Apple warns Chinese customers to stick with official chargers

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
After a pair of iPhone-related electrocutions in China allegedly caused by unauthorized third-party chargers, Apple has added a section to its Chinese website helping users identify official iOS device chargers.

Charger


The page offers a look at official charger designs for the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPad mini, iPad with Retina display, and iPad 2. It was first noted on Thursday by CNet.

The website notes that Apple "always" puts the safety of its users first, and that products are "subject to stringent safety and reliability testing." The official chargers that come packaged with new iPhones and iPads are also designed to meet government safety standards from around the world.

The site comes after a pair of dangerous charger-related incidents occurred in China this month. In the more serious example, a woman died while using an iPhone 5 that was plugged into the wall to charge with a non-Apple adapter.

In the second incident, a man ended up in a coma after he was accidentally electrocuted using a third-party charger with his iPhone 4. It was said that the man was using a "counterfeit" adapter.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 56
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    When will a company just come out and say, "Hey. Idiots. You buy crap, you get screwed. Buy the real deal. This is your fault." They'd gain more respect than they "lost".
  • Reply 2 of 56
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member
    Some people looking to save a buck or two must not value their lives all that highly.

    Is a life worth $10 bucks? Mine certainly isn't.

    One thing is buying a cheap ass mouse or something like that, but it's a different story when buying electrical chargers. There are many official third party accessories made for Apple devices, and there's nothing wrong with buying those, it's the counterfeit accessories that people should steer clear of.

    The criminals who made the counterfeit chargers should be charged with murder. Maybe China can execute them. That seems to be a fitting punishment for murder by electrocution.
  • Reply 3 of 56


    Where was it reported that the woman who died was using a third party charger? All the original stories say she was using the charger that came with the phone.

  • Reply 4 of 56
    mikejonesmikejones Posts: 323member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Larry Doyle View Post


    Where was it reported that the woman who died was using a third party charger? All the original stories say she was using the charger that came with the phone.



    This is a picture from one of the Chinese stories about it.


     



     


    Since when does Apple make a charger that looks like that?  From:


     


    http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1283818/woman-electrocuted-while-answering-iphone-may-have-been-using-fake


     


    Geez, do you anti-Apple trolls even try anymore? It was reported all over the place that the charger was fake.

  • Reply 5 of 56
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    "or what?"
    "or you might die, that's what'
  • Reply 6 of 56
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    Even in the U.S. we hear sporadic reports of people getting "shocked" by their iDevices. Of course they fly into a rage against Apple, stating they are now afraid to use their Apple device. Makes one wonder if they too were using knock-off chargers.
  • Reply 7 of 56
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    dasanman69 wrote: »
    "or what?"
    "or you might die, that's what'

    "Buy from Apple. Because you might die otherwise." :devil:
  • Reply 8 of 56


    I'm not anti-Apple at all. I didn't see it reported in the mainstream media. Which is typical of Apple stories. Charges lede, facts are old news. Or the typical NY Times approach: APPLE IS DOING SOMETHING. Paragraph: so does everyone else.

  • Reply 9 of 56
    gustavgustav Posts: 827member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post



    When will a company just come out and say, "Hey. Idiots. You buy crap, you get screwed. Buy the real deal. This is your fault." They'd gain more respect than they "lost".


    Most companies feel that calling someone who just died using their product an "idiot" (even with a knockoff accessory) is not very good PR.


     


    Seriously, this is tragic. Someone died - why should that girl be expected to have the technical knowledge to know that cheaper chargers are dangerous to the point of being fatal? I'd bet you that most people believe the Apple charger costs more because it's from Apple and not because it is of higher quality.

  • Reply 10 of 56
    gtrgtr Posts: 3,231member


  • Reply 11 of 56
    freerangefreerange Posts: 1,597member
    mikejones wrote: »
    This is a picture from one of the Chinese stories about it.

    <img alt="" class="lightbox-enabled" data-id="28836" data-type="61" src="http://forums.appleinsider.com/content/type/61/id/28836/width/350/height/700/flags/LL" style="; width: 350px; height: 261px">


    Since when does Apple make a charger that looks like that?  From:

    http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1283818/woman-electrocuted-while-answering-iphone-may-have-been-using-fake

    Geez, do you anti-Apple trolls even try anymore? It was reported all over the place that the charger was fake.

    Actually it does look like an apple charger - the Hong Kong version that is plugged into an adapter in the photo as it won't work in most Chinese outlets. That is not to say it isn't a knockoff.

    Many iPhones in china are actually purchased in Hong Kong because there is no tax and the Chinese slap a 17% tax on all apple products even though they are made / assembled in china.
  • Reply 12 of 56
    mikejonesmikejones Posts: 323member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Larry Doyle View Post


    I'm not anti-Apple at all. I didn't see it reported in the mainstream media. Which is typical of Apple stories. Charges lede, facts are old news. Or the typical NY Times approach: APPLE IS DOING SOMETHING. Paragraph: so does everyone else.



