The iPhone 13 is officially being released in Singapore on 24 September, and we coincidentally came across a post on Facebook which might (initially) send waves of panic through those who have pre-ordered it:
The caption in the photo urges individuals not to buy the new iPhone 13 because while the “first iPhone took 2007 years to produce”, the newest edition was “developed in just one short year”. It then claims that “reliable sources” have revealed that there is a data chip in the phone that can “track your exact position”.
Putting the ridiculousness of the claim that the first iPhone took 2007 years to produce aside, we did a search on Facebook of the terms “please do not buy this new iPhone 13” and found several other posts by various individuals who have posted the same text.
It is important to note that commenters on the post have caught onto the sheer absurdity of claim, with a large majority of them reacting with the ‘laughing’ emoticon, or commenting as such:
We also came across another photo which makes the same claim. However, the word “satire” can be seen written at the bottom right of the graphic:
While the verdict of the claims made quite tellingly points to them being an act of satire, let’s still quickly go through the facts:
- It is true that the first ever iPhone came out in the year 2007
- It is true that the predecessor of the iPhone 13, the iPhone 12, was launched one year ago in 2020
- It is true that smartphones are able to identify its users’ location – this is also why you are able to use the GPS/Maps function on your phone. However, Android and Apple users are also able to choose which apps are able to access and use one’s location and when
In conclusion, this is a clear example of satire.
