Are all iPhone charger adapters the same?

Lawrence Finch wrote:

It's a lot more than a power supply, such as the ability to tell the connected device what the capacity of the power source is. There is a lot special about them, that is not true of non-certified and counterfeit adapters, even ones that look identical to Apple's. Using a "brand x" adapter has killed people (literally). The all-important characteristic that makes the difference is input-output isolation, so that neither side of the AC power source connects to the 5 volt side, and that there is no failure mode that can result in loss of isolation. And that's where manufacturers cut corners.

I'm just saying that Apple doesn't really design the circuitry, and that high quality power adapters don't have to be approved by Apple. I do understand that there is a lot of junk out there, but the most important thing is to use something of high quality. Salcomp is the largest maker of power adapters in the world, and Apple is just one of their customers. There's nothing really special that Apple gets from Salcomp or Flextronics that other device manufacturers can't also get. I use a variety of power adapters including a mix of Apple OEM, Griffin, Belkin, and packaged with other devices.

But for the OP, I wouldn't worry about one that came in the box with a 5s. They're not all the same, but they're effectively interchangeable. Apple would consider them fully forwards and backwards compatible. I think the exception would be for a certain runs that were recalled, like the bladed ones that shipped with the iPhone 3G (about a decade ago) or the European recall.

Apple Ultracompact USB Power Adapter Exchange Program - Apple Support

Apple 5W European USB Power Adapter Exchange Program - Apple Support

y_p_w wrote:

It's really just a power supply. There's nothing really all that special about Apple's power supplies other than the industrial design and the modular nature of the plugs on everything larger than 5W supplies.

Well, not really. It's a lot more than a power supply, such as the ability to tell the connected device what the capacity of the power source is. There is a lot special about them, that is not true of non-certified and counterfeit adapters, even ones that look identical to Apple's. Using a "brand x" adapter has killed people (literally). The all-important characteristic that makes the difference is input-output isolation, so that neither side of the AC power source connects to the 5 volt side, and that there is no failure mode that can result in loss of isolation. And that's where manufacturers cut corners. Here are a few examples:

Apple iPod chargers - fake versus genuine - YouTube

EEVblog #388 - Fake Apple USB Charger Teardown - YouTube

And Apple's help article:

How to identify counterfeit and imitation Lightning connector accessories

None of this is of interest to itsmowgli, who asked about genuine Apple power sources. But since the subject has come up, for other readers, it's important to be clear.

It should be fine. Apple has (or had) multiple suppliers (where each supplier might have a different circuit design and materials), although each one is considered interchangeable. The name of the manufacturer (plus a serial number) should be on the adapter. I looked at the 3 Apple 5W US-bladed adapters I have and they're each made by a different company - Flextronics, Salcomp, and Artesyn.

It's really just a power supply. There's nothing really all that special about Apple's power supplies other than the industrial design and the modular nature of the plugs on everything larger than 5W supplies.

Gabe_Goffin wrote:

as long as it is mifi certified it should work

An Apple iPhone 5S power source is certainly MfI certified 😉

as long as it is mifi certified it should work

Note that the OP said "charger adapter", which is rather specific.

Well, "charger" has different meanings to different people. But regardless of whether you mean the cable (which is not a charger, it's a Lightning cable) or the power source (which is not a charger, it's a USB power source) An Apple Lightning Cable or an Apple power source is certainly MfI certified.

The "charger" for any iOS device is a chip inside the phone.

Lawrence Finch wrote:

Gabe_Goffin wrote:

as long as it is mifi certified it should work

An Apple iPhone 5S power source is certainly MfI certified 😉

I believe technically it's not (since MFi is only for licensed 3rd party accessories) but I think it's safe to say it's Apple-approved.

Yes, but you can charge an iPhone X much faster with an Apple USB 3 power source or an iPad power source.

talking about the cable.