[Photo by Yoo Dae-gil = dbeorlf123@ajunews.com]
South Korea's standards watchdog may start a probe into Apple iPhone 6S' battery malfunction. This would be the second case for the watchdog to investigate troubled smartphones with battery problems this year, following an investigation over Samsung's combustible Galaxy Note 7 in September.
"We are well aware of the recent problems regarding the iPhones, and we keep tracking it with interest," an unnamed official from the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) told Yonhap News Agency Wednesday. "We are in talks with Apple Korea."
"Simple user inconveniences and safety problems are totally different matters," the official said, suggesting an investigation would be needed "if it escalates into a safety problem just like Note 7".
Cases of iPhone 6S battery malfunctions were reported in China last month. Some users claimed their iPhone 6Ss with about 30 percent battery power left would suddenly power off. Similar cases have been reported in South Korea.
Apple has offered free battery replacement for its iPhone 6S smartphones produced in September and October last year, saying a small number of units were exposed to more air during the manufacturing process.
Among those who experienced battery problems, eight reported that their iPhone 6Ss exploded. However, Apple insisted combustion was caused by external shocks.
Many South Korean consumers complain about Apple's stance, saying the American tech giant had immediately replaced the phones in question in China along with a swift refund program.
In South Korea, Apple has only told users about how to replace batteries through its English website. In the face of a barrage of consumer complaints, the company uploaded a Korean-language post.
Aju News Park Sae-jin = swatchsjp@ajunews.com
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
