iPhone death may have been caused by bad quality charger: expert
Staff Reporter 2013-07-18 15:35
An iPhone 4 with charger. (Internet photo)
A 23-year-old flight attendant named Ma Ailun from northwestern China's Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region died after receiving an electric shock from her mobile phone on July 11. It has been claimed that she was talking on the phone while it was charging. The cause of her death has been widely discussed online, with internet users warning that people should never use a mobile phone while it is being charged.
Authorities have confirmed that Ma's death was related to an electric shock and say an investigation is ongoing. According to an earlier report, Ma was using an iPhone 5, but it has since been reported that she was using an iPhone 4, reports online news portal BJ News.
According to reports, the phone was found to be burned along its two sides, while the charger was not manufactured by Apple. This finding has drawn new concerns and questions about the safety of using a charger not made by the manufacturer of the phone.
It is reported that the iPhone, despite the burns, still functions. A telecom expert surnamed Xiang said the charger may be considered to be responsible for the woman's death, rather than the phone. Xiang said the charger may have been manufactured with inferior materials, which led to a 220-volt electricity shock going directly into the iPhone battery.
Ma's iPhone was reportedly bought last December, according to a netizen claiming to be her sister, who added that the phone has been handed into the authorities for investigation.
