Iphone 5 charger keeps on breaking.

I have also gone through many chargers, and never had this issue with my 3GS. People are coming here to try and find solutions. Oh yeah, my iphone5 is over a year old so your warrantly answers aren't helping either. I am hoping Apple recognizes the issue and does something to update the cable. I have gone through nearly 20 of them. Initially I had bought some aftermarket ones that fried quickly, so I went to Apple originals and they last longer but still crap out.

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I had the same thing happen to me on two different Apple charger,s it was on my original iPhone 5 charger and a 12 watt brick (Model: A1401) Apple charger. Both of these chargers have failed charging my iPhone 5 within the past month. Like many users I have purchased multiple chargers, whether as a backup or as replacement for an older charger that was showing their age or ceased to work. I cannot see how 2 different types of Apple chargers could fail me in the same month, while charging the same exact device. I am thinking my originally replaced iPhone is defective.

I called AppleCare to get replacement chargers to cover my losses, they only initially accepted one claim. I had to basically question Apple's commitment to its products. The AppleCare rep initially would not replace the Model: A1401 charger because it was purchased at Best Buy. It was well out of the 30 day return policy but well within the year Apple covers. In the end I won and will be receiving replacement for both devices.

It's time to call Apple and get my AppleCare iPhone 5 replaced.

So it seems "Apple" likes to delete posts pointing to a better charging product for a fraction of the cost... A little sensitive are we?

The solution is simple, go to ebay, look for Iphone 5 chargers, can't vouch for many of them but there is one particular brand I can; they are flat, durable, don't tangle, and come in many colors, you can't miss them. They are 65 cents a cord and are far superior quality. Very very easy to find on ebay, go with those, quit using these garbage lightning cables.

Oh wow, they actually deleted the post linking to a product on ebay that looks pretty good.

So rather than saying 'yeah they are crap, we are looking into it' they are stopping people from getting a decent cable for a product that costs upwards of £600.

Probably against the forum T&S, but whatever.

Shows this post is being modded pretty well.

The Lightning technology is patented. Which means that anyone selling products that use it must be licensed by Apple to sell their cables. There are some aftermarket device manufacturers that are licensed, and many more that are making ripoffs. iOS 7 checks that the cable is licensed, and the cable will not work if it is not ("charging is not supported with this accessory"). It isn't just a cable; there is a microcircuit in the cable that separates analog and digital signals so audio and video can go over the cable. Any cable missing this microcircuit will not perform all of the functions of an Apple or a licensed cable. I doubt very much that a cable that includes the microcircuit could be even manufactured for the price some cables are sold for on eBay.

In addition, Apple has an interest in user protection, as a user died from electrocution last year using an after-market charging system.

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The Lightning technology is patented. Which means that anyone selling products that use it must be licensed by Apple to sell their cables. There are some aftermarket device manufacturers that are licensed, and many more that are making ripoffs. iOS 7 checks that the cable is licensed, and the cable will not work if it is not ("charging is not supported with this accessory"). It isn't just a cable; there is a microcircuit in the cable that separates analog and digital signals so audio and video can go over the cable. Any cable missing this microcircuit will not perform all of the functions of an Apple or a licensed cable. I doubt very much that a cable that includes the microcircuit could be even manufactured for the price some cables are sold for on eBay.

In addition, Apple has an interest in user protection, as a user died from electrocution last year using an after-market charging system."

As quoted from either an Apple support worker or Mod working for the forums....

I know this case well, the cord in question was in fact an licensed apple product. This came up in our PIA in January. The electrocution did not result from the cord or the Iphone itself, but another external factor.

If we wan't talk to talk about "Charging is not supported by this accessory" then why exactly does Apple's lightning cable itself, right out of the box give this message 75% of the time while charging? Apple's own lightning cable in which they sell for $25-$40 (depending on where you go) isn't licensed for their own products? Scam anyone? Of course when this message comes up, it stops charging, which of course wears on the battery (go figure).

The cables the other person posted, the nice flat durable ones that come in different colors and are 65 cents have that "accessory not supported" message come up less frequently. The best thing is, it still charges even despite the message. Since I started using these 65 cent chargers, I've seen the "accessory not supported" message pop up 2 times in 4 months. Apple's own lightning cable purchased directly from Apple, this would be a daily occurence. 8-10x a day that message would pop up due to it cutting off charging.

