iPhone 3gs exploding expanding battery

To be sure, I also submitted a report to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. They accepted it, and published it. Please: everyone do this. Eventually we may get compensation from Apple.

Just as Czarmuss wrote (Jul 5, 2012 2:45 AM) I have the same problem!

The technician at Apple Store (Stockholm/Sweden) told me about a "self destruct feature" that makes all of the Apple-batteries swell or explode after about 2 years! Nothing they tell the buyer about...

EU Consumer Law in Sweden give me 3 years of warranty if it´s proved to be a manufacturing fault as I claim. Apple Store in Stockholm/Sweden says it´s totally normal and not a problem with a battery that swell or explode in my iPhone 4 (after about 2 years)! I had to pay about €79 to get a replacement iPhone since the casing is destroyed.

Read more about the matter, or in today's Metro online (also in a swedish edition).

http://www.metro.se/nyheter/sprangd-iphone-helt-normalt-enligt-apple/EVHmbA!aerL CzRvKaSlM/

http://www.metro.se/nyheter/mobilreparator-vanligt-fel-med-expanderad-iphone/EVH mbA!twgWzWPOm8MWk/

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Hasse-Sweden wrote:

The technician at Apple Store (Stockholm/Sweden) told me about a "self destruct feature" that makes all of the Apple-batteries swell or explode after about 2 years! Nothing they tell the buyer about...

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The "technician" was speaking from the wrong orifice. The opinion of a local mal-trained idiot is neither the word of Apple nor remotely true.

My iphone 3gs after 3 years, has exploded too.

I spoke to apple helpdesk here in Spain about this, but they were clearly unable to understand the seriousness of the matter. They claimed that what happened wasn't really an explosion as such, but rather that the battery had “inflated”, thus causing the phone to be damaged. They even claimed that this was “normal”, they say that this problem is a “normal battery usage” issue, they insist that I should be the one to pay for the battery.

Am i talking about Apple? A 600€ device that is going to "explode/inflate or as you want to call it" after 2-3 years due to a "normal usage". Is my new, fantastic, incredible Iphone 5 going to "terminate as a normal circle live" in 3 years too? What about my ipad? Do I have to pay for you own design failure?

I am still waiting for a response... I am not sure it will happen.

I am an Apple customer, but I am changing my mind!

My suggestion - call the Apple help desk and give them the websites that show pictures of the exploded and damaged iphones. (just google iphone 3GS battery swelling or something similar - you'll find lots of scary pictures and maybe even some you tube videos.) Insist that they look at this while you are on the phone with them and ask them to explain how this is normal.

I filed a complaint here in the US with the Consumer Product Safety Commission and they later confirmed that my report has been sent to Apple. Hope more people will do this. If you have something similar in Spain, consider reporting.

In the meantime, maybe it is time to switch to Samsung - they have some nice products priced reasonably. Don't know their position on batteries but worth checking.

Lithium Ion batteries are used in a wide variety of devices from laptops to iPhones to Samsung phones and tablets to the Chevy Volt to Boeing 787 Dreamliners. In every one of these applications (including Samsung devices) there is a chance of the battery overheating in a process engineers call "thermal runaway". It's a serious enough problem that "naked" batteries not enclosed in a device (like a phone) cannot be carried on aircraft. The enclosing device contains the damage and prevents (hopefully) any secondary damage.

I've never had a problem with batteries per se, but I have had problems with other Samsung devices and their support was less than stellar. I eventually threw away my LC-11 wireless hotspot because it worked so poorly, and despite 4 battery replacements and 3 device replacements it never worked acceptably.

I also filed a complaint with the Consumer Product Safety Commission and they later confirmed that my report has been sent to Apple. I hope everyone in this thread does it.

Just to give an update, just fired my 3GS up for an update today, had same issue, phoned Apple support, they put me through to a senior tech straight away when I said the battery had swollen and pushed screen out.

To cut a long story short, tried to get me to device replace for £126 (GBP, so c.$180 USD) - very quickly said they would replace the DEVICE under a "battery replacement" scheme and charge me £62 (so c.$90 USD)

I did think about buying my own battery for £10-£20, but I think the the phone is pretty shot from being forced open from the inside so figured a factory refurb (new casing, camera lens etc) was worth it...

Still a little bitter though as my 1st Gen Nano had battery problems too, and they EVENTUALLY replaced all those free under a product recall...

