“A Utah soldier who says his iPhone helped save him from a suicide bomb wants to thank Apple, but he also wants a new phone,” KSL TV reports. “Staff Sgt. Shaun Frank survived a blast from just feet away. Part of the reason is because his iPhone stopped some of the shrapnel from piercing his body. ‘They did tell him when he got back to base that that iPhone probably saved his life,’ said Frank’s sister, Alisha Lantz. ‘He wanted to go overseas and fight and be part of fighting for our country.'”
“While his unit was helping another unit whose vehicle had rolled, Frank found himself face to face with a teenage suicide bomber. ‘My brother just saw the look in his eye and he knew he was there to hurt them,’ Lantz explained,” KSL TV reports. “Frank tried to fire first, but the boy was faster. The bomb, filled with metal ball bearings, exploded. ‘My brother got several holes all over him,’ Lantz said, ‘through his thumb, through his fingers, through his hands and his legs.’ Just about the only place Frank wasn’t pierced was the left front pocket of his pants, where he kept his iPhone.”
“When Frank sent it to Apple to see if the damage was covered under his insurance, Apple had an unusual response. ‘They basically drew the line and gave us a choice,’ Lantz said,” KSL TV reports. “The company said he could either keep the damaged phone or get a new one, but not both. ‘Because the old phone meant so much to him, we chose to get the old phone,’ Lantz explained. It’s been months now, and Frank is still in Afghanistan without a phone. His family in Utah is doing everything they can to get him a new one. ‘He needs a new iPhone. Apple, please give him a new iPhone,’ Lantz said.”
Read more, and see the video report, in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: If it hasn’t already, this news will soon reach Apple higher ups who are authorized to think outside the box and who quickly can correct this issue and get Staff Sgt. Frank his new iPhone posthaste. Due to the delay, a new 128GB iPad Air wouldn’t be a bad idea, either.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Fred Mertz” and “Dan K.” for the heads up.]
Meh
Now Apple can advertise that iPhones saves lives! I think that’s pretty cool actually but Apple should do the right thing by this soldier who puts his life on the line for the freedoms that allow Apple and the rest of us to thrive, be free and do business.
jerk
replying to dslarsen
So, he wants to have his cake and eat it, too.
Nuts.
If he NEEEEEEDZZ a new iPhone, he can exchange his old, damaged one, just as Apple suggested.
That would be a family heirloom I would want to pass down. I think Apple can make an exception for this one.
Luckily the shrapnel didn’t get anywhere near Ballmer’s left nut or he’d be left nutless by now.
hook a brotha up. no matter what ones politics might be, our soldiers are our brothers, friends, sons, daughters, and neighbors. hopefully apple scrounges up some loose change and gets this guy a new iPhone and also an iPad air (good call MDN)
At first, I thought that Apple was refusing to cover the phone.
After reading the story, I see that what makes this story unique is that he wants to keep the phone that saved his life, as a momento.
The best PR that Apple can get out of this story would be to give him a new phone. There will be a backlash if they don’t.
Support our soldiers, and thank them when you see them. Whether or not you agree with them being in war, remember that it is not up to them, to decide how they serve. They follow orders to protect freedom, and they should be honored.
Where can I donate?
What possible differance could it make to Apple whether it throws away the shrapnel-laced iPhone or allows the guy to keep it, along with a new one?
There are assholes everywhere.
“What possible differance could it make to Apple whether it throws away the shrapnel-laced iPhone or allows the guy to keep it, along with a new one?…..There are assholes everywhere.”
Apple did not have to offer a new phone. There is no war insurance. But how do you tell when the same phone gets used for several replacements? You keep the old phone.
Also, Apple may want to deconstruct the phone to see what worked the best to stop the bullet, how much damage occurred inside, other destructive testing. They cannot do that with out the phone.
I say Apple made the right offer. Keep your picture of the phone, and get a new one.
Just saying.
He should thank Apple for the iPhone avoiding him more damage. Instead of requesting a new one he should buy another.
Ok, why does the media always “report” and I have not seen these media corporations pony-up for anything. I say KSL Tv should pay some of it. Hell, they are making money on the advertisements this generates.
Reading this I was sure that phone was in his pocket over his heart. Not sure how it saved his life. Oh, did zippo give a new lighter to everyone whose lighter stopped a bullet or shrapnel?
A childhood friend’s father was saved by a metal covered pocket size Bible on Guadalcanal.
Shrapnel would have ripped right through those cheap Samsung phones.
The scandal lies in the government that sends an injured man back to the front. Why is the government not prepared to replace is iPhone that saved his life whilst in service to his country? If you feel very strongly that Apple inc. should compensate him for his iPhone and allow him to keep his life saving damaged one, then it ought to be the case that personal property damaged in war should be replaced by private enterprise for free to all serving troops!
It not only saved Frank’s life but also Frank’s frank.
He wanted to hold onto the phone that saved his life?
Yea, I can see that. His family (with a little help from the press) just needs to get the word out to an Apple employee that has a brain.
While were at it, Apple should have a special liaison in charge of dealing with the needs of troops overseas with their products.
I am glad this soldier survived. How about we get all our soldiers out of these two never ending poop-holes and come home. Then he can buy a new iPhone at an Apple Store near home.
Apple priorities 1 through 400: Replace the phone.
Apple priority 401: Borrow the phone for a week so engineers can learn why the Lithium-Ion battery didn’t catch fire or otherwise leak out and injure the soldier. (Yeah, one phone in 100 million saves a soldier’s life, but learning often occurs in edge cases)
Apple priority 402: Bronze or gold-encrust the phone and return it.
Soldiers Life Saved By iPhone – Apple demonstrates how to take a highly potential, good news story and turn it into a public relations disaster!!