Apple Certified Chargers - We Have You Covered

Posted on Mar 26th 2014

You may have noticed that all of the Apple Lightning chargers and cables on our website are “MFi Apple Certified." What does this mean exactly? And why did we go to great lengths to ensure all of these products are certified? These are common questions so we thought it would be helpful to address them in our newsletter.

When Apple released its updated mobile operating system iOS 7, it implemented a change that notified and prevented some users from using non-Apple certified cables and chargers. Apple’s certification process, known by the seal “Made for iPhone” or MFi, is designed to control the quality and safety of after-market cables and chargers. Until recently, this process was essentially optional, as many manufacturers were able to build high-quality Lightning connectors and offer them to consumers at a lower price by avoiding the certification process. But after Apple’s software change, these non-certified cables and devices may not work reliably with your iPhone, depending on your model and software version. When Apple made this surprising move last year, we adjusted our product line and removed anything that wasn't MFi certified.

How Does Apple Control Counterfeits?

When an accessory manufacturer signs up for Apple’s MFi Program, it orders a Lightning connector component from Apple to use in designing the accessory.  The connectors have encrypted serial numbers for each accessory maker and contain authentication chips that communicate with the phones. When the company submits its accessory to Apple for testing, Apple can recognize the serial number and origin company.  If a counterfeiter were to gain access to the serial number and make products with the same one, Apple could trace it back to the original source and revoke that company's certification (so there is a strong incentive for manufacturers to keep the prototypes secure).  Apple could also theoretically issue software updates that would disable hacked serial numbers.  Quite clever!

Rest Assured

One of the benefits of working with Cellular Accessories For Less is that we go to great lengths to ensure our website is 100% accurate when it comes to product compatibility.  We go above and beyond the information provided by the manufacturer and frequently test products to make sure they will work properly with your device.  We hope our due diligence with MFi certified products demonstrates this dedication.