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French teenager claims iPhone exploded

Written by James Delahunty @ 13 Aug 2009 8:40 User comments (8)

French teenager claims iPhone exploded A claim made that an Apple iPhone exploded in France is the first such report involving an iPhone, after several have been made about the company's iPod since it was released. Marie-Dominique Kolega says her 18 year old son was struck in the eye after his girlfriend's iPhone started hissing, and shattered. She has threatened to file a complaint against Apple over the incident.
"My son was frightened but he did not lose an eye," Kolega, of Aix-en-Provence in southern France, told AFP. US television station KIRO recently did a report on a number of cases of exploding iPods that have led to injuries or property damage. The station claimed that Apple's lawyers had tried to prevent it from getting access to 800 pages of documents from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in California.



In the pages were information about 15 burn and fire-related incidents that have been blamed on Apple's iPods. The documents put the blame on overheating lithium-ion batteries, and stated that reports dropped off when Apple changed the batteries in use.

Electronics do bad things on occasion, but if you compare the number of reported iPod exploding cases, which would appear to be a low number, against the millions that have been sold, the chances of becoming victim to an exploding iPod - or iPhone - are probably extremely low, it just makes for good TV for a station like KIRO.

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8 user comments

113.8.2009 23:26
jony218
Inactive

Quote:
Electronics do bad things on occasion, but if you compare the number of reported iPod exploding cases, which would appear to be a low number, against the millions that have been sold, the chances of becoming victim to an exploding iPod - or iPhone - are probably extremely low, it just makes for good TV for a station like KIRO.

no offense, but when was the last time anyone heard of an mp3 player or cellphone exploding? It seems only Iphones/ipods are exploding. It would be a good idea not to be standing close to one, while listening to it. Even though it's rare, why risk it.

214.8.2009 00:02

Most Li-On powered devices do not ever explode, as the batteries are designed to release excesive pressure rather than holding it to the point of explosion. I assume that the battery redesign was to put these "vents" in, a rupture is far better than an explosion. Of course, the problem would not be nearly so severe if the iPhone didn't run so crazy hot...

Personaly, the battery explosion issue is just another in a long list of reasons not to buy one of these.

314.8.2009 14:44

I have a 60GB iPod battery in my hand right now and it's quite easy to see how it could 'explode'. The thing's coated in a tight plastic with no gaps in it. Thick enough to not be able to puncture with your nail but thin enough to make it able to ELECTROCUTE ME the B*TCH!!! To much pressure behind that placky and it could quite easily take your eye out and line the socket with acid.

I'm now going to chuck the stupid thing into the bin before it causes me any other bodily harm.

This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 14 Aug 2009 @ 2:46

415.8.2009 22:22

It couldn't have just exploded on its own it would've had to have an interaction with some sort of chemicals something like that before it can just explode.

But you never know.

513.1.2011 17:47

iPhone Exploded under cold weather too:

http://techcrunch.com/2011/01/13/frozen-iphon/

This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 13 Jan 2011 @ 5:50

614.1.2011 23:05

apparently tvs made in china explode all the time.errm wheres the iphone made again????

715.1.2011 06:38

Originally posted by xboxdvl2:
apparently tvs made in china explode all the time.errm wheres the iphone made again????
It could be worse...at least this isn't a child's toy filled with lead or drywall that releases toxins when exposed to normal levels of moisture.

I tried to avoid buying Chinese products once...it isn't easy. It would probably be easier to avoid food from the USA (and I live in the USA).

815.1.2011 06:58

with socks,underwear and any clothes in general it doesnt matter where there made but when it comes to electronics its better not to buy made in china.I live in australia and unfortunately 99% of the stuff in shops is made in china.its actually cheaper for companys to have products made in countrys like china and pay the import cost than it is to have it made locally.give it another 5-10years and we wont have stuff made in australia or usa.whats worse is all the stuff ive taken back (anything electrical over $10 that is faulty i take back to the shop straight away) has a sticker on saying complies with australia standards or australian quality test passed.

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