Few manufacturers are chosen to make Apple-approved accessories. Here’s why.
Unauthorized third-party chargers and cables are available everywhere and usually at a lower price than authorized products. Most consumers know what a smartphone cable is and what it does. They assume that what’s inside the cable doesn’t matter, and therefore that what the cable is made of and who made it, makes no difference.
But for manufacturers of third-party devices for Apple products, such as charging docks or sound systems, incorporating unauthorized cables can lead to damage or failure of the product.

Lightning and 30-pin connectors. (Photo courtesy of Consolidated Wire.)
Many smartphones and tablets use device-specific cables for power charging and syncing data. The latest generations of iPhones and iPads in particular use a USB cable with a Lightning connector for both charging and data synchronization.
Certified products with the “Made For iPhone/iPad” logo are manufactured by authorized companies, but typically cost more.
If you specify a cheaper unauthorized cable for a device intended for use with an Apple product, it can have unexpected and potentially expensive consequences down the line.
Disadvantages of Unauthorized, Third-Party Cables
Low-Quality Materials
Unauthorized cables are made as economically as possible, often using poor quality materials, namely low-grade plastic compounds and electronic parts. Cabling and connectors can feel brittle and are prone to cracking from normal use.
Cable Failure
Unspecified cable failure is common, where the cable simply does not work right out of the package, or the device may not recognize that a cable is plugged in at all.
Unable to Sync or Transfer Data
Unauthorized cables generally will not support the transfer or synchronization of data between an iPad or iPhone and a computer. Apple devices can identify whether a component is MFi certified and unauthorized cables will cause the error message, “This cable or accessory is not certified and may not work reliably with this iPhone.”
Battery Overheating and Poor Charging
Authorized cables are built with a chip inside the Lightning connector itself that controls current being delivered to the battery. Unauthorized cables are missing this chip and so there is nothing controlling the current. This results in either poor charging performance or overheating of the battery.
Excess current can potentially fry the internal U2 C1 chip that controls battery recharging. To repair this chip can cost upwards of $100 – much greater than any savings achieved from the purchase of the cheaper cable.
Advantages of Certified “Made For iPhone/iPad” (MFi) Cables

Logo used for authorized Apple products. (Photo courtesy of Consolidated Wire.)
While authorized MFi cables are likely to be more costly than their unauthorized counterparts, MFi manufacturers are held to material and manufacturing quality standards. These ensure a predictable level of performance and safety for the user and the device.
The higher retail price of authorized cables and other charging accessories comes largely from the use of quality materials and parts, including the costs associated with becoming a certified MFi manufacturer.
Tim Duncan of Consolidated Electronic Wire and Cable shared their experience with the MFi certification process.

30-pin to USB connectors. (Photo courtesy of Consolidated Wire.)
“We’ve been doing this for about two and a half years now. We started manufacturing the 30-pin connector for the original iPad. When that came out, Apple wasn’t as strict as they are now, so when the Lightning connector was introduced to the market, they reassessed their supplier base and who could be approved,” Duncan said.
“You can go on the MFi Approval website and see that there are very few approved cable manufacturers. If you think about how many of these iPhones and iPads are sold worldwide, it’s a pretty small batch. But by Apple controlling what is plugged into the product, it ensures fewer defects in performance and functionality,” Duncan added.
It requires a significant investment for a manufacturer to become certified by Apple’s MFi licensing program. Apple is rigorous in managing their suppliers and manufacturers of accessories and other components.
To begin with, there is only one authorized supplier of the Lightning connector so any purchase of Lightning connectors for manufacturing that is not authorized through Apple means that the end product will be considered unauthorized.
The MFi certification process includes meeting with Apple representatives in North America and Beijing, to demonstrate the company’s manufacturing capabilities. Apple representatives will also tour and assess the facility.
A “Product Plan” must then be submitted to Apple, as well as submission fees and samples of all the different types of cables to be manufactured and Apple must approve each one. Certification also requires the purchase of Apple-approved software and testing analyzers to test cables to ensure they work properly.

Manufacturing of Lightning cables. (Photo courtesy of Consolidated Wire.)
All the costs for the certification process and maintaining manufacturing quality standards mean that the end product – a certified MFi cable or charging device – will be more costly, but it also ensures the best performance and safety.
Consolidated Electronic Wire and Cable is an MFi certified manufacturer of cables supplied to other authorized manufacturers of devices for charging iPads and iPhones. These include public pay-per-use charging lockers and kiosk stations, where cables are integrated into the design. They also manufacture power cables and other electronic cables for a variety of consumer and industrial products. You can learn more about Consolidated and their MFi-approved capabilities by visiting their website.
For more information on custom cable design and what a specialty cable manufacturer can do for your electronics product, download Consolidated Electronic Wire & Cable’s eBook, Key Considerations for Creating a Custom Cable. To download this resource, simply click here or select the button below.
Consolidated Electronic Wire and Cable has sponsored this post. It has no editorial input to this post. All opinions are mine. –Meghan Brown