Bootleg Apple Products

Hi all. I'm very sick today and won't be able to do a proper post myself today, so my dad will be stepping in today. Hopefully I can get back to normal soon. Anyways, thanks for reading!

The other day I was walking with Alex (my son who is the creator of this blog) through Best Buy.  He was laser focused and marching quickly toward  the store clerk several aisles away restocking Amiibos, as I got distracted by a display of colorfully printed Apple EarPods.  These headphones were in the same square plastic case as the genuine Apple EarPods I had in my work bag.  Same shape and design, only they had bright colored patterns, each making its own fashion statement.  And, they were on sale for only $7. How could these be so cheap when the same Apple EarPods in white are sold for $29 at the Apple Store? They are knockoffs, counterfeits, of course, made in China.  Some fakes make their way to brick and mortar stores like BB.  Apple doesn't like counterfeits, and takes this seriously, not so much because they are losing revenue, but because these cheaply made products more often have poor performance, can cause electric shocks and even fires.  What thriving company wants the word ‘fire’ attached to their electronic products (Samsung, anyone?)? This year Apple analyzed the products being sold on Amazon that claimed to be Apple-branded accessories.  They now believe that nearly 90 of these online products are fakes. Although Amazon “allowed” counterfeit products to be sold through the website, Amazon itself hasn’t sold these knockoffs.  “Fulfillment by Amazon” items, stored in Amazon warehouses by third party merchants, were most guilty being counterfeit. Amazon itself hasn’t been selling the fake Apple accessories.  What can you do?  Buy directly from Apple, in the store, or on their online store. If you still want to buy accessories that are not genuine, you can first check them out on Fakespot and read reviews to help determine the quality of each.

Need a battery charger?

Today, I got my AmazonBasics battery charger. What a deal! I got it on sale for $9.98 plus tax (usually $39.99). It comes with a battery charger, 4 rechargeable batteries, and a ton of power adapters for the US, UK, European Union, and China. How awesome is that?! I don't know when (or if) the sale will end, so I suggest you buy it ASAP. I hope to do a review soon. Thanks.

Click here to go to this product on Amazon!

The package

The four batteries

The power adapters

The wall charger

Cheap Products: Lightning to 30-Pin Adapter

Well, it's the same deal with the Micro-USB adapter. Different product than advertised. But, does it work? Yes. So, I'm fine with that. Unfortunately, I need some more time reviewing the product and I should get back to you about that soon. Until then. #LikeAGeek

Cheap Products: Lightning to Micro USB Adapter

Do you have an iPhone 5, iPad Mini, or anything that uses the new Lightning connector? If so, this is for you! Here's what the series is about. I was looking for adapters for my iPhone 5. But the ones made by Apple are SO expensive. No offense Apple. Anyways, I found some cheaper items for free shipping. They cost around $2 each. Don't ask me why they are so cheap. There is a catch. They're shipped from China. That means that it takes AT LEAST 11 days to deliver. If you want faster shipping, it's $30. You're better off buying the ones sold by Apple for $20 and free two-day shipping. Yesterday, my first package arrived. It only took 11 days. My other packages are taking 44 days to deliver, so this is a treat. This package has the Lightning to Micro USB Adapter. So, let's put this to the test. Does it work and is it worth it? Right out of the box, there's a huge error. It looks completely different than the product advertised. It was supposed to look like the adapter made by Apple, but instead, it looks strange. The edges are messed up. And if you look at the reviews, rage is what you read.

"Product send was a fake. It was not the authentic Apple adapter pictured. It is not the same size. It does not have the pictured logo on the product. It's clearly a fake."

- TXShopper 

Product advertised

Product delivered

However, I must say that it does work and does what it's advertised to do. However, it appears that some people's adapters came broken. You may have to take a chance when buying this. Good luck!

To see or buy the product described, click here.