Apple has launched an urgent safety probe into its iPhone 5
amid claims a bride-to-be died from a
massive electric shock while answering a call in China.
massive electric shock while answering a call in China.
Ma Ailun, a former flight attendant with China Southern
Airlines, collapsed to the ground when she picked up her smartphone as it
charged at home on Thursday, her family said.
The 23-year-old, who was planning to wed on August 8, was
rushed to hospital in Xinjiang, northwest China, but medics were unable to
revive her.
Tragic: Ma Ailun, 23, a former flight attendant with China
Southern Airlines, died when she picked up her iPhone as it charged at home on
Thursday, her family said. Ma often took pictures of herself with her phone and
posted them online (above)
Dangerous? Ma Ailun, a 23-year-old flight attendant with
China Southern Airlines, allegedly suffered a massive electric shock as she
picked up her new iPhone 5 to answer a call as it was charging on Thursday
(stock image)
Her brother, Yuelun, told Apple Daily that the family
believe she died from an electric shock while answering a call and that the
phone and its accessories have been handed over to the Chinese authorities.
Her sister then wrote on social networking site Weibo: 'I
want to warn everyone else not to make phone calls when your mobile phone is
recharging.'
She said Ma had bought the iPhone in December at an official
Apple store and was using the original charger to recharge the phone when the
incident occurred.
Apple, who manufactures the state-of-the-art smartphone, said it had launched a 'thorough investigation', adding: 'We are deeply saddened to learn of this tragic incident and offer our condolences to the family.
'We will fully investigate and co-operate with authorities
in this matter.'
China’s popular social media chat sites, called Weibos, were
flooded with posts urging fellow iPhone users not to make calls while charging
their phones.
And many warned to only use original chargers and avoid
plugging in cheap copy chargers which are widely available.
'Be sure to select only qualified, certifiable products - the
best is the original because safety is most assured. Don’t buy fake chargers!'
warned poster Zhao Chao.
Apple products are popular in China but new items are
quickly cloned by the country’s infamous copy merchants who produce look-a-like
fake phones, laptops, iPads and iPods, which are often hard to distinguish from
originals.
Mobile phones have a relatively low electrical output of
between 3 to 5 volts - much less than the 36 volts it takes for a person to
feel a shock.
But experts say if the charger or the circuit has a problem,
such as a broken wire, it can lead to a shock of 220 volts.
Johnny Sin Kin-on, a professor at the Hong Kong University
of Science and Technology, told the South China Morning Post: 'There is a risk
using an electrical device while its installed battery is being charged, be it
a shaver or a phone.'
The iPhone 5's much-vaunted launch last September saw
thousands of Apple fans queue for days outside Apple stores across the world to
be the first to get their hands on the state-of-the-art gadget.
Grinning customers were greeted with cheers and high fives
from staff as they walked into stores ready to grab the latest
hotly-anticipated smartphone.
It costs between £529 and £699 in the UK and $199 and $399
in the US, depending on the amount of memory, has a larger screen and is
lighter and slimmer than previous models.
The news comes as it was revealed today that Apple has
fallen off the top ten list of best-perceived brands in 2013.
The tech firm - known for its trailblazing innovation - lost
its charismatic front man Steve Jobs in 2011 and then faced a chorus of
disapproval over allegations of child labor in its supply chain, not to mention
long-reported harsh conditions in its Chinese factories.
Most recently, the brand was convicted on Wednesday of
conspiring to raise and fix the price of e-books in an attempt to dominate the
market leader, Amazon.
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