Apple USB Power Adapter for iPod/iPhone (NEWEST VERSION)
by Apple Computer
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List Price: Our Price: $7.00 You Save: $22.00 (76%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here) Category: Network Media Player See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Apple USB Power Adapter for iPod/iPhone (NEWEST VERSION)
Customer Review: Summing things up
Summary: 3 Stars
I'm writing this review minutes after I received the item in the mail. I think I will sum up the previous reviews, as well as add some of my personal observations.
1. This product is probably fake. As mentioned in a different review, designed is spelled incorrectly (spelled 'designd') and the text is hard to read. However, it is small and portable.
2. It seems that buying this product is a gamble. Some chargers work, and others come in terrible condition. My charger came looking like new, in bubble wrap and a sealed plastic bag. Some other people came with the prongs broken, one person had theirs arrive dirty and scratched up. Consider it a 50/50 chance of getting a nicer one.
3. Once you receive the charger, whether it works or not is a different story. Again, this is a gamble (which I took because the charger cost about $[...] in total). The the worst things the charger can do are (1) not charge your device, (2) temporarily mess up your device or, as one review mentioned, (3) crash your device or computer. Some people have noted that the adapter works perfectly, some have noted that it is a scam. As of right now, the adapter is charging my iPod touch 3G 32gb. My only problem is that when i plug my ipod into it, the touch screen acts strangely (e.g. tapping and holding on the screen behaves as though i were tapping all over the screen or dragging my finger wildly, which I noticed when I was adjusting brightness and when I was going through my music library). As soon as i take my ipod out of the adapter, everything is perfectly normal. Hopefully, nothing permanent will result.
4. The green dot in the picture is not a light, it is just a green dot that isn't even visible when you plug the adapter in.
5. This does not come with a cable, just the block-like adapter.
Overall I give the adapter a 3 out of 5. It charges my iPod (but I have no idea for how long, as some have said that it breaks after days, weeks, or 2 months). However, I am a little concerned about permanent damage because it causes my device to work strangely when plugged in. 5 stars for ease of use because you just plug stuff in. 2 stars for working, because it works but affects my ipod, 3 stars for being what I ordered because I expected it to be a strange product but the effects on my ipod are unexpected. Buyer beware, but I think it's worth a shot. Thanks for reading this long review.
Customer Review: perfect for the price
Summary: 5 Stars
not sure why ppl are complaining that this doesn't have a cable with it like apple sells it. your ipod comes with a cable! i needed one for a 2nd generation ipod shuffle. it is being given as a gift to someone who doesn't have a computer. i did not want to pay $29 for it from apple. so i got 2, from mygift.com for $18.37 w/shipping. it works perfectly with the shuffle.
the 2nd one is for my husband's ipod touch. i can't complain on the price and the shipping was worth it. i ordered it on saturday, it shipped on saturday and arrived on monday! i live in MA and the packaged was sent from WA state. it made it clear across the country in 2 days. i'm amazed.
it would have cost me $58 plus shipping to buy 2 of these from apple with the usb cables (which i so don't need another one of those). so i save myself over $40.
btw - these are the green dot ones (from mygift.com). so they are the good ones. i wouldn't risk buying one of those elcheapo ones that have reviews on them frying ipods. this is perfect for me.
ps - these look like they are cheap to make. it is upsetting that apple quit putting adapters in with the ipods like they used to. they are getting greedy and charging an extra $29 (with the 2nd cable that you don't need)
for one. like we aren't spending enough on the ipods. it's ridiculous. luckily my nano works with the adapter my original ipod came with but my husband's new touch won't charge on either of the old ones we have, hence i had to buy a 2nd one. luckily i found it cheaper on mygift. i'm sure in a couple of years this one won't work with the newer ipods and the cycle begins again.
Customer Review: At First Defective
Summary: 3 Stars
I suppose there are defective units floating about, and I have seemed to get one first. I had to go to the local Apple Store to help troubleshoot, and they confirmed that the problem was the unit. Great to have honest Apple Geniuses! The vendor refused to pay for return shipping, a small item, so be aware when seeking a low price. It took awhile, but my replacement Apple USB power adaptor finally arrived. I tested it on my new (late 2009) Shuffle and it worked. I then recharged my new late 2009 Touch, and the obvious problem is that there is no light to indicate when the charging is completed. It took about two hours for me to wait to determine the status of the recharge as full, so that was that.
This was the most unsatisfactory experience I have had with ordering from Amazon, via though another retailer, but you can't complain about the low price. I knew there was some catch to the reduced price, so that was it. If you are willing to make returns and troubleshoot the problems, go ahead and order. I have lots of time, so it's worth it to me. I intended to use my iPod while on the road, so I needed a recharger. I don't plan to buy a MacBook, so this was the way to go. Now I can recharge at will as long as I have a power outlet, and can use my devices as frequently and profusely as I wish, pretty much. My older USB power adaptors were found to be incompatible with my new late 2009 iPods, so this presently does the job. Beware of older adaptors, even as they state compatible, as Apple must have changed the battery to not be functional with some third party manufacturers devices.
Customer Review: Watch out for FAKES and KNOCK-OFFs
Summary: 1 Stars
For a month I've been using what looks like and official Apple AC charger ordered from a 3rd party (inspiretech) on Amazon for my 3rd gen iPod Touch. I had my suspicions when sometimes I plugged the iPod in it says "charging not supported by this accessory", and other times the charging "lightning bolt" appears and it charges but not all the way, usually to 95%.
Last night the iPod was charging with the "lightning bolt" indicator, but in the morning when I unplugged it the battery was only at 15%!!!!
I read wang.l's "Fake all the way" review here and he points out knock-offs of this Apple charger have a typo in the phrase "Designed by Apple in California" on the bottom of the charger, spelling it "Designd". A magnifying glass revealed, sure enough, mine was also a knock-off!
I agree the real Apple-branded AC charger is overpriced, but I'm not going to trust my 64gig Touch to a FAKE Apple-branded AC charging adapter... especially one that doesn't work right. I'm glad my iPod wasn't harmed by this charger (at least I hope it wasn't), but there are other charging options -- STAY AWAY FROM KNOCK-OFFS.
Thanks wang.l for bringing this to my attention, and hopefully his review and this one will alert people to the cheap junk, fakes, and knockoffs that 3rd party vendors are selling through Amazon.
Customer Review: FAKE! But it kinda works... (purchased from DigiAids)
Summary: 1 Stars
So, first off the product works - kinda. The wall adapter will charge my iphone when I use a different USB cable. The cable will not charge, and it also would not data transfer.
I have an OEM USB cable and wall adapter so I was able to carefully compare to the ones that arrived...
Differences in the wall adapter:
- the serial number and other information printed on the back is blurry (suspicious?)
- the white border around the back is slightly thinner than my OEM
- on my OEM, the USB hole is at the bottom (when you plug in green dot side down), whereas this one the USB plug is at the top
- looking inside the USB hole, you can see that the white plastic is thinner than the original
Differences in the cord:
- this cord is much lighter, and shorter
- on the USB side of the cord, the OEM has apple logo on one side with USB on the other (this one only has USB symbol)
- the side plugging into the iphone has no side release buttons
My conclusion is that this is a FAKE. The wall adapter does have a serial number, but the print job is too blurry to read and the product itself is of poor quality. I purchased my item from DIGIAIDS. Steer clear of this one!