Uploaded August 2013 | Updated September 2026, 13 hours ago
Last month a woman in China died from after using her iPhone that was reportedly connected to a phony charger.
This was what many believe prompted Apple Inc. to run a two-month program in China and Taiwan offering discounted genuine chargers and a recycling program for knock-offs.
From August 16th to October 18th Apple stores and authorized sellers will take back fake Apple chargers and offer real ones at a $9 discount, almost half the original price. The discount will be given only to those who bring in a phony charger, have a registered Apple product and live in China, Taiwan or Hong Kong.
Apple said in a blog post, quote ""Recent reports have suggested that some counterfeit and third-party adaptors may not be designed properly and could result in safety issues." While Apple did not refer specifically to the woman's death, this was not the only incident that could have prompted this. A man in Beijing was put in a coma after supposedly talking on his iPhone while plugging it into a faulty charger.
Apple has suffered a series of setbacks in China recently, from anger over its warranty policies to strong competition from other smartphone makers. It's also been losing profits from the Chinese market. I think the company probably wants to make sure that its image is not tarnished further, because after all, China and Taiwan made up 13% of its revenue last year.
Unfortunately for Apple, the Chinese are pretty good and making imitations. And the more common and expensive the gadget, the more money to be made.
You might think these things would be sold in some sort of shady black market, but many of these fakes are actually pretty out in the open. This has led the public to distrust of many local products, but that still hasn't stopped many from saving a few bucks on a knock off.
So what do you think about Apple's new program? Will it be enough to bolster its image and get Chinese to become loyal Apple fan boys? Would you go for a cheaper imitation product over a real, more expensive one? Let us know in the comments section below and don't forget to check out our other videos on Chinese knockoffs.
Last month a woman in China died from after using her iPhone that was reportedly connected to a phony charger.
This was what many believe prompted Apple Inc. to run a two-month program in China and Taiwan offering discounted genuine chargers and a recycling program for knock-offs.
From August 16th to October 18th Apple stores and authorized sellers will take back fake Apple chargers and offer real ones at a $9 discount, almost half the original price. The discount will be given only to those who bring in a phony charger, have a registered Apple product and live in China, Taiwan or Hong Kong.
Apple said in a blog post, quote ""Recent reports have suggested that some counterfeit and third-party adaptors may not be designed properly and could result in safety issues." While Apple did not refer specifically to the woman's death, this was not the only incident that could have prompted this. A man in Beijing was put in a coma after supposedly talking on his iPhone while plugging it into a faulty charger.
Apple has suffered a series of setbacks in China recently, from anger over its warranty policies to strong competition from other smartphone makers. It's also been losing profits from the Chinese market. I think the company probably wants to make sure that its image is not tarnished further, because after all, China and Taiwan made up 13% of its revenue last year.
Unfortunately for Apple, the Chinese are pretty good and making imitations. And the more common and expensive the gadget, the more money to be made.
You might think these things would be sold in some sort of shady black market, but many of these fakes are actually pretty out in the open. This has led the public to distrust of many local products, but that still hasn't stopped many from saving a few bucks on a knock off.
So what do you think about Apple's new program? Will it be enough to bolster its image and get Chinese to become loyal Apple fan boys? Would you go for a cheaper imitation product over a real, more expensive one? Let us know in the comments section below and don't forget to check out our other videos on Chinese knockoffs.