I ask you again people, which is the better charger to use? The one costing 65 cents that consistently and reliably charges the Iphone 5 with no problems, or Apple's $25-$40 charger that continually cuts off charging, breaks, and is completely unreliable.

Apple, in all honesty customer loyalty goes a long way in retaining your customers. This debacle you created with not only the Iphone 5 but the cable as well will turn a good chunk of your users away. Your best bet, the perfect scenario if you will. give your lightning cables out for free, as many people want, and as often as they want. That is the only way you'll retain your customers at this point.

I have never gotten a "not supported" message using an Apple cable. Probably because I don't let lint accumulate in my lightning port. But if I ever got such a message I would clean the connector, which almost certainly would fix it.

My genuine apple cables give me the message right before the cable stops working. It has nothing to do with lint. It's crappy chargers. I got a 5s in December, now we're in march so it's lasted about 10 weeks roughly what my chargers were lasting with my 5 too. I had a 4 for 2 years and not a single problem with the cable. The cable is still working fine almost 3 years later as a friend has my old 4. My 5 and 5s cables don't even last 3 months.

I also have had a number of Lightning Cables fail-we have 4 iPhone 5s in the family. Apple will rpelace them because I have AppleCare, but it is a pain. I bought ten extra genuine Apple cables to use with all of my old Apple chargers from prior iPods and iPhones.

The Apple 2 meter long Lightning cables are much heavier and more durable. They also tend to get flexed less at the ends, since they are longer and don't get pulled as much. I think the 1 meter cable is too short for many locations and the ends get overstressed.

I am sure Apple will adress the problem-I have never had a compaint they didn't resolve, and I have iMac (2011), iPad, MacBook Pro and have been through every version of iPod and iPhone.

Well here is another good one; my boss here just picked up the new Iphone 5s or whatever it's called, and got his gf the Iphone 5. Right out of the box, both of the phones get "accessory not supported" message with apple's lightning cable. This is beyond ridiculous to the point it's amusing. Luckily has several of those phone chargers from China for 63 cents, if not, neither of them would have an Iphone that worked after the battery was dead.

Westcoaster35 wrote:

Well here is another good one; my boss here just picked up the new Iphone 5s or whatever it's called, and got his gf the Iphone 5. Right out of the box, both of the phones get "accessory not supported" message with apple's lightning cable.

Then they should take the phones, cables & cahrgers back to Apple to get checked out.

Luckily has several of those phone chargers from China for 63 cents, if not, neither of them would have an Iphone that worked after the battery was dead.

and they may regret using those 63 cent chargers...

-> http://www.righto.com/2012/03/inside-cheap-phone-charger-and-why-you.html

A safer way to remove the lint, and really remove all of it, is with a can of compressed air, which you can buy from an electronics store, like Radio Shack. I know this seems like a pain, but the can lasts for years and you probably should do it every so often anyway.

A company that is known for having a very faithfull middle class clientele around the globe by all means should be doomed if it really thinks that it can get away with this. It is not imaginable for many of their customers to turn up regularly at an Apple Store to have cables replaced or fixed. We are a household of 7, and it is hard to even count the Apple devices in use here. Four of them ar iPhone/iPod 5. The number of Apple devices used here is going to decrease. I am p.... off.

Misery loves company so I am loving this discussion, while equally hating Apple for such a flaky charging cable design. Seems stupid that after buying every generation of the iPhone for a decade I am going to be switching because of the friggin plug.

I'm with everyone on this. That I could search for "why does my iphone charger keep breaking" and the website turn up a windfall of results suggests that Apple is doing a poor job of making sturdy chargers. This isn't my first time with a shoddily made Apple product--I was constantly having the same issue with my iBook's adapter back around '04-'08.

Yes, you have a few Apple nerds on here who will defend Apple to death and suggest that they've never had a charger issue and that we're all a bunch of barbarians when handling our equipment, but that is not the case in any sense. I feel like I'm playing that old Operation game trying to remove my adapter so that it won't screw anything up, only to find that it's stopped working anyway.

Chargers should be able to handle normal wear. End of story. A shoddily made product is just that and deserves to be refunded if it breaks. None of my other cables/chargers from other companies break like this.

I sincerely hope Apple isn't intentionally designing these products poorly to exploit the customer. I feel very irritated right now.