Apple has battery problems recalled overseas, China is forgotten again

　　According to the latest news, Apple will recall a batch of Chinese-made iPhone 6S devices in the UAE market to provide free battery replacement services. The UAE Ministry of Economics announced that it will join hands with Apple to recall 88,700 iPhone 6S devices that may have battery problems. It is said that Apple had issued a notice to the UAE Ministry of Economics, saying that the iPhone 6S devices produced in China from September to October 2015 had certain defects, which may lead to unexpected shutdowns. 88,700 of this batch of products were shipped to the UAE for sale. However, for Chinese consumers who are also affected by automatic shutdown, this treatment is not available. In the view of industry insiders, Apple's products have a high sales volume in the Chinese market. This move is purely to save costs. Apple has treated the Chinese market and consumers unfairly. This is not the first time. It's just that Apple's sales in China are currently showing a downward trend. If you keep disregarding the interests of consumers like this, you will sooner or later be abandoned by the public.

　　In fact, as early as November last year, a large number of Chinese users said that the iPhone 6S in their hands would automatically shut down when the power supply was 60%. When it was turned on again, it would require a power supply. In addition, iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus were not spared. The user said helplessly that only by maintaining high power at all times can it be used normally. In response to this, Apple's after-sales service said at the beginning that it was not a battery problem, so you can try to flash the machine. If it still cannot be solved after flashing the machine, you can choose to return to the factory for repair, the cost is between 2,000 and 3,000 yuan. But this situation is not an isolated case. At that time, hundreds or even more users had reported the problem of the automatic shutdown of the iPhone 6S, and such reports were not only in China, but also abroad. Users suspect that high power consumption is related to the system, but in addition to the iOS 10 system, the iOS 9 system will also automatically shut down. Apple has updated the country's official web page, where users can check the product serial number on the web page to see if their equipment meets the recall conditions. For the mobile phones recalled this time, Apple will provide free battery replacement service and return it to the user after the replacement. Apple said the recall was due to security concerns, and only a small number of phone models had problems, which would cause Apple to lose about $7 million.

　　In December last year, Apple released "Information on Unexpected iPhone Shutdown", saying that in a few iPhone 6S devices produced between September and October 2015, a battery component was exposed to the controlled ambient air for too long before it was loaded into the battery pack, causing the battery to consume faster than normal levels, resulting in unexpected shutdown. This is not a safety issue.

　　The solution Apple provides to Chinese users is different from the solution for UAE users.

　　Compared with the voluntary recall in the UAE, Apple's attitude towards Chinese users is obviously lowered to a higher level. A Beijing Business Daily reporter contacted a relevant person in charge of Apple China to interview the matter, but as of press time, the person in charge did not respond. A consumer told a Beijing Business Daily reporter that after Apple replaced the battery after sales, the phone would still turn off automatically when the battery was sufficient. He suspected that the battery Apple replaced him was not new, but returned by other consumers. Given that Apple's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S series mobile phones have a considerable number of consumers in China and the same problem has been reflected by a large number of people, on November 15 last year, the official WeChat account of the China Consumers Association stated that the association has inquired about the abnormal automatic shutdown of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S series mobile phones with Apple (China) Co., Ltd.

　　Subsequently, Apple responded positively to the "iPhone Automatic Shutdown" incident in the Chinese market, saying that a very small number of iPhone 6S devices may be accidentally shut down and are willing to replace the battery for these problematic products for free. iPhone 6S users can enter the device serial number on the iPhone 6S accidental shutdown problem plan webpage to check whether their devices meet the conditions for free battery replacement. It has changed its past "arrogance" and apologized humbly. This is the first time that Apple has responded and solved the problem of Chinese users in a short period of time since it entered the Chinese market.

　　This is not the first time Apple has treated Chinese users differently. In 2013, CCTV's "3.15" party questioned that Apple's after-sales policy in China was discriminatory. Global whole-machine exchange was replaced, but China did not replace the back cover in order to avoid the policy of recalculating the warranty period of the new machine. In China, there is only one way for users to replace the back cover if they want to exchange the entire machine, that is, they have to pay additional money. However, in many countries such as the United States, South Korea, and Australia, when Apple phones fail during the warranty period, they will replace the back cover together. Moreover, after Apple’s after-sales service in various places, it will not recalculate the warranty period after changing the phone to consumers. Article 21 of my country's mobile phone product repair and return responsibility regulations clearly stipulate that the three guarantee periods after the exchange are recalculated. Apple's move is a different treatment for Chinese consumers.

　　However, Apple admitted and clarified that the problematic products were limited to the iPhone 6S models produced from September to October 2015. Many consumers were dissatisfied with this solution because the problematic products did not only involve iPhone 6S, and the above problems occurred in the iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone 5S and other products.

　　The China Consumers Association sent an inquiry letter to Apple again on November 29 last year, hoping that Apple would provide solutions to the abnormal shutdown problems that occur in more models. It hopes that Apple would summarize and analyze and find the causes of abnormal shutdown problems that occur in iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6S Plus, and iPhone 6S models with production dates from September to October 2015 as soon as possible to provide solutions. But until now, Apple has not given a statement on this matter. In 2014, due to the potential overheating of some 5W European version of USB power adapters in some cases, Apple announced that it would recall and replace some chargers of the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S sold from October 2009 to September 2012. However, although the recall involves 37 countries, including France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, etc., it does not involve China.

　　Kang Zhao, editor-in-chief of Operator World Network, believes that Apple has been treating China repeatedly and differently, first of all, because the sales volume of products in the Chinese market is too large. Whether it is recall or replacement of the whole machine, it will have a significant impact on Apple's cost; in addition, China's laws and regulations on maintaining consumers are not as strict as the West, and the penalties are not serious enough, so Apple took advantage of the loopholes to save costs.

　　Ding Jie, a research analyst at Canalys, said that for Apple, its prospects in 2017 are still not optimistic, and it will be difficult to restore its performance in the Chinese market to its heyday in 2015. Just like consumers in other developed countries, Chinese consumers have high expectations for the 10th anniversary of the iPhone. If the new iPhone cannot meet consumer expectations, especially in the adoption of new technologies and appearance design, Apple's high-end market in China will be hit harder. Since last year, Apple's performance in the Chinese market has shown a downward trend, with the company's revenue in Greater China falling for several consecutive quarters. Apple's first quarter financial report for fiscal year 2017 just released showed that the company's sales in Greater China continued to decline by 12% year-on-year in the first quarter.

　　Industry observer Hong Shibin pointed out that in order to save costs, Apple only sees immediate interests. It is important to know that a good company reputation is also a protective umbrella for maintaining its market position. In the long run, Chinese consumers' loyalty to Apple products will gradually decrease, which will affect Apple's operations in the Chinese market. "If there is no media appeal, Apple may get away with it. Only by forming a strong momentum in the market, putting public opinion pressure on Apple, or relevant government departments interview Apple and suppressing it through some measures can it change the disadvantageous position of Chinese consumers. Otherwise, in order to save costs and obtain high profits, Apple may continue to treat the Chinese market differently." Kang Zhao admitted.

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