Following two incidents in China in which iPhone users were seriously electrocuted after answering their devices while they were charging, Apple has issued a statement via its Chinese site advising iPhone users to only use genuine Apple chargers.
A 23 year old woman (Ma Ailun) was killed while a 30 year old man (Wu Jiantong) was left in a coma for 10 days. The high humidity in Wu’s apartment is believed to have been responsible for the accident, causing the device to behave the way it did rather than any inherent technical fault with the phone. Ma Ailun apparently answered her device after getting out of the bath which may have played a role in the accident in her case.
In a statement issued via its Chinese website, Apple said ‘Apple always put the user’s safety first, so all of our products are subject to stringent safety and reliability testing, and designed to meet government safety standards around the world, including for the iPhone and iPad USB power adapter.’
The advice is directed specifically at Apple’s customers in China where a lack of regulation on chargers produced by third parties means that they may not have the same safety standards required in the West.
While it’s fair to assume that the warning comes in response to the recent electrocutions Apple haven’t issued any statement specifically addressing those incidents besides saying that they will cooperate with the Chinese authorities in any investigation.