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.