Genuine Apple MacBook chargers cost around £70–£80, which is why many owners end up using cheaper alternatives. If that’s you, you likely fall into one of two groups:
- You knowingly bought a non-genuine charger and saved up to £60
- You don’t realise your charger isn’t genuine
If you’re in the second group, it’s worth checking — now.
How to Identify a Genuine Apple Charger
A real Apple charger will include all of the following:
- The phrase “Designed by Apple in California” clearly printed
- A serial number near the mains connection (you may need to remove the country-specific plug head to see it)
If your charger lacks these markings, it is not an Apple charger — regardless of what the seller claimed. Dispose of it now. If funds dont allow purchase of a new genuine charger buy a used genuine charger.
Genuine Apple chargers are solid, well-finished, heavy and, yes, reassuringly expensive. Look-alikes fall short in every respect.
You dont need an expensive USB charger lead – an Amazon basics £5 lead is fine – what is vital is that it is undamaged.
Why This Matters More Than You Think
Many people assume the charger connects directly to the battery. It doesn’t.
The charger connects to your MacBook’s logic board, which first communicates with the charger, verifies it and then requests the correct voltage. This process relies on properly designed electronics inside the charger.
Cheap or fake chargers always cut corners:
- Poor-quality or missing components
- Inadequate or non-existent filtering
- Little or no protection against mains voltage spikes and surges
The result? Those spikes could travel straight into the logic board, damaging it and requiring a logic board repair.
The Real Cost of a “Cheap” Charger
A fake look-alike charger may power your MacBook today.
What it may also do is instantly destroy it tomorrow.
I see the consequences regularly: logic boards damaged by low-quality chargers that saved a few pounds upfront but caused hundreds in repairs.
If your charger didn’t come directly from Apple take a moment to check it.
That £60 saving could cost you far more.
p.s. I’ve no problem with powering your MacBook from a battery power bank that supports Power Delivery (PD) protocol (e.g.Ugreen, Anker) – as there are no mains power spikes involved. I would also trust mains chargers from well known good manufactures (e.g. Dell, Lenovo, HP).
