What did SZA say about iPhone 17 Pro Max? Internet reacts as singer gets called out over viral comment

SZA or Solána Imani Rowe, on an Instagram post about users wondering if the new iPhone 17 Pro Max is worth commented that the children in Congo "died" for the phone.

A post on Instagram featured an image from one of Dua Lipa's performances with text written over it saying,

"IF ANYONE ASKS IF THE IPHONE 17 PRO MAX IS WORTH IT, JUST SHOW THEM THIS (WAIT FOR THE ZOOM OUT)."

The singer commented on the post, stating,

"Children in Congo literally died for this phone. I absolutely hope the zoom was worth it."

As reported by The Guardian, Apple, Google, Dell, Microsoft, and Tesla were named as defendants in a US lawsuit over the deaths of Congolese children mining cobalt in 2019. Cobalt is essential to power the rechargeable lithium batteries, which are used in products of tech companies.

As per a field research by anti-slavery economist Siddharth Kara, the companies allegedly aid and abet the death and serious injury of children working in cobalt mines in Congo. The lawsuit was filed in Washington, DC in 2019 by human rights firm International Rights Advocates on behalf of 14 parents and children from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In addition, as reported by the BBC, the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2024 also filed complaints (in France and Belgium) against the subsidiaries of Apple and accused the company of using conflict materials, alleging the use of tin, tantalum, and tungsten from conflict areas, followed by the laundering through the international supply chain. Apple had rejected these claims.

The singer's comment did not go unnoticed and was captured by a user who posted a screenshot of the same on X.

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"What's wrong with this girl": users react to SZA's iPhone 17 Pro Max comment

SZA's comment on Congo children being exploited for the production of iPhone 17 Pro Max went viral on the internet, and many users expressed their opinions on X.

A user expressed confusion over Rowe's comment.

"What's wrong with this girl."

Another user expressed appreciation towards the singer for spreading awareness about "the suffering in the world."

"sza ain’t lie tho 🤷🏾‍♀️🤷🏾‍♀️🤷🏾‍♀️ nothin wrong with raising awareness about the suffering in the world and how we contribute to it"

Another user criticized the singer, alleging that she might have used and replaced over 50 phones and does not deserve the right to comment on the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

"sza has eaten over 50 phones in her life, this is so hypocritical of her omg, im not listening to her anymore xD"

Another user praised the singer,

"THIS GIRL IS ON FIRE"

Another user claimed that the singer was being "performative" and did not really care about activism,

"first she disses taylor now she wants to be all performative"

As reported by Global Citizen, SZA has previously spoken out against environmental racism, has been an advocate for mental health awareness, and has also aided a fan by donating money for their chemotherapy treatment.

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