How Apple lost $3000 trying to extort extra $4 from a returning customer | Hacker News Reader

How Apple lost $3000 trying to extort extra $4 from a returning customer

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I've made a product under the Apple MFi program and let me tell you the people that are making uncertified cables and accessories likely are doing a lot more than "not paying the license fee to Apple." Unless you are in China bribing someone to sell you stolen IP I can't imagine how you would produce a knock off cable. The lighting connectors and auth chips are really tightly controlled.

Plus, it's doubtful that any of the rigorous certification testing takes place on these knockoffs and the spec is really easy to get wrong. So yeah, I've got no sympathy for this guy at all.

I actually don't see a problem with Apple's MFi program. Back in 2013, a woman in China was electrocuted by her iPhone 4 due to a non-OEM charger:

http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1283818/woman-electro...

To quote from the article: “Knockoff chargers sometimes cut corners,” Xiang said. “The quality of the capacitor and circuit protector may not be good, and this may lead to the capacitor breaking down and sending 220 volts of electricity directly into the cell phone battery.”

Apple trying to enforce its quality standards on the charging system seems completely reasonable -- yes, even if it means that the end-user has to pay for the quality. Most Apple customers are actually looking for that quality and willing to pay for it.

There is a great teardown analysis of Apple and knock-off chargers at Ken Shirriff's blog:

http://www.righto.com/2014/05/a-look-inside-ipad-chargers-pr...

http://www.righto.com/2012/05/apple-iphone-charger-teardown-...

Anecdotes are not data but I've got plenty of mileage from Lightning cables bought from the local Poundland - since they cost £1, I'm more than reasonably sure they're not paying the $4 license fee for MFi.

Sounds more likely that his cheap cable broke (as they do) and just plain didn't work any more.

Actually it did not break. It is still in mint condition. I have maybe used it a dozen times.

Source: http://www.mobileburn.com/22031/news/ios-7-blocks-uncertifie...

I've had every Lightning-enabled iPhone (bar the 6+) and iPod since their introduction and I've never experienced this problem with unlicensed cables. But trading anecdata is going to get us nowhere...

why does walmart occasionally pay $100,000 in an injury lawsuit from tacking a shoplifter who stole $10 of stuff? because the accumulative effects of doing nothing will cost far more than $100,000

Does it actually not charge, or just warn that it might not work reliably?

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