable brand, then it is fine. Use some common sense and good judgment.
I've used Apple licensed car chargers since they came out in several cars for lots of hours and miles and never had a problem. Some "save $ sites' offer cheaper and have a few buds who bought there and had bad times. Pay your money or take your chances.
Thank you, Carl Icahn.
And I am on the non S cycle. Hmm...
Well, the old adage is to never buy the _.0 cycle. Hardware, software, whatever. Even new model automobiles.
Let's just look at the iPhone 4 and 4S for a quick moment. iPhone 4 had a single core processor, Retina display and notably "Antennagate." The iPhone 4S has a dual-core processor, a refined antenna (even after Apple publicly declared there was nothing inherently wrong with the iPhone 4 antenna design then issuing free bumpers for a while), and a way better camera module.
Now the iPhone 5. Larger screen, Lightning connector. The iPhone 5S gets the 64-bit SoC, M7 motion co-processor, TrueTone camera flash, and Touch ID.
I am personally convinced that I am on the better two-year cycle by opting for the "S" models. iPhones in my neck of the woods are a dime a dozen, and impressing the person sitting next to meet at the bar holds zero interest. My "S" model iPhones look the same the previous hot new model, but the guts are far better. Nobody asks me about my "S" model devices which is fine. It's just a phone after all.
Notably, peripherals and cases with a new physical design cost a premium with fewer initial choices. A year later? Not so much, plentiful cheaper options.
If the seller is "Bobz Cheep Chargers" then don't buy it. If it's from Belkin or a reputable brand, then it is fine. Use some common sense and good judgment.
I agree that reputation is a reasonable criterion for buying decisions.
That's what eBay feedback is all about.
Common sense & good judgement: YMMV.
So I'm supposed to BELIEVE IT when the seller says "Made for iPhone", and assume other products without those words are not going to work? I'm not that gullible.
Are you really completely unaware of Apple's Made for iPhone trademark licensing program?
https://developer.apple.com/programs/mfi/
So you're saying when I buy an electrical appliance I shouldn't look for the UL logo, since non-UL listed products are perfectly capable of not burning my house down? So therefore the UL logo is a scam.
Could this be relatd to a damage of that chip?
I travel a lot and mostly use my 12V charger in the car plugged into the lighter.
As I read the article te issue may have been caused by the charger.
I also read to "at least" use an original lightning cable. Which I do. How would this protect the device from current or voltage in rush?
Auto chargers aren't a problem. It's a 12v DC system going down to 5vdc, if it even does.
Laptops aren't a problem. Most use an external AC adapter which will fry first or fry the laptop before it takes the phone with it.
Same with the other stuff.
"Bono fide statement"
Do you still buy them after they've proven to be rubbish?
That seems...strong. Was he "super-charged"¿
My electricity supply is 240 Volts with 13 amp of alternating current.
So you think an iPhone, a small electronic device with small power requirements, should handle the same energy in a 13 amp current which an electric cooker uses to cook, a washing machine uses to spin a drum or an electric car stores to drive around town?
Or could be the phone charging adaptor which regulates what gets to the iPhone?
So you're all eating this crap up, aren't you?
Well, I'll say it then. Bullsh*t.
Apple is saying this because they don't make money on third party products, so they're going for the FUD angle to scare people away from buying things that don't pay them.
Folks, you're just fine using third party cables, you're no more likely to burn out your iPhone than if you use a cable made by Foxconn for Apple than if you buy one made by Foxconn for Joe Schoe's iPhone Parts.
Fortunately, the Lightning connector has a limited remaining lifespan anyway. The EU is about to kick Apple's butt for not using the standard Micro USB connector, and I'd seriously doubt Apple will produce an EU phone and a rest-of-world phone, so we'll see the benefits of EU law here. Conveniently enough, Micro USB is about the same size as Lightning, so Apple doesn't have to change the design much. Maybe we'll see it with the iPhone 6.