PSA: Don’t buy these overpriced knock-off Apple Watch charging cables
Knock-offs of Apple’s official Apple Watch magnetic charging cables are now available to purchase from Amazon, but with a twist: unlike the real cables, which Apple sells for $29 to $39, the knock-offs from companies such as “Reiko,” “Somoder” and “WL” are going for $45 to $58. The $58 version is shipping now with delivery this week, while the $45 ones promise to ship at various times directly from China.
Marketed using Apple’s own images, the knock-offs provide few guarantees as to exactly what customers will get. Reiko calls its version “Data Cable for Apple Watch” even though the magnetic cables are used solely for charging, not for data. They all tout 100cm (1-meter) lengths comparable to Apple’s $29 cables and typically use pictures of the metal-clad Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Cable, but some of the postings additionally include shots of the all-plastic cable shipped with the Apple Watch Sport. All of the listings promise that the cable is “high temperature resistant,” with “shock absorption and good air permeability,” for whatever that’s worth.
Historically, sellers of cloned Apple cables have traded on (much) lower prices as a means to attract customers, but these vendors appear to be taking advantage of Amazon’s lack of official Apple cables to charge atypically high prices. For obvious reasons, we’d strongly suggest passing on the knock-offs in favor of the authentic, less expensive Apple alternatives.
