Apple's iPhone Charger More Sophisticated Than You Might Expect

[Michael Essany]

When un-boxing your new iPhone for the first time, it's safe to say that you're probably drooling over the device too much to even notice the included charger, let alone appreciate its complex and surprisingly sophisticated internal components.

Fortunately, the charger is getting its rightful attention and praise this week in a new report highlighting the charger's guts. In a review summary provided by Ken Shirriff that was profiled by Engadget, a teardown of the charger is shedding light on why this little charger is so valuable and expensive.

"Apple's power adapter is clearly a high-quality power supply designed to produce carefully filtered power. Apple has obviously gone to extra effort to reduce EMI interference, probably to keep the charger from interfering with the touchscreen," he writes. "When I opened the charger up, I expected to find a standard design, but I've compared the charger to the Samsung charger and several other high-quality industry designs, and Apple goes beyond these designs in several ways."

"Apple's design provides extra safety in a few ways... the super-strong AC prongs, and the complex over-temperature / over-voltage shutdown circuit," Shirriff concludes. "Apple's isolation distance between primary and secondary appears to go beyond the regulations... Apple's iPhone charger crams a lot of technology into a small space. Apple went to extra effort to provide higher quality and safety than other name-brand chargers, but this quality comes at a high cost."

So with better quality and more expensive parts than most smartphone and tablet chargers on the market today, the new teardown is perhaps making some iDevice users more appreciative about the gadget's design and a little better about how much they may have paid for an iPhone charger at one time.

Source: Engadget

[Natedawgster]

Source link is off.

[Dranon]

Why show a picture of the cable when the article was about the charger and never even mentions the cable??

[jbardi]

Why show a picture of the cable when the article was about the charger and never even mentions the cable??

Why read an article just to waste all of our time nit-picking an irrelevant point?

[Alluziion]

Why read an article just to waste all of our time nit-picking an irrelevant point?

I don't think it's irrelevant; in fact, I agree with him/her.

[bigliquid530]

The cable is part of the charger

[Mrteacup]

They mentioned the first unblocking and that's what it looks like. Either way the pics are usually hardly relevant

[cmwade77]

I don't think it's irrelevant; in fact, I agree with him/her.

Same here, I was wondering the same thing.

[Chad711]

There's 7 comments, now 8, that are completely not constructive. Love the internet.

[Farmski]

IPhone cables are garbage, they are flimsy and the connection point between the cable and the plug end to the iPhone is weak.. Me and my mrs have got through 4 or 5 since we both got iPhone 4 18 months ago.. And £20 for official iPhone cables is a joke.. Can't wait till the change it! It's the crappest thing about iPhone closely followed by the standard headphones.. Another bag of pants..

[Jahooba]

Not only is the article NOT about the cable, but the cable in the image looks to be 3rd party

[haibane]

There's 7 comments, now 8, that are completely not constructive. Love the internet.

At least they didn't post an image from a cable that hasn't been made for 8 years... oh wait they are. There is a certain level of professionalism expected from a news site.

[Rokesomesmeefer]

IPhone cables are garbage, they are flimsy and the connection point between the cable and the plug end to the iPhone is weak.. Me and my mrs have got through 4 or 5 since we both got iPhone 4 18 months ago.. And £20 for official iPhone cables is a joke.. Can't wait till the change it! It's the crappest thing about iPhone closely followed by the standard headphones.. Another bag of pants..

My cable, the original cable that came with my 3GS, is still being used to charge both my iPad and iPhone 4. You do realize you're not supposed to hold the cable and swing your iPhone around like a lasso, right?

At least they didn't post an image from a cable that hasn't been made for 8 years... oh wait they are. There is a certain level of professionalism expected from a news site.

You must be new here.

[Radiome]

If I'm not mistaken, that image is of a charger cable to an older iPod, not a touch or iPhone. Could be wrong, but I'm almost certain of it.

[PoEtikly]

IPhone cables are garbage, they are flimsy and the connection point between the cable and the plug end to the iPhone is weak.. Me and my mrs have got through 4 or 5 since we both got iPhone 4 18 months ago.. And £20 for official iPhone cables is a joke.. Can't wait till the change it! It's the crappest thing about iPhone closely followed by the standard headphones.. Another bag of pants..

How about this......you and the Mrs. TAKE BETTER CARE OF THE "CRAP" YOU PAY FOR!!!! There issue solved. Wow, pretty simple. When people buy iPhones or just a smart phone for that matter they should know that it's not something to throw and toss around. Or in this case yank the cable from the wall or device. If either you can't take care of a device/phone that you pay good $ for then perhaps consider going back to a cheap nokia flip phone or one of those old Nextels that were the size and weight of a brick.

[TwistedSoul]

nice read!

[Farmski]

How about this......you and the Mrs. TAKE BETTER CARE OF THE "CRAP" YOU PAY FOR!!!! There issue solved. Wow, pretty simple. When people buy iPhones or just a smart phone for that matter they should know that it's not something to throw and toss around. Or in this case yank the cable from the wall or device. If either you can't take care of a device/phone that you pay good $ for then perhaps consider going back to a cheap nokia flip phone or one of those old Nextels that were the size and weight of a brick.

Cheers for that insightful rant, just assuring you that I take very good care of my phone,

And simply googling iPhone cable breaks easily I am instantly reassured that I'm not the only person to find out how shoddy iPhone cables are..

http://m.techcrunch.com/2011/08/09/m...-iphone-cable/

[sobeniceguy2]

I agree the AC adapter is very high quality. However, for many users the cable tends to break where the cable connects to the 30pin at the joint. Now in the above picture depicts an aftermarket cable with a reinforced point that connects it to the 30pin end which is a considerable improvement.

[Jupit3r]

Not only is the article NOT about the cable, but the cable in the image looks to be 3rd party

+1 thank you for the laughs. Good eye =P

[c0dy]

Gizmodo had a pic of the correct accessory AND they had the tear down pics.

Just sayin