Affiliate Disclosure
If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Read our ethics policy.

Apple warns Chinese customers to stick with official chargers

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.

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.



56 Comments

tallest skil 43086 comments · 14 Years

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".

apple ][ 9225 comments · 13 Years

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.

larry doyle 13 comments · 11 Years

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.

mikejones 323 comments · 11 Years

Quote:
Originally Posted by Larry Doyle 

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.

dasanman69 12999 comments · 15 Years

"or what?" "or you might die, that's what'