A picture posted on Reddit, the largest community in the United States, is drawing attention. The user @NoisilyMarvellous revealed an image of a USB-C cable that had burned and left only the port while charging an iPhone 15 Pro Max. The post drew attention with over 2,000 comments.
Just charged it, and the whole cable melted
The user reported a concerning incident involving their iPhone charging routine. They mentioned that they had charged their iPhones as usual but had experienced severe overheating overnight. Initially, they dismissed it as a common occurrence. Over the past month, their iPhone 15 Pro Max had frequently exhibited overheating issues during charging. Since other users had also encountered similar problems, they didn’t consider it a significant concern.
However, the situation took a serious turn when the heating became so intense that it caused burns on their fingers. Upon stopping the charging process and inspecting the device, they discovered that some of the cable’s plastic had melted, leaving visible burn marks. Moreover, only the USB-C port section of the cable remained stuck inside the iPhone when they attempted to remove it.
iPhones with a broken charging port must be repaired at an Apple Store or official center. However, the user did not have AppleCare, so the repair cost is expected to be significant. BGR, an IT specialist media outlet, reported charging wirelessly until the repair is completed.
What was the cause of the fire?
The user’s iPhone was set to Optimized Battery Charging. This feature lets the iPhone learn the user’s daily charging pattern to slow battery aging. When the power exceeds 80%, it stops charging and completes the remaining charge according to the device usage time. Foreign media reported that many iPhone users use this feature, so it is unlikely to be the direct cause of the fire.
Many Reddit users pointed to the charging cable as the cause. They questioned whether a low-cost cable was used, not an authentic or officially certified product. The user revealed they charged with a low-cost adapter and USB-C cable purchased from Amazon.
It would be best if you used an authentic cable
Apple does not recommend using low-cost charging cables. Using poor-quality cables cannot minimize stable charging and malfunctions due to overcurrent. If you look online, there are stories of people who have used low-cost cables for a long time, and the charging port has been crushed, causing a short circuit. In severe cases, it can lead to a fire, not just overheating or damage to the motherboard. To prevent this, it is best to use an authentic cable as much as possible, and among third-party products, Apple-certified products are recommended.
How do we distinguish counterfeit cables?
The counterfeit cables look very similar to the authentic ones, making it difficult to distinguish them by sight. Many counterfeit products exist even if they are sold in large shopping malls like Amazon. According to a 2016 survey by the UK’s Consumer Protection Agency (CTSI), over 90% of the Apple chargers sold on Amazon were found to be counterfeit. Of the 400 counterfeits subjected to safety inspections, only three were found to have insulation features to prevent electric shock accidents. Recently, not only iPhones but also iPads, Macs, and various wireless chargers have been widely distributed as counterfeits.
Apple has introduced a way to identify counterfeit cables on its official website. First, check whether the country of manufacture and serial number are written on the authentic cable. If it is authentic, there will be a 12-digit serial number after “Designed by Apple in California” and “Assembled in China,” “Assembled in Vietnam,” or “Indústria Brasileira” about 18cm (7 inches) away from the connector.
You can identify an Apple officially certified product by checking for the “Made for badge” on the box. The iPhone charging cable has a badge that says Made for iPhone. Apple also supports a separate service to search for certified accessories. By entering a model, trademark, or UPC/EAN on the site, you can more accurately check whether it is counterfeit.
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