When to buy Apple’s accessories (and which ones to buy cheaper elsewhere)

Dropping $1,200 on a brand-new iPhone only to have an Apple Store salesperson casually hand you a $49 silicone case and a $39 charging brick feels like a minor mugging. Yes, Apple’s accessory margins are legendary. The company has built a multibillion-dollar side business selling $19 polishing cloths and $39 plastic dongles, banking on the assumption that you will blindly buy official gear for everything just to keep your new device working safely. But that assumption is wrong. At the same time, going bottom-barrel cheap for certain power components can result in slow charging speeds, excessive heat, or degraded battery health. Knowing where to spend your money and where to save comes down to a few clear rules. Here’s a practical breakdown of which Apple accessories justify the official markup, and which ones you should buy third-party for a fraction of the price. Buy official MagSafe wireless chargers and power banks There are a few specific categories where buying official Apple gear is genuinely worth the price tag, mostly where precision engineering, thermal safety, and input latency come into play. MagSafe wireless chargers are a prime example. The official $39 Apple MagSafe …

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