The battery in my old iPhone (out of warranty) has just decided to explode, pop the screen off and bend the main board. Is Apple doing anything to correct this issue? I wasn't using it for a phone, rather an ipod around the house, but still it shouldn't just fall apart like that!
iPhone 3GS, iOS 5.0.1
I got my old 3GS replaced at an Apple Store yesterday for $80 - it was out of warranty but they said they would replace it as a battery problem. This was the second Apple Store I went to - the first tried to sell me a new battery for $150. I found an authorized Apple repair shop and they told me to go ASAP to Apple (and go to a store that wasn't as busy as the one I went to) and they should offer to replace for $50 - $100, confirming that the battery was swelling and it could explode or at least leak and damage the board. The second Apple Store was great - I did not have to throw a hissy-fit to get them to replace, just dropped a few key words like product defect; the Genius at the first store just wanted to get rid of me.
I noticed the problem when I was finally getting ready to sell the phone. I got a new iphone 5 in Nov. and had sold the phone after taking photographs of the phone in mid Jan. No bulging back and screen was clear and bright. I did notice that the phone was not holding a charge very well. Sold the phone about 10 days later and while getting it ready I noticed a dark spot on the screen, below the glass. when I pressed on the area, the spot moved. got an appt at Apple that afternoon and the Genius told me that the battery was swelling and pushing upwards and that's what caused the darkening. he opened the phone and apparently relieved some of the pressure but there was still a spot. obviously I could not sell with a known change so I checked around and found the place to replace the battery. in the 5 days between noticing the dark area and then going to get a new battery, the case started bulging. this was shocking as I was not charging or using the phone.
Took a while to find any info on battery swelling on Apple website (only here). Google 3GS battery swelling and the photos are grim - this is NOT unique problem. If your phone gets warm and the battery does not hold a charge, run, do not walk, to get the battery replaced.
HELLO APPLE !
This is a test to see if you edit or change my post. I am all for a CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT ! Good luck getting away with changing my post since i've already DOCUMENTED IT with your fantastic screen shot option 😉
wow my post got deleted twice already. Anyways this happened to me too just yesterday. I was using the phone and it got really hot. I put my phone down and POOF the screen popped out with smoke coming out of the phone...Apple should really own up to their own manufacture defect.
This just isnt about a battery losing its life, but its a safety issue. Right before this happened, the battery was fine and it was holding charges fine. There were no signs or symptoms telling me the battery was about to explode.
ps. I took another screen shot to see if apple will delete my post or not
Johnny Silver: Does your last sentence have a typo, or an error in translation? Did you mean to say "The customeer should NOT pay for such a flaw..." ? Otherwise, are you saying that customers should pay "€600 device that self-destructs after 2 years by a malfunction that normally can occur"?
My question is: why should customers pay for this? What if automobiles became useless after 3 years? I'm sure there would be government action taken and the companies that produced such cars would be fined or lose their license to operate.
<Edited By Host>
Here's the key point: Apple has hundreds of billions in the bank so they can afford to back up their products when they self-destruct after just two and a half years. Please Apple do the right thing and respond to the people who have experienced the exploding iPhone 3GS and compensate us for our loss.
<Edited By Host>
Presumably something in the portion removed violated the Terms of Use, which, among other things, prohibit discussions of Apple policy and do not permit polls of members. Apple intends the forums to be for the purpose of providing technical support, not as general purpose blogs.
As Lawrence says, it was because I had asked people in this thread to weigh in on how we can get Apple to respond to the issue that has been identified here. Like 99.99999% of people I do not read Terms of Use agreements, so I did not know this was not allowed--which is a shame, by the way. I imagine this post may also be edited by host, too.
I gave my 3gs to my niece in order for her to use Straight Talk by Walmart when I purchased my Iphone 5. She never got a chance to use the phone as it blew up on her. The batter swole and the MB if bent. This is really disheartening. I can not afford to purchase such an expensive item that self destructs after only 2 years. I must make a complaint
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!
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.
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."
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?
<Link Edited By Host>
Apple removed my most recent post as well because I "posted a Petition" according to an email they sent me in reprimand. How about this posting Apple? Will you also censor this posting, which includes images of my self-destructed iPhone 3GS. This happened through NO FAULT of mine. This happened to a well-cared-for iPhone and during normal use. It is very upsetting to have a $700 device become totally useless in just 3 years after caring for it lovingly, and hoping to sell it to buy an iPhone 5. Now it's useless. This is unfair.
Apple asks for money because the iPhone is not anymore covered by warranty, for something that should be warranted in first: the health of the users!
I was a very happy apple customer, I have many apple products (BJ=Before Jobs) wich I'm happy with: iMac iPad MacBook Pro MacBook Air iPhones for all people in my office; after iPhone 5 I started to doubt that apple could survive Steve Jobs. After this I abandon apple.
Hello there community!
Yesterday morning I woke up and try to check-up my good ‘ol iPhone 3Gs friend and you can see below what I got. I also have an iPhone 2G, an iPhone 4S, an iPad 2, an15-inch, Early 2011 MacBook Pro and never encountered something like that.
I would visit an Apple Store right away, but my problem is that there’s none in my country (Romania - EU).
Any advice? Thank’s!
iPhone 3gs exploding expanding battery
