HT201678: Keeping iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch within acceptable operating temperatures

Learn about Keeping iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch within acceptable operating temperatures
mikitabelarus
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: My iPhone's 4 battery exploded. What do I do next? 1 year warranty period is over; however, this is a clear hardware issue which I didn't cause (didn't drop the phone, the battery just exploded while charging the phone)

I put my iphone to charge for about an hour. After an hour I found that the battery exploded. It literally exploded pushing the back cover off the whole thing. That is crazy... iphones explode?? what if this happened in my pocked and some nasty liquids going all over.

 

Please let me know what do I do next about it. 1 year warranty is gone but it is not my fault the thing exploded. Should be some kind of hardware issue. I found on the internet that this happens quite often.

IMG_1040.JPG

iPhone 4

Posted on Aug 30, 2012 2:52 AM

Close
mikitabelarus

Q: My iPhone's 4 battery exploded. What do I do next? 1 year warranty period is over; however, this is a clear hardware issue which I ... more

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by mikitabelarus,

    mikitabelarus mikitabelarus Aug 30, 2012 2:59 AM in response to mikitabelarus
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 30, 2012 2:59 AM in response to mikitabelarus

    Another picture of exploded battery. After some research I found that this is the same Lithium batter that explodes on many 3gs phones:

    IMG_1041.JPG

     

    what if that kind of thing causes fire or human's body damage?

  • by Nathan-D,

    Nathan-D Nathan-D Aug 30, 2012 3:46 AM in response to mikitabelarus
    Level 3 (949 points)
    Aug 30, 2012 3:46 AM in response to mikitabelarus

    All you can do is take it into apple and ask. No one here can tell you what they will do, as we are all users like yourself.

  • by mikitabelarus,

    mikitabelarus mikitabelarus Aug 30, 2012 6:04 AM in response to Nathan-D
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 30, 2012 6:04 AM in response to Nathan-D

    Is there a way to call them? I am out of US for at least 4 months.

  • by SergZak,

    SergZak SergZak Aug 30, 2012 7:14 AM in response to mikitabelarus
    Level 5 (7,318 points)
    iPad
    Aug 30, 2012 7:14 AM in response to mikitabelarus

    I had the same thing happen to my iPhone but much less extreme. The back had popped away from the frame at the top, below the headphone jack. I tried to push it back but it would not stay. My first thought was that this was attributed to a bad/bloated battery. I took it in to my local Apple store where it was diagnosed as having a defective back. I brought up my bloated battery suspition with the Genious who instantly shrugged it off. The back was defective and that was it.

     

    A new back was ordered and when it came in, I took the phone in for the back to be replaced. The new Genious went back to their service area with the phone, emerging a few minutes later stating that the back was not the issue...it was a bloated battery which had pushed the back off. They ended up replacing the phone under warranty.

     

    Yours is very extreme since on mine, only one corner of the back was pushed away. I certainly hope you can get Apple to correct it without charge since this is clearly an issue with a bad battery and a dangerous one at that. Best of luck to you.

  • by b j t,Helpful

    b j t b j t Aug 30, 2012 7:08 AM in response to mikitabelarus
    Level 4 (3,680 points)
    Aug 30, 2012 7:08 AM in response to mikitabelarus

    mikitabelarus wrote:

     

    Is there a way to call them? I am out of US for at least 4 months.

    Worldwide telephone support numbers

  • by Michael Black,Helpful

    Michael Black Michael Black Aug 30, 2012 7:10 AM in response to mikitabelarus
    Level 7 (24,462 points)
    Aug 30, 2012 7:10 AM in response to mikitabelarus

    mikitabelarus wrote:

     

    Is there a way to call them? I am out of US for at least 4 months.

     

    Apple's contact info is here - http://www.apple.com/contact/ with links to the global numbers.  The regular 1-800-APPLECARE number works within the USA only (I imagine all the toll free numbers are country/region specific).

  • by mikitabelarus,

    mikitabelarus mikitabelarus Aug 31, 2012 6:55 AM in response to mikitabelarus
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 31, 2012 6:55 AM in response to mikitabelarus

    Just called apple. They said they can replace the device but I have to pay $149 to replace it. What was a clear manufacturing issue (i did no damage to the phone) now is going to cost me money. Plus I am out of the phone for a few months now.

     

    They just turned me from an apple lover to apple hater. Congrats.

  • by Alexanderrox2010,

    Alexanderrox2010 Alexanderrox2010 Feb 1, 2014 5:20 AM in response to mikitabelarus
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 1, 2014 5:20 AM in response to mikitabelarus

    Ha it looks like a little bag

  • by Michael Black,

    Michael Black Michael Black Feb 1, 2014 6:45 AM in response to Alexanderrox2010
    Level 7 (24,462 points)
    Feb 1, 2014 6:45 AM in response to Alexanderrox2010

    Alexanderrox2010 wrote:

     

    Ha it looks like a little bag

     

    A Lithium polymer battery is little more than a plastic bag.  That is one of the advantages of polymer electrolyte - it can be formed and shaped to conform to a space unlike other battery technologies.  They can also be made with minimal wasted space and weight in the actually battery enclosure. It is also why so many devices that use them are not user serviceable.  Those that have user replaceable polymer batteries usually have the polymer battery further encased in some sort of hard shell, which also then negates some of the advantage of using polymer in the first place.

     

    When they do swell though, there is really nothing to constrain them other than the very device they are squished into.

  • by aloekoo,

    aloekoo aloekoo Dec 17, 2015 1:40 AM in response to mikitabelarus
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 17, 2015 1:40 AM in response to mikitabelarus

    HI, I just found out my iPhone 4S 's back has exploded!! I am shocked!! What should I do? It has been more than 2years!! I'm so disappointed and upset about it! Please advise me?! Thanks a lot!

    image.jpeg

  • by AmishCake,

    AmishCake AmishCake Dec 17, 2015 9:42 AM in response to aloekoo
    Level 6 (9,388 points)
    Dec 17, 2015 9:42 AM in response to aloekoo

    Your answer is the very same as what was given to the original poster in this thread - contact Apple.