4chan, which is notorious for its mean pranks, can claim another victory. This time against the more gullible iPhone owners who believed that the recent iOS 7 software update actually waterproofs the device, yes a software update, due to a fake ad circulated by the community.
Note: This is the fake ad.
The ad displayed above, and circulated on social media sites, was created by a 4chan user and claimed "This utilizes emergency shut off of the phone"s power supply and corresponding components to prevent any damage dealt to the delicate circuitry". At the bottom of the poster was a promise that "This feature is covered by Apple"s warranty policy", as well as a sneaky "Confirmed by Lifehacker" claim.
The bait was then set for people willing to try out the non-existent "new feature" only to find their iPhones had been irreversibly damaged in the process.
How it all started.
People like @Pretty_Ricky33 who fell for the prank displayed his anger with the following tweet "Whoever said iOS 7 is Waterproof your phone.... F*** You", as well as many others, whose tweets aren"t much different from "Pretty Ricky"s". Others (like the tweet below) simply admitted defeat and are simply looking for a replacement iPhone.
Anyone have a iPhone for sale? Someone told me iOS7 was waterproof and obviously mine wasn"t....
— Sara Jo (@SaraJoWalls) September 24, 2013
It appears that at least one celebrity also got duped by the claims, as pointed out by alwaysonacoffebreak in the comments below:
The best thing about the new iPhone is that it"s waterproof! Incredible.
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) September 24, 2013
To clarify, iOS 7 doesn"t waterproof your phone, and even if you believed it did, it"s always a good idea to check the official site to be sure the claims are true.
Source: The Telegraph | Images: Buzzfeed