    Right, you're not anti-Apple. You just created a new account today to seed FUD. Basically every tech site reporting it was mentioning that the charger was likely a fake and many were linking to the very story I linked and had that picture on it.

  • Reply 13 of 56


    Just checking around:


     


    Huffington Post, which bannered the story on its front page, never did an update.


     


    Fortune never did an update.


     


    Washington Post never did an update.


     


    Reuters, which first covered the story in the West, never did an update.


     


     


    Also found this:


     


    http://www.startribune.com/local/blogs/215539431.html

  • Reply 14 of 56
    mikejonesmikejones Posts: 323member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by FreeRange View Post





    Actually it does look like an apple charger - the Hong Kong version that is plugged into an adapter in the photo as it won't work in most Chinese outlets. That is not to say it isn't a knockoff.


    It looks nothing like an official Apple charger which is what the parents of the woman claimed it was. There is even a picture of the Chinese Apple charger in the posted article and it looks nothing like the charger in the picture I posted.

  • Reply 15 of 56
    mikejonesmikejones Posts: 323member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Larry Doyle View Post


    Just checking around:


     


    Huffington Post, which bannered the story on its front page, never did an update.


     


    Fortune never did an update.


     


    Washington Post never did an update.


     


    Reuters, which first covered the story in the West, never did an update.


     


     


    Also found this:


     


    http://www.startribune.com/local/blogs/215539431.html



    http://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news/woman-electrocuted-while-using-iphone-may-have-been-using-a-fake-charger-395499


    http://www.tuaw.com/2013/07/19/chinese-woman-electrocuted-by-iphone-may-have-used-an-unauthoriz/


    http://macdailynews.com/2013/07/19/unauthorized-non-apple-iphone-charger-cited-in-probe-electrocution-death-of-chinese-woman/


    http://www.idownloadblog.com/2013/07/19/unauthorized-charger-blame/


     


    Those are like among the top 5 links for "chinese woman electrocuted iphone" from Google. They all mentioned that it was likely fake or unauthorized. With the Tuaw one also including the picture I linked. Maybe you need to stop reading sites that have poor tech news reporting?

  • Reply 16 of 56

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by MikeJones View Post


    Right, you're not anti-Apple. You just created a new account today to seed FUD. Basically every tech site reporting it was mentioning that the charger was likely a fake and many were linking to the very story I linked and had that picture on it.



    Nope.


     


    That's my real name. And I wrote this:


     


    http://ideas.time.com/2011/12/06/the-media-is-eating-your-brains/


     


    I've also owned AAPL since it was at 12. And bought a good deal more since.


     


    By the way, most of the world doesn't follow the tech sites. So as far as they are concerned, an iPhone 5 killed that woman. 

  • Reply 17 of 56
    shrimpshrimp Posts: 22member
    **********************************
    tallest skil

    2013/07/25 10:07am

    When will a company just come out and say, "Hey. Idiots. You buy crap, you get screwed. Buy the real deal. This is your fault." They'd gain more respect than they "lost".


    *******************************

    That's why idiots like you will not gain any "respect".
  • Reply 18 of 56

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Larry Doyle View Post


    Just checking around:


     


    Huffington Post, which bannered the story on its front page, never did an update.


     


    Fortune never did an update.


     


    Washington Post never did an update.


     


    Reuters, which first covered the story in the West, never did an update.


     


     


    Also found this:


     


    http://www.startribune.com/local/blogs/215539431.html



     


    Larry, with all due respect, you must understand that 'news' has NOTHING to do with providing you or anyone else with the 'truth'. 


     


    You might find this interesting...


     


  • Reply 19 of 56
    rob53rob53 Posts: 3,241member


    This is the problem Apple and iPhone users have when trying to find a legitimate power adapter: http://www.alibaba.com/countrysearch/CN/power-adapter-for-iphone.html There's 42K items listed when searching for "power adapter for iPhone." 


     


    http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/620648292/Good_Quality_Micro_5W_5V_1A.html This one gives the Apple model number, A1205, but it doesn't mention Apple on it at all. All they say is OEM. This product is built in China and might be Apple's official supplier but it appears anyone can purchase these devices as long as you buy 50 of them for $16 each. It worries me if the manufacturer makes it this easy to purchase official Apple parts. Maybe this is a knockoff as well and just uses Apple's model number. A quick search of the Apple Store doesn't show this product but a search of the web still shows it as being available. How are people to know what is official Apple products and what aren't? The nearest Apple Store is over an hour away from me. I buy online but can I be sure OWC/MacSales sells legitimate Apple products or do they use Chinese knockoffs as well? I hope not.

  • Reply 20 of 56
    I just wonder, do these problems happen with android?
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