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BY Doug Aamoth

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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.…