4 ms·

I only use Apple chargers in my house, even for non Apple devices. I’m not saying Apple is the only quality charger, but I have no real methodology to assess th

I only use Apple chargers in my house, even for non Apple devices. I’m not saying Apple is the only quality charger, but I have no real methodology to assess the quality of any other brand.

throwaway4485we 6y ago
>I have no real methodology to assess the quality of any other brand But then how did you assess the quality of Apple's chargers? Can the same methodology not be applied then to other brands as well?
- Judgmentality 6y ago
  Nobody else has Apple's resources for supply management, nor are they as large a target for getting sued - Apple has the ability and incentive to sell safe products.
  - ChuckNorris89 6y ago
    And Samsung, Panasonic, LG, SONY, Lenovo, Dell, HP and every other major electronics brand don't? How so?
    - Judgmentality 6y ago
      Apple is bigger and has better control of their supply chain. Similarly, those large companies would also likely build safe products, but it would be slightly less of a safe bet. Overall most of those companies have excellent track records, but I bet everybody still remembers the exploding batteries from Samsung. Meanwhile, Sony actually has a pretty spotty track record (depending on where privacy and safety overlap for you), but most people have forgotten the root kit scandal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_BMG_copy_protection_rootkit_scandal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_BMG_copy_protection_rootk...
- spoonjim 6y ago
  Their size and demonstrated product quality in other areas, plus this guy’s tear down: http://www.righto.com/2012/05/apple-iphone-charger-teardown-quality.html http://www.righto.com/2012/05/apple-iphone-charger-teardown-...
  - ChuckNorris89 6y ago
    >Their size How do you judge the quality and safety of charger purely by size? Is bigger safer, or is smaller safer? And if so, why don't other brands of the same size meet your quality standard based on that yardstick. >and demonstrated product quality in other areas Like their multi-year run of defective butterfly keyboards or hinge design that would cut through the MacBooks display cable over time causing the famous "stagelight effect" AKA "flexgate" where you'd being charged $600 to fix the $6 ribbon cable[1]? [1]https://www.extremetech.com/computing/284236-some-apple-laptops-require-600-repair-to-fix-6-problem-flexgate https://www.extremetech.com/computing/284236-some-apple-lapt... Edit: Ah, I see the downvotes are already here. I guess criticism of Apple with proof is not tolerated on HN.
    - thaumasiotes 6y ago
      > How do you judge the quality and safety of charger purely by size? I'm pretty sure spoonjim was referring to the size of Apple, not the size of the chargers they make.
      - ChuckNorris89 6y ago
        Ok, but then there are other huge electronics brands like Samsung or Sony. Why don't they qualify as "safe" by this metric?
        spoonjim 6y ago
        Samsung literally sold an exploding phone.
        6y ago
zorked 6y ago
There was one person who wrote deep reviews of things like chargers and battery packs (I think) on Amazon, checking for standards compliance and design safety. Does anyone remember who?
- x3iv130f 6y ago
  Benson Leung? He was famous for his reviews of USB-C products.
- helsinkiandrew 6y ago
  Not on Amazon, but Ken Sherrif has dome some superb teardowns and analysis of Apple and non Apple chargers http://www.righto.com/2012/05/apple-iphone-charger-teardown-quality.html http://www.righto.com/2012/05/apple-iphone-charger-teardown-... http://www.righto.com/2016/03/counterfeit-macbook-charger-teardown.html http://www.righto.com/2016/03/counterfeit-macbook-charger-te...
petercooper 6y ago
FWIW, I've only used Anker chargers and USB power blocks for the past several years (including as my main MBP power sources) and have had absolutely zero problems. No methodology but their brand now stands for reliability in my mind, at least.
- rurp 6y ago
  I stumbled on this brand a few years ago and the couple items of theirs I've bought have held up extremely well, which is quite a rarity in this product space.

I only use Apple chargers in my house, even for non Apple devices. I’m not saying Apple is the only quality charger, but I have no real methodology to assess the quality of any other brand.

throwaway4485we 6y ago

>I have no real methodology to assess the quality of any other brand But then how did you assess the quality of Apple's chargers? Can the same methodology not be applied then to other brands as well?

Judgmentality 6y ago
Nobody else has Apple's resources for supply management, nor are they as large a target for getting sued - Apple has the ability and incentive to sell safe products.
- ChuckNorris89 6y ago
  And Samsung, Panasonic, LG, SONY, Lenovo, Dell, HP and every other major electronics brand don't? How so?
  - Judgmentality 6y ago
    Apple is bigger and has better control of their supply chain. Similarly, those large companies would also likely build safe products, but it would be slightly less of a safe bet. Overall most of those companies have excellent track records, but I bet everybody still remembers the exploding batteries from Samsung. Meanwhile, Sony actually has a pretty spotty track record (depending on where privacy and safety overlap for you), but most people have forgotten the root kit scandal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_BMG_copy_protection_rootkit_scandal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_BMG_copy_protection_rootk...
spoonjim 6y ago
Their size and demonstrated product quality in other areas, plus this guy’s tear down: http://www.righto.com/2012/05/apple-iphone-charger-teardown-quality.html http://www.righto.com/2012/05/apple-iphone-charger-teardown-...
- ChuckNorris89 6y ago
  >Their size How do you judge the quality and safety of charger purely by size? Is bigger safer, or is smaller safer? And if so, why don't other brands of the same size meet your quality standard based on that yardstick. >and demonstrated product quality in other areas Like their multi-year run of defective butterfly keyboards or hinge design that would cut through the MacBooks display cable over time causing the famous "stagelight effect" AKA "flexgate" where you'd being charged $600 to fix the $6 ribbon cable[1]? [1]https://www.extremetech.com/computing/284236-some-apple-laptops-require-600-repair-to-fix-6-problem-flexgate https://www.extremetech.com/computing/284236-some-apple-lapt... Edit: Ah, I see the downvotes are already here. I guess criticism of Apple with proof is not tolerated on HN.
  - thaumasiotes 6y ago
    > How do you judge the quality and safety of charger purely by size? I'm pretty sure spoonjim was referring to the size of Apple, not the size of the chargers they make.
    - ChuckNorris89 6y ago
      Ok, but then there are other huge electronics brands like Samsung or Sony. Why don't they qualify as "safe" by this metric?
      - spoonjim 6y ago
        Samsung literally sold an exploding phone.
        6y ago

zorked 6y ago

There was one person who wrote deep reviews of things like chargers and battery packs (I think) on Amazon, checking for standards compliance and design safety. Does anyone remember who?

x3iv130f 6y ago
Benson Leung? He was famous for his reviews of USB-C products.
helsinkiandrew 6y ago
Not on Amazon, but Ken Sherrif has dome some superb teardowns and analysis of Apple and non Apple chargers http://www.righto.com/2012/05/apple-iphone-charger-teardown-quality.html http://www.righto.com/2012/05/apple-iphone-charger-teardown-... http://www.righto.com/2016/03/counterfeit-macbook-charger-teardown.html http://www.righto.com/2016/03/counterfeit-macbook-charger-te...

petercooper 6y ago

FWIW, I've only used Anker chargers and USB power blocks for the past several years (including as my main MBP power sources) and have had absolutely zero problems. No methodology but their brand now stands for reliability in my mind, at least.

rurp 6y ago
I stumbled on this brand a few years ago and the couple items of theirs I've bought have held up extremely well, which is quite a rarity in this product space.