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iOS 7 users destroy iPhones after fake waterproof advert

The fake commercial appeared almost identical to Apple’s real poster advertising with images of the iPhone on a white background accompanied by neat text.

A customer configures the fingerprint scanner technology built into iPhone 5s at an Apple store in Wangfujing shopping district in Beijing on  Sept 20, 2013. Photo: AP

A customer configures the fingerprint scanner technology built into iPhone 5s at an Apple store in Wangfujing shopping district in Beijing on Sept 20, 2013. Photo: AP

SAN FRANCISCO - The fake commercial appeared almost identical to Apple’s real poster advertising with images of the iPhone on a white background accompanied by neat text.

“Update to iOS 7 and become waterproof”, the poster read.

“In an emergency, a smart-switch will shut off the phone’s power supply and corresponding components to prevent any damage to your iPhone’s delicate circuitry,” it explained.

At the bottom of the poster was a promise that “waterproofing (is) covered by Apple’s warranty policy”.

After being shared on social media sites by users encouraging people to try the new feature, soon angry complaints appeared from those fooled by the joke.

“Whoever said ios7 was waterproof **** you,” wrote one user on Twitter. “Wtf iOS7 isn’t waterproof!! Now my phone’s at the bottom of the river,” another said.

The prank is understood to have been started by controversial forum 4Chan which has a chequered history of hosting faked material.

Last year the site came in for criticism when fake screen shots of posts supposedly written by Adam Lanza before he attacked the Sandy Hook Elementary School were posted on its message boards.

The iOS 7 has been hailed as a major step forward for Apple by the company’s bosses, with chief executive, Mr Tim Cook calling it “the biggest change to iOS since the iPhone”.

Thousands of users complained of downloading problems when the new operating system launched last week, with one in three tweets about iOS 7 discussing the issue according to one study.

The iPhone 5s and 5c, preloaded with iOS 7, went on sale on Friday and sold more than nine million times in its opening weekend, nearly double the iPhone 5’s five million sales when it launch in 2012. AGENCIES

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