This week, the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) issued a statement saying that it is considering launching an investigation into the #batterygate issue surrounding the iPhone 6 series.
There are global reports claiming that the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus are experiencing a weird issue with the battery. Apparently, the phone will automatically shut down when the battery juice approaches 30% and when plugged into a power source and switched on, the phone’s battery shoots to the same percentage.
While back then KATS was only considering looking into the matter just in case things got out of control, the latest reports coming from South Korea indicate that the agency has asked Apple to supply it with the necessary documents related to this issue. The agency notes that this issue hasn’t hit local customers, but it is concerned about the reports coming from other countries where the phone is shutting down unexpectedly and in some cases, the battery explodes, something similar to what Samsung went through with the discontinued Galaxy Note 7.
Whether KATS will launch a full investigation into this iPhone 6 #batterygate issue like it did with Samsung Galaxy Note is still unknown, however, the fact that it has requested Apple to provide related documents could mean the issue is growing out of proportion. The agency wants to carry out tests in order to determine whether or not the iPhone 6 series has some defects that could render it hazardous. In case of any defect that could lead to serious injuries, KATS may be forced to recall the entire iPhone 6 series, just like it happened with Samsung Galaxy Note 7.
There have been at least eight reports documented by the Shanghai Consumer Council regarding exploding iPhone 6 series’ handsets while the China’s Consumers Association has also reported cases of the phone switching off frequently when the battery is still at 30%.
Apple has refused to concede that this is a safety issue and instead, it is offering a temporary solution in replacing battery units of a few iPhone 6S handsets that it believes are affected by the problem.