iPhone 3GS cracked open b/c of bloated battery

Just happened to mine ( iPhone 3) overnight. I had charged it, disconnected the charger, and left it sitting on the bedside table overnight. When I awoke it had popped open very much like yours. I can still use the phone after a bit of squeezing near the top on off switch to get it to turn on. The rest is all working once it starts up and the battery is still showing 3/4 full. I wanted to take it away with me on a cruise next week but I don't know if Apple will/can repair it in time. I don't know what will happen if I try to recharge it!

This also just happened to me!

Maybe it is a batch with a wrong battery anyhow, my iphone looks like its been cracked open from the inside:

And the back is cracked too... Did you get any reaction from Apple yet?

Last night my iPhone 3GS exploded too! I left it on my desk in a safe place, came back in the morning and this is what it looked like. The screen is cracked and the innards are obviously warped outward from what I assume is the battery expanding. No fire or anything, no burn marks, but there surely was some kind of problem with the battery.

Hi MRP00,

Just happened to my old iPhone 3G. My son uses it as an ipod touch too, he had it on his desk beside him and said he heard a cracking sound and looked down to see the result. No heat or anything. I opened up a case with Apple and they rang immediately. Told me that my phone was waaay out of warranty, but he checked with his supervisor to see if they could do anything. Supervisor was super helpful and said that if it's the battery then repair is covered by Apple (at least here in Oz?). All I have to do is take it in to my local Apple Repair to verify issue and they will sort out a solution! Going in on Monday to see what they can do. I'll post an update.

Thanks heaps for the advice, MRP00!

I've not heard of any iPhones doing that, but it's certainly a possibility.

It is very likely that your device is out of warranty, but I would take it to an Apple store anyways. They will offer to replace it out of warranty, and possibly replace it under warranty.

pontiac1965 wrote:

I don't know if Apple will/can repair it in time. I don't know what will happen if I try to recharge it!

The battery is damaged so don't try charging it. Whether they will or can repair it I don't know.

iPod Touch 2G, same thing happened to me about a year or two ago. The iPod wasn't in much use throughout the years. In retrospect the battery may have been bad for quite a while. The screen front wasn't 100% flush with the metallic case since day 1. Also, after a year or two, an elongated discoloration appeared on the LCD. It disappeared after I started using the iPod more regularly, and reappeared when it sat unused for a while. Maybe related to pressure from the battery below that changed when the battery was exercised more?

Very disappointing. I thought Apple's hardware was supposed to be high quality.

steppx wrote:

iPod Touch 2G, same thing happened to me about a year ago. The iPod wasn't in much use throughout the years. In retrospect the battery may have been bad for quite a while. The screen front wasn't 100% flush with the metallic case since day 1. Also, after a year or two, an elongated discoloration appeared on the LCD. It disappeared after I started using the iPod more regularly, and reappeared when it sat unused for a while. Maybe related to pressure from the battery below that changed when the battery was exercised more?

Very disappointing. I thought Apple's hardware was supposed to be high quality.

It is. This is an extremely rare occurrence, and it's not always traced back to a defect of the device. The vast majority of iOS devices never have this, or any other kind of issue.

With a super difficult access to the battery it's even more infuriating.

My LCD looks now slightly damaged after I separated the front screen and frame from the case. And after that I still don't have access to the battery because two of the screws that hold the LCD/battery tray had their heads stripped when I tried to open them. I'm guessing the metallic tray, that's malformed due the bulging battery, pressures the screws more than usual and makes it difficult to unscrew them. Combined with the soft metal the screws are made of, and I'm stuck.

steppx wrote:

iPod Touch 2G, same thing happened to me about a year or two ago. The iPod wasn't in much use throughout the years. In retrospect the battery may have been bad for quite a while. The screen front wasn't 100% flush with the metallic case since day 1. Also, after a year or two, an elongated discoloration appeared on the LCD. It disappeared after I started using the iPod more regularly, and reappeared when it sat unused for a while. Maybe related to pressure from the battery below that changed when the battery was exercised more?

Very disappointing. I thought Apple's hardware was supposed to be high quality.

Yeah it can be disappointing, but if you think something made by the millions with a battery inside can never fail you are being unrealistic.

steppx wrote:

With a super difficult access to the battery it's even more infuriating.

The user is not supposed to have access to the internals of the device. The iPhone is not a user-serviceable device.

I have the same problem! MRP00 do you have to pay for the support (open a case with them), thanks.

Mine happened today and took it apart to remove the battery out of the case which was cracked.

My iPhone did this a while ago. I was told this is why mine went

- Old Battery

- Overcharging