

Let’s get into the insides, the place where the differences become stark. Apple’s will be secure yet operate smoothly The fake MagSafe has uneven seams.

The collapsible cord holder tabs can also be looser, or sometimes they can be harder to extend. This often leads to the seams being less-than-perfect. Apple has fairly strict manufacturing standards, while the cheap ones usually don’t. There also may be noticeable differences in the seams. Not a huge difference, but it is noticeable. When I weighed the two 85W chargers I was comparing, the OEM weighed in at 306 grams and the knockoff was 200 grams. Again, the easiest way to know is holding a known OEM MagSafe in one hand and the suspect one in the other hand and comparing. One quick test is the weight. Often knockoffs will be lighter since they use cheaper smaller components. There are a few other indicators that a MagSafe is not real. One quick test is the weight. Often knockoffs will be lighter since they use cheaper smaller components. Again, the easiest way to know is holding a known OEM MagSafe in one hand and the suspect one in the other hand and comparing. This information is stored in a microchip in the MagSafe connector, so it may be the knockoff simply used the wrong one. One thing I have noticed is that a good knockoff may be labeled as a certain wattage, but the System recognized it as a different wattage.
#BOOM COSMETICS KNOCKOFFS SERIAL NUMBER#
It is possible that the serial number doesn’t match anything, but since Apple has no way to search these serial numbers, I can not always recommend this as a reliable way to determine the authenticity of the MagSafe. Some knockoffs might not have this information, but sometimes good fakes do have some of the correct looking information that looks reliable to the untrained eye. This has all the information about the MagSafe, including the serial number. Go to About this Mac>System Report>Hardware>Power, then scroll to the bottom. Several sources online told me that you can also check the authenticity in the system information. I have seen some that have stayed on for close to five seconds, a sure sign they were fakes. This process takes a little over one second, causing a noticeable delay in the LED. The LED on fakes may also stay on after they unplugged. When it is satisfied everything is in order, it sends a signal to MagSafe internal chip to turn the LED on.
#BOOM COSMETICS KNOCKOFFS MAC#
There is a brief handshake protocol where the Mac looks to make sure everything is working correctly with the MagSafe. OEM MagSafe LEDs are turned on by the actual computer.

If the LED turns on right away, or in less than one second, it’s definitely a fake. The quickest way is to plug it into your MacBook. Luckily, there a few easy ways to tell a fake from the real thing, once you have them in your hands. Notice the knockoff (bottom) has darker text.īut let’s say you already bought one, or maybe you bought a MacBook secondhand and suspect it came with a less than reputable MagSafe. These differences can be hard to spot without a side by side comparison. There are a few cosmetic differences on the less than honest brands, often the lettering will be a slightly different shade, darker, or even a little blurry. Obviously, anything that advertises itself as third party should be taken as such. Of course, the easiest thing to do is make sure you buy your charger from a trusted source.Īt Beetstech, we make sure everything we send out is thoroughly tested before it reaches the customer. It used to be that knockoffs were easy to spot. Recently, these counterfeiters have started doing a pretty good job replicating Apple’s exterior design to look quite a bit like the OEM parts they are trying to replace. If you’re looking to buy a replacement charger and want to know if the one you are getting is real, it may be hard to tell. One of the most common Apple products, where knockoffs are passed as OEM, are MagSafe adapters. There was even a huge controversy a few years ago where Amazon was selling knockoffs as OEM Amazon has since fixed that particular issue, but knockoffs are still out there, and detecting them is getting harder. But in recent years, counterfeit electronics have surpassed nearly all other categories of counterfeit goods by dollar value, and Apple, being the de facto high-end electronics manufacturer, makes for a prime target.īut you’d never be caught buying counterfeit electronics, because you can tell the difference, can’t you? It happens in every industry, from clothes to food to tech. Anywhere premium products are produced, there are unsavory folks trying to make a quick buck selling cheap knockoffs.
