Why do we always tell people not to buy aftermarket iPhone chargers? If you are asking this question we completely understand the thought process here. We see it all the time, especially because pretty much every store you go to these days sells some form of a phone charger. From the corner store all the way up to clothing stores you can now grab an iPhone charger at your convenience. But is that convenience really worth the risk? From a repair store stand point we have warned customers for years about the potential hazards of using uncertified aftermarket iPhone chargers. The most common issue we like to warn about is when you use an uncertified phone charger to charge your device it will inevitably cause wear on the battery. Continually doing so will then have you calling iPhone Repair 4 Less in Lafayette or another local repair shop to get a price quote to change your iPhone battery.
Recently though, we had a personal experience with one of our own customers, that raised a new level of awareness of the dangers of using cheap aftermarket iPhone chargers. We have all heard about the Samsung Note 7 Explode-Gate, but what if we told you that iPhones could also face a similar fate. Not because of a design flaw or even physical damage, but simply because of using a generic charger that you happened to pick up for a couple of dollars at your local convenience store. We have recently had a customer come in and request a repair quote on an iPhone that was in a fire. Not a house fire, but this particular phone was sitting in the console of their truck and on the charger when the cord caught fire and nearly burned the whole truck down. Luckily the windows were up and the amount of smoke actually helped smother the life out of the fire, but not before ruining the vehicle and destroying their iPhone.
The center console of the truck after the fire from the iPhone charger
Fire from cheap iPhone charger melted otter box to the iPhone
Aftermath of fire damage from non-certified iPhone charger
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Now we are not against ALL aftermarket chargers at all, we sell them here at our local iPhone repair shop in Lafayette Louisiana. There are in fact some great aftermarket chargers on the market that we carry like the [Fuse]Chicken for example. These chargers are definitely aftermarket but offer the same charging capability while adding a more durable structure to the actual cord material itself. We would agree that the reason there are so many aftermarket iPhone chargers out there and why they are so easily accessed at local stores is also the reason they are such good sellers. The original iPhone chargers don’t last or hold up after regular usage. We get some people who buy a new charger every week. Which is another reason we offer [Fuse}Chicken, which comes with a lifetime warranty.
So how do we know which aftermarket chargers are ok? Glad you asked! The best way to make sure the charger you are buying is safe is to first look at the package and see if it is MFI certified. MFI certification is Apple’s way of allowing third party products to work properly with their devices. So if it is not MFI certified then it might work but it is not working correctly or safely. Also here is a link to check out any of your products to make sure they are MFI certified. CLICK HERE
So with all of that being said, we encourage everyone to do their due diligence and practice safety first when it comes to what you use to plug in your iPhone. We take this very seriously, not just from a repair shop stand point but also because of the safety of yourself and others around you. If you are ever looking for some genuine MFI certified chargers please come by anytime and pick one up. Thanks for taking the time to read our blog here at iPhone Repair 4 Less. We are Lafayette la’s trusted source for iPhone, iPod, iPad, and computer repairs. Plus we have a wide variety of accessories!
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