The infamous Galaxy Note 7 fiasco is no secret. It has caused Samsung millions of dollars and also hurt their reputation severely. Admirably, Samsung admitted the fault and not only refunded the users in full, but also apologized publicly for the catastrophe. But that was the very rare case where the company has admitted the fault.
In the history, we’ve seen quite a lot of phone catching the fire out of nowhere. Most people blame the phone manufacturer for the loss, and accuse them for using cheap materials and flawed designs — but is it always the case?
Of course, not.
Fake Charger – Is It Worth It?
Barring the Note 7, it is mostly the user’s fault that causes the phone to go up in flames, and in most cases, a cheap, third-party charger has caused the debacle as per research.
A new research carried out by UK consumer protection group Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has shown that a fake charger is almost guaranteed to be dangerous.
For research, the investigators purchased 400 different Apple chargers. All chargers were bought online and from different retailers. Shockingly, out of those 400 chargers, only 3 chargers managed to pass the “basic safety test”.
They also tested a number of other items obtained from charities and 2nd hand shops, and the testing shows that around 15% to 27% of the items were also unsafe.
Although the investigators did not delve into details to explain their tests and the type of dangers that fake chargers possess, but the study clearly showed that 99% of the fake chargers are dangerous for your phone.
Be Smart And Buy Genuine Products
A cheap charger may give you a benefit in short term, however, keep in mind that it is going to cost you in long term. Perhaps it could be cheap materials or faulty designs, or whatever it is, you should avoid using fake chargers, at all cost. Also, whenever you grab a second-hand device, make sure you are getting a genuine charger and cables, and check for any irregularities on the device.
