Apple’s AirPods Still Functional In Man’s Stomach After Being Swallowed

When Apple created the AirPods, it’s highly unlikely that the company expected the earbuds would be ingested by its customers, but that’s exactly what Ben Hsu did, according to a report from The Daily Mail.

Hsu said he fell asleep with his AirPods in his ears but after waking up, he realized one of the tiny Bluetooth devices was nowhere to be found. The Taiwanese native said he attempted to locate his missing AirPod by using the iPhone tracking feature. The tracking feature allows users to log into their iCloud accounts and trigger a sound on missing devices in order to narrow down the possible location. For AirPods, after the “Play a Sound” option is selected, the misplaced AirPod will play a sound that gets gradually louder for two minutes, or until the user stops it manually.

When Hsu selected the command for his AirPod, he said he immediately heard a beeping sound, and while looking for the AirPod, he realized the sound was following him around the room. Suddenly, it occurred to him that his missing AirPod was in his stomach.

“I checked under my blanket and looked around but couldn’t find it — then I realized the sound was coming from my stomach,” Hsu explained.

Hsu quickly made his way to the emergency room where doctors confirmed the Apple device was inside his stomach and would likely work its way through his digestive system. If the AirPod did not come out naturally, Hsu would have been required to undergo surgery. Fortunately for him, he was able to pass out the AirPod with help from laxatives provided by his doctor.

The next day, Hsu inspected his feces to find his AirPod. He said after cleaning up the device, he noticed it was still fully functional and had 41 percent battery remaining. He went on to describe his experience as “magical.”

Bloke swallows Apple AirPod, poos earphone out and it STILL WORKS https://t.co/0dih1lvTpE pic.twitter.com/8oqdsproNk

— Daily Star (@dailystar) May 2, 2019

Hsu did not experience any discomfort while the AirPod was inside him and this is because of how it was made.

“Due to the plastic shell around the AirPod, the risk of it causing him harm in a similar way to swallowing a regular lithium-ion battery is much lower,” Hsu’s doctor, Dr. Chen Chieh-fan, said, according to TechSpot.

The AirPods were Apple’s first attempt at truly wireless earbuds. They were initially released in 2016 and were recently updated earlier this year, as previously reported by The Inquisitr. The company is also rumored to be working on totally redesigned versions of its earbuds.