Monday began with news that a young woman in China was killed by an iPhone. However, new details in the case point to a peripheral role for the Apple smartphone. The iPhone kills not, though it was in the room.
Yes, it is factual that 23-year-old woman, Ma Ailun, in China did die of electrocution, but ’twasn’t her iPhone 4 that did it.
That said, Xiang Ligang, a Beijing-based smartphone expert, told the online English version of the China Daily that a counterfeit charger was the likely culprit.
“Counterfeit chargers usually cut corners,” Xiang said. “The quality of the capacitor and protection circuit is not good. So capacitors may break-down during use, allowing a 220V current directly into phone’s battery.”
And, that’s another important point — house current, the stuff you get from a wall outlet, in China is 220V, which is twice that used in the US and deadly.
Add to this that some media outlets have reported that Ma Ailun answered the iPhone after rushing out of the bathroom (shower? bath? wet hands?), which could have been a contributing factor, as well.
Lastly, aside from the facts that Ma Ailun was electrocuted and there was an iPhone in the room, everything else — janky charger, wet hands — is purportedly informed speculation culled from Chinese media accounts.
Back to your knitting — the iPhone kills not…
What’s your take?