Skip to main content

Chinese teen sells kidney for an iPad 2

zheng scarIn a true show of brand loyalty, a 17-year-old Chinese teenager sold his kidney in order to buy an iPad 2. Shanghai Daily reports that Anhui Province Zheng was able to net 20,000 ($3,084.45) for the organ but now as his health is worsening, he is regretting the decision. “I wanted to buy an iPad 2 but could not afford it. A broker contacted me on the Internet and said he could help me sell one kidney for 20,000 yuan.”

Zheng sold the kidney in late April. The surgery, as it turns out, was performed at a hospital that did not meet the qualifications for organ transplants. After Zheng returned home with his new Apple electronics (reported to also include an iPhone – we’re uncertain whether this is a typo or Zheng simply stocked up on his iOS devices), his mother demanded to know where they come from. After she learned of their origin, she reported the matter to the police. The hospital is claiming to know nothing about the surgery.

The story was originally reported by SZTV news channel. In the video, Zheng reveals his large scar, and it appears that his family is very emotional discussing the situation. Apple fanboys are known to be devoted to what can be considered ridiculous, zealot-like lengths, but this type of iOS idolatry puts them all to shame. Take a look at the original TV broadcast below, reported entirely in Chinese.

Editors' Recommendations

Molly McHugh
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Before coming to Digital Trends, Molly worked as a freelance writer, occasional photographer, and general technical lackey…
Your iPhone just got a new iOS update, and you should download it right now
iPhone 15 Pro display with iPhone 15 Pro Max in background.

Apple has just released a new security update, iOS 17.4.1. This comes a little over two weeks after iOS 17.4, which was a big update. iOS 17.4.1 doesn't add any new features, but it's still an important update you'll want to download as soon as you can.

With iOS 17.4.1, Apple states that the update “provides important bug fixes and security updates and is recommended for all users.” Apple doesn’t mention any specifics of these bug fixes, but more details on what this security update addresses may be revealed at a later date.

Read more
You may have to wait a while longer for new iPads
The backs of Apple's iPad Air and iPad Pro, with the tablets place on a table.

Just days ago, the Chinese website IT Home said Apple would announce the launch of its 2024 iPads on Tuesday, March 26. However, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman — who still believes new iPads will arrive this spring — has debunked this rumor. In other words, we'll probably have to wait a little longer for new Apple tablets to arrive.

Gurman had previously stated that Apple's next-generation tablets would arrive in late March or April.  Of the March 26 rumor, Gurman took to X, formerly Twitter, to say it was "not true."

Read more
YouTube TV just got even better on iPhones and iPads
Multiview on YouTube TV on an iPad.

If you use the most popular live-streaming service on an iPhone or iPad, things just got even better. YouTube TV — which boasts more than 8 million subscribers — just pushed multiview live on Apple's mobile devices, as previously promised.

It works basically the same way it does on a television. YouTube TV picks the programs available in multiview, and you get them all at once, with audio coming from one of the shows. Tap another, and the audio switches. And just as before, you can get multiview for sports, news, business, or weather. (Though we definitely don't recommend watching four news channels at once in an election year.) It's just in time for March Madness, which is great, though we hope you'll be able to pick your own games instead of just sticking with the multiple viewing options YouTube TV gives. This will be great come fall, though, when the new season of NFL Sunday Ticket takes hold.

Read more