Following an investigation into a Chinese woman who was reportedly electrocuted by a third-party iPhone charger when she went to plug in her device, Apple is responding to the incident by offering a two-month replacement program that will swap out people's third party chargers with an iPhone charger for just $10.
According to ZDNet, from August 16 to October 18, Apple customers who wish to take advantage of the deal need only to bring their third-party adapters into an Apple store, where they will be properly disposed of. After that, a customer needs only to show employees their iPod, iPhone or iPad and they'll be able to purchase an official replacement charger from Apple for a mere $10, a price reduction from $19.00.
"Due to the complexity of testing required to detect an unsafe or counterfeit adapter, Apple Retail and Apple Authorized Service Providers cannot advise you on the authenticity or safety of your adapter," said the Apple web page, which announced the program. ""We are offering this special take-back program for any USB power adapter made for use with iPhone, iPad, and iPod for which you have concerns."
The incident in question, which sparked the necessity for Apple to make this deal to customers, happened when 23-year-old Ma Ailun, was allegedly electrocuted while answering a call on her iPhone. Apple believes a faulty AC adapter caused the death. Devices for the iPhone that aren't inspected by Apple may undergo fewer safety and security checks, it's possible that's what lead to Ailun getting her hands on a defective and dangerous third-party charger.
Telecommunications expert Xiang Ligang, interviewed for the news piece, said that the "Cottage charger may cut corners, the quality of the capacitor, the protection circuit is not good, leading to the breakdown of a capacitor charger, 220V AC directly into the cell phone battery inside."
Although it isn't technically the responsibility of Apple to get these chargers off the market, the new deal is just a small gesture toward ensuring the safety of its customers in light of this recent tragedy.