Note also, towards the end of the call (after I had emailed the photos over to tech, and he called me back) he really wasn't keen when I was suggesting I turn the phone back on and just charge it to see what happens.....

Perhaps could have held out for more, but figure c.10% of cost for a factory replacement after 3 years isn't too bad,

It's not a matter of "cost". The main problem is that it's not my problem. I think they thought about everything but explosions, sorry "inflating" problems. I don't what to pay due to their own mistake. That's the goal!!!

They provide me with a discontinued product at a cost of the double that I can find in several diferent places. And they insist that is a normal usage... this part disappoint me at all. Apple giving me what I consider is a excuse.

Yes, as i said (for me) it is not a "money" problem, it is nothing else that a fiability problem, it is a quality problem, a very poor post-sales activity.

Apple was at the very top in my top ten companies, but not now. I still have my ipad2 and my iphone5, but I am not sure at all I will have any other Apple device.

😟😕

This has just happened to my son's phone. A looked-after device, carefully charged/discharged and yet now destroyed by, it seems, built-in obselesence.

When we buy a phone one assumes it is as permanent as it can be for as long as the device is cared for in normal use. Instead it now seems that we rent a very expensive device from Apple for less than two years and, without warning, lose all or any latest data that may be stored on it (as well as the cost of replacing it with a reliable Samsung) – all because Apple has seen fit to build a device with compnents that cannot withstand the usage for which it was designed.

Apple is now rightfully losing ground to other manufacturers and I for one will be switching allegiance, and that after over 10 years' 'loyalty'. I could pursue this through their impregnable or expensive Apple Support channels but actually the most powerful thing I can do is to change my policy on technology (and any other friends/colleagues I can influence) and go for brands by comanies whose leaders understand their customers' needs, the issues of the environment and wastage, and the backlash against greed, closed-mindedness and extravagance.

Please be sure to file a consumer complaint with the Consumer Product Safety Commission. It is my hope that eventually a prominent US law firm will start a class action lawsuit against Apple regarding this product failure and that we will all be properly compensated for our losses, which are mounting as Apple takes no action to remedy the situation.

I guess you have no experience with class actions. If the action wins you will get either $5 or a coupon good for 10% off your next Apple store purchase, and the law firm will get $20 million.

I agree Lawrence. You are right. Any better ideas? I mean: just about every week we hear about another 3GS "expanding" and becoming worthless. Do you honestly feel that this is fair? That a device that is just 2.5 years old should become useless. A device that was paid for by consumers in good faith should stop working after only 2 years of use? I was just on my bike the other day thinking: wow, I've had this bike for 30 years, and it still works great. I know that an electronic device is not the same as a bicycle, but if a customer pays $700 or so for a device, they don't expect it to be worthless in just 2.5 years. I have stereo equipment in my basement that is 20 years old and it works fine. I have a record player that is about 35 years old. It works well.

Apple really should do something about this. This is not *normal* behaviour for expensive home electronic products. A key point made by many of the posters in this thread is that they have cared for their devices well for the years they've owned them. Mine was in a case, protected by screen protectors and babied with the view that I would sell it, or give it to someone, after I got a new iPhone. But now it just sits on the shelf, useless, puffed up, and self-destructed. That's simply not fair.

At the very least, Apple should be required to post large warning alerts on their iPhone products saying something like, "ATTENTION: This product has a significant risk of self-destructing in 2 to 3 years, at which point Apple will not compensate you for any losses."

I agree that it's a problem, and that it shouldn't happen. But, as Boeing has discovered, Lithium battery technology can be unstable and unpredictable. The battery is expected to last through 500 full charge cycles, which is about 2 years for the average user. But it should die gracefully, not melt. When it does die Apple will replace it for $79, and independent dealers for less. When it destroys the phone Apple should replace it.

I have no idea how to convince them to do that, other than involving government regulators. That's already been mentioned. Consumer Reports is another avenue. There IS such a thing as bad publicity.

The problem with iPhones seems to be rare. Compare, for example, to Sony having to recall 10 million laptop batteries a few years ago.

This has happened to me today. The Iphone 3gs battery expanded and broke the iphone in 2. It broke definitely. I called apple but they wanted to charge 75 euros to change the battery beccause it's out of warranty.

I think it's not a warranty issue, but a safety issue. What if it explodes in the night when you have the iphone next to you? or if a child have it in the hands?

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