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Home / Features / Why you’d be a mug to believe the iPhone microwave hoax

Why you’d be a mug to believe the iPhone microwave hoax

Including, but not limited to, the fact that you'd be MICROWAVING YOUR PHONE

National newspapers are now feeling the need to respond to a hoax claiming iOS 8 contains exclusive new charging technology called Wave, where you power-up your phone in the microwave.

No, really.

Frankly, it should have been pretty easy to see straight through the hoax. Here’s why:

1. It works with any microwave

You know full well if Apple was to introduce an exciting new method of charging, it would come with an exciting new charging accessory, with an exciting new price tag. You’d be buying your Apple Hob for 50 quid, not flinging your iPhone into your microwave, next to the remains of yesterday’s baked beans.

In the unlikely scenario everyone in Cupertino got really drunk and actually did invent Apple Wave, it would have got at least a mention at the keynote. Tim Cook might have lifted a black cloth off of a microwave with a flourish, and showed the new iPhone 6 being charged in mere seconds. And then an underling could have made popcorn for everyone.

Just a small point, but if you nip over to Apple’s site, you’ll discover that Apple Wave doesn’t get a mention on the home page, iPhone page, iOS 8 page, or any other page. That’s probably a good indication that Apple Wave isn’t actually a real thing.

The advert that’s circulating looks like it was hacked together by someone without a great deal of understanding of how to make something Apple-like in terms of design, presumably on the basis that’s exactly what it is. If something doesn’t look like it was made by Apple, chances are it wasn’t.

OK, so this is the big one. Wave is about microwaving your phone, which involves putting your phone into a microwave and microwaving it. Now, when we were kids, we were sternly warned not to even put a metal fork into the microwave by mistake, in case the entire house exploded, so at what point does someone think “Hey, I think I’ll just pop my extremely expensive new iPhone in there for a few minutes” and reason that will be OK?

On the plus side, we’re pretty sure most of the images of fried iPhones on Twitter are faked, because the alternative is too horrible to contemplate.

READ MORE: Apple doomed as company goes for days without launching a new product line

Profile image of Craig Grannell Craig Grannell Contributor

About

I’m a regular contributor to Stuff magazine and Stuff.tv, covering apps, games, Apple kit, Android, Lego, retro gaming and other interesting oddities. I also pen opinion pieces when the editor lets me, getting all serious about accessibility and predicting when sentient AI smart cookware will take over the world, in a terrifying mix of Bake Off and Terminator.

Areas of expertise

Mobile apps and games, Macs, iOS and tvOS devices, Android, retro games, crowdfunding, design, how to fight off an enraged smart saucepan with a massive stick.