hankyoreh

A notice about iPhone 6s unexpected shutdown issues

The Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) has asked Apple to submit documentation related to possible flaws in its products, the Hankyoreh confirmed. The agency’s request is related to recent complaints (mostly filed by customers in other countries) that the Apple iPhone has been abruptly shutting down and that its battery has been exploding. The next question is whether KATS (which is affiliated with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy) will regard the iPhone battery problems as a customer safety issue and launch a full-blown investigation as it did with the Galaxy Note 7.

“Given recent reports in the foreign media about the iPhone 6 series (the iPhone 6, the iPhone 6 Plus and the iPhone 6s Plus) spontaneously shutting down and the battery blowing up, we are following this issue closely. We recently asked Apple Korea to send us the related documents,” KATS said on Dec. 14.

“While we have not yet received any reports of safety-related incidents involving the iPhone battery in South Korea, we are in contact with Apple with the goal of carrying out tests to determine whether the iPhone has any defects before [such an accident occurs],” the agency added. When there are concerns that a product defect might cause injuries, KATS can order a recall of the product.

“We are looking into whether we can deal with this not as just an inconvenience for customers but rather as a safety issue related to the battery as we did with the Galaxy Note 7,” KATS said. After several instances of the Galaxy Note 7‘s battery catching on fire while the phone was in use in South Korea, KATS ordered Samsung Electronics on Aug. 31 to submit its investigation findings in line with the Basic Act on Product Safety.

The iPhone has recently been in the news because of a series of complaints filed by Chinese customers about flaws with the product. The China Consumers Association reported last month that the phone was frequently switching off even when the battery was around 30%, and the Shanghai Consumer Council released eight consumer reports of phones in the iPhone 6 series catching on fire.

The website of Apple Korea currently recommends the replacement of certain iPhone 6s batteries, while explaining that this is not a safety issue but rather aimed at resolving consumer inconvenience.

By Cho Kye-wan, staff reporter

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