iPhone 3gs exploding expanding battery

i will never buy there products again

I had the EXACT same problem! Bought my 3gs in July of 2009. Never had a problem with it. Nov. 2011 I purchased a new 4s, put the old 3gs on the shelf. And a week ago I charged it and figured I could use it for music, well I woke up this morning and the whole thing came appart! I did take pictures and then took it appart, the battery was all puffed up, and smelled funny. I then did some searching online and got very frightened to learn it could EXPLODE!! I honestly dont know what to do with it. This seems to be only a 3gs problem?? Its pretty scary to see the same problem over and over like you had said, same senario. (put old phone on shelf and when used later battery puffs up).Ive always been an apple fan but after reading these reviews, I am quite dissapointed 😟 ..

"they seem to think there stuff dosnt fail or break and always blames the user"

YOU seem to think that if their stuff fails, it is their fault. This is the result of the user, likely you took it to an area outside of the approved temperatures. http://www.apple.com/batteries/iphone.html

I noticed a lot of people are saying they bought a newer iPhone, and when they went to use the 3GS again, shortly after, the battery expanded. This could be a result of not using the iPhone regularly, as the tip in the Batteries article linked above recommends for maximizing its lifespan.

That is deffinetly a possibility, but I also have a first generation ipod touch. And no matter how long it sits on the shelf, it charges and works fine. I hate to say it but I think this is a defect in the 3gs, a very dangerous one. Batteries should not be exploding because of no use, thats sad if thats the excuse apple is giving.

I'd like to add my 32GB iPhone 3GS to the list of swollen phones. And mine happened exactly the same way. I used it for just under 3 years (2yr9mo) with no problems and had just bought an iPhone 5 on Sept 28th. From that day on, I did not consistently recharge the iPhone 3GS. It sat on a shelf. I then charged it up to show my mother on November 4, with the idea of giving it to her. She didn't want it and I slipped it back into my briefcase. Today, November 12, it is all swollen, with the screen popped out the front. What a shock. Very upsetting. Could it blow up and burn down the house while we sleep? I was planning on selling the 3GS for $150, the going price on Craigslist. Apple owes the people on this thread at least $150.

I'll take the phone into the genius bar and see what they say. If anyone from Apple is reading: shame on you for building in such obsolescence. A $700 product should last more than 2.75 years. I just paid almost $900 (including tax) for a new iPhone 5. Will it also be useless in less than 3 years?

Mine;s just gone too, going to take it to the shop tomorrow and see what they say. I think it's strange that they had no problem replacing the cheap as chips nano, but when they could potentially be dishing out iphone 4s's or 5's there's no issue with the phones.

The excuse that they're not being used regularly is bull too, I was using mine as an ipod in my car for a couple of months before it went pop, the wife's old nano (1st gen) was in the glove box for about three years with no problem. I can't see myself rushing out to buy any more apple products either,

What the ****, my 3gs just exploded too. I can see batteries dying but having the battery explode and the entire iPhone is now destroyed?!?!? this is horrible. Should I expect this to happen to my ipad too?

I am never buying antoher Apple product again if it will not last more than 2 years, this is just rediculious....

<Edited by Host>

Well, I went to the apple store and they gave me a replacement phone for the cost of a replacement battery, which I suppose is better than nothing but not amazing. I've sold it already.

I'm not going to rush into buying any more apple stuff. A £500 phone should really last more than 2 years.

mmarcuci,

This isn't typical for iPhones, but anything is possible. If you haven't already, I would strongly recommend contacting Apple Support concerning your phone. www.apple.com/support/contact

And no, you shouldn't expect this to happen to your iPad too. This is a pretty rare occurance.

I already tried to call Apple but I will have to pay $20 to pay for support. I will not pay $20 to have them just tell me it is not under warranty.

I also see on other forums that MANY people have the same issues and Apple is not doing anything to fix the issue. This is obviously an issue and Apple should issue a recall, what would have happened if my kid got injured from this?

Here are some videos on youtube of what we are experiencing:

https://www.youtube.com/results?q=3gs+exploding+battery&aq=f&sugexp=chrome,mod%3 D0&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wy

Call them anyway. If you tell them the battery exploded and you don't think you should have to pay, they will normally kick the call up the support chain to someone who can waive the charge. They jump on things like this pretty quickly and agressivly.

So, again, don't let the out of warranty status keep you from calling. And let us know what happens.

As I stated in my original reply, I contacted apple support to basically be told a load of horse ****. I was told that it was a safety feature, when I stated that I had never heard of a battery expanding as a safety measure I was assured this was the case. However, when I asked for some documentation from the battery manufacturer, apple were unable / unwilling to supply this. I was then told, during the same support call, that the batteries were only supposed to last for a certain number of full chemical cycles. Again, when asked, the support representative could not provide me with any data specific to the iPhone 3GS. In fact, the only figures available were for the MacBook Pro. I wasn't happy with this so I emailed Tim Cook directly. The next day I got a call from a person in Executive Relations EMEIA and she asked what had happened and asked for photos. I got a call back from here a few days later to say that an 'Engineer' had looked at the pictures and that what had happened was normal!! She then offered me a new phone, which I would have to pay for. When I declined her kind offer I was advised to contact the shop where I bought the phone (O2) which I did. Iwas told by O2 that the 1 year manufacturers warranty was up and there was nothing I could do, even though in Europe, goods bought in Ireland are supposed to be merchantable for 7 years.

I have kept hold of the phone just in case in the future there is a recall on these.

I have to say though that this is shocking behaviour from apple. I know people who still use 5-8 year old nokia's / sony ericsson's with the original battery and these haven't expanded / exploded. Maybe this is the business model for the world's richest company moving forward??

You are lucky you got a replacement phone for the cost of a battery. How much did you actually pay?

<Edited by Host>

It was still £55, which is a **** sight more than a battery for my Samsung Galaxy S2 would cost. At least it meant I could sell the phone on and get something back.

My advice to anyone who can would be to make an appointment at the genius bar, they seem to find it harder to say no to people face to face! That obviously isn't an option for everyone though.

The whole thing has put me off unibody phones, I was looking at an HTC one x+ next but I think I might stick with Samsung, at least if the battery expands, the flimsy back will just pop off.