Chinese Group Reports More Apple iPhone Battery Problems
December 06 2016 - 1:30PM
Dow Jones News
By Tripp Mickle
Pressure on Apple Inc. in China intensified as a Shanghai
consumer group loosely affiliated with the government complained of
additional problems with batteries in the company's iPhone 6
devices.
Shanghai's Consumer Council said it received eight reports from
users claiming their iPhone 6 series devices had spontaneously
caught fire. It marked the third battery-related complaint against
Apple from Chinese consumer groups over the past month.
Apple said it analyzed the affected phones and found that the
fires followed "external physical damage." The company encouraged
customers with issues to visit an Apple store or contact company
support.
"We appreciate that customers are more concerned than ever about
the performance and safety of batteries in their mobile devices,"
Apple said in a statement.
The pressure from Chinese consumer groups comes at a critical
time for the company. Sales of iPhones in Greater China soared in
2014, helping Apple establish itself as the world's most profitable
company. But rising competition from homegrown rivals has cut into
Apple's growth in the region. Sales to Greater China, which
includes Hong Kong and Taiwan, fell 17% in the fiscal year ended
Sept. 24 after growing 84% in the prior year.
In September, Apple rival Samsung Electronics Co. recalled
millions of Galaxy Note 7 devices because of user reports that the
phones were catching on fire or exploding while charging.
Apple has repeatedly said its battery issues aren't related to
safety. The majority of the complaints involve iPhone devices
unexpectedly shutting down even when half their battery life
remained.
The battery-life issue was first highlighted in mid-November,
when the China Consumers Association said consumers were having
trouble with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s.
Apple said a company investigation found that the problem was
limited to iPhone 6s devices made in September and October 2015
whose battery components were exposed to "ambient air" longer than
they should have been during assembly. Apple said it would replace
the faulty batteries world-wide.
Tuesday, Apple said it also would update its iOS software that
runs iPhones next week with a "diagnostic capability" to gather
more information about battery-related issues. The company said it
could use the information to "improve the algorithms used to manage
battery performance and shutdowns."
The complaints from the consumer groups follow separate Chinese
government moves to rein in Apple's patents and shut down Apple's
online book and movie services because they violated local media
guidelines.
Apple's troubles in China come amid growing concerns about
U.S.-China relations after the election of Donald Trump, who last
week accused China of currency manipulation. He also broke
diplomatic protocol last week by speaking by phone with Taiwan
President Tsai Ing-wen.
Mr. Trump has criticized Apple for making the vast majority of
its products in China.
Write to Tripp Mickle at Tripp.Mickle@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
December 06, 2016 13:15 ET (18:15 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2016 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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