Can A Cheap Charger Damage Your iPhone?
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Official iPhone chargers are expensive, and their high price tag becomes even more noticeable when you compare them with the price of most third-party charges capable of charging an iPhone. For instance, you can get a third-party iPhone charger for as low as $12, whereas Apple's 20W USB-C power adapter, along with a USB-C to lightning cable, would cost you around $50.
Looking at this big price difference, you might think of investing in a cheaper charger for your iPhone rather than an official Apple charger. But are these third-party cheap chargers actually any good, or will they end up damaging your iPhone's battery and charging system? The answer is definitely no, but there are certain things you need to be aware of before getting a cheap charger. While some of these chargers may perform equally well as an official iPhone charger, others may charge your iPhone at a slow speed. Additionally, you need to ensure that the charger isn't damaged anywhere.
What kind of third-party chargers can be used to charge iPhone?
Most modern chargeable devices, including your iPhone, come with some of the best charging and battery management systems. They ensure that you can safely charge your iPhone even with a cheap charger, though some of these chargers might charge your iPhone at a slower speed than an official iPhone charger.
Generally, such chargers don't cause any major issues, but if you are using a broken cheap charger, you might end up damaging your iPhone just like Redditor NoisilyMarvellous. These cheap chargers mainly don't have any safety features; as a result, they might continue to supply power even if there is any damage to the cable or the power brick. This eventually results in the charger's or iPhone's overheating.
That's said, it's completely alright to charge your iPhone with a third-party cheap charger, unless the charger isn't broken, and they have been certified under Apple's MFi program. To confirm if a charger is MFi certified, you should look for the "Made for iPhone" branding in the charger packaging and the charger itself. You can also visit Apple's MFi Licensed Accessories page to check if a charger is MFi certified. Using a MFi-certified charger is also important because Apple doesn't cover the damage caused by a non-MFi-certified charger.
On modern chargers, the MFi branding will have the Apple logo, whereas on some old chargers, the MFi branding will have the picture of an iPhone. Ugreen is one of several trustworthy companies that offer cheap iPhone chargers, including their 30W charger for $11.