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.
Well hello,
I don't know if this helps anybody but anyways, today my iPhone 3GS just popped like the ones in this topic. I thought my kids dropped it on the floor since it's my obsolte phone which is mostly used by them. When they denied having anything to do with it, I more or less decided it could be the battery. I disassembled the whole thing and found a swollen battery and a heavily deformed mainboard ;-( These pics show how I found it on my table and the disassembled unit. I like to point out that until a week or two I still had this thing always charged on my desk. Yesterday evening I pushed the home button on both my iPod 4th gen and the iPhone 3Gs laying next to each other. Both without battery power. I mad no charging attempt on either of them and today the iPhone screen was lifted off. I think this incident could have potentially ruined my monitor/table if there was any more juice left in the device. I think Apple should consider some kind of callback This appears to me as dangerous possibly igniting fire. I dont believe the stuff about precautional bursting of batteries, toal bogus.
My iPhone 2g, which is much older has not exploded yet, when can I expect that to happen?
Well, Fotoboer, I was asking myself when will the next one come, and it seems that you were the one! I am sorry for your experience and I hope that you will be able to get in touch directly with Apple by an Apple Store and get your problem solved. I didn't disassemble mine, as I hope that I will get to Germany some day soon and visit a Store myself.
As you said, I have a 2G myself and now I ask myself: will it transforme into a bomb some day soon? Who is going to hold it that moment? Oh boy, that is a terrible perspective!
Hey Apple: how do you react to that?!
Add me to the list...mine just blew up in the car. Fortunately I got the 5 on an upgrade, but had wanted to use this for music...now, no chance. Apple, this is a fatality waiting to happen! (p.s. I have a screenshot of my posting and page, so please do not edit or delete)
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@Lawrence,
You are missing the point. We are not saying that the battery should last more than 2.5 years. We get it that the battery will die sooner or later, but it should NOT destroy the device. I can get a new battery and all my data should be retained. Getting a new device for 1/10 of the price is not a bad deal, but losing your data withour warning is.
Well, amazes me this can be defended.
It was designed to fail. If they knew this would happen then they should have designed the phone to accomodate it and allowed the back to gracefully pop off or something.
I have old phones knocking around and none of them had self destructed. This includes other smart phones.
How do you lose data without warning? You mean you don't back up regularly? The iPhone has 3 means of backing up the phone daily, all of them nearly or completely automatic, and an option to manually back up every 5 minutes if you want to. if you lose data on your iPhone (or your computer) it is your negligence.
really, you obviusly not in IT. No backup can be 100% safe, your internet connection can be down for a while. I can be travel abroad and dont have internet connection. I took a priceless photo on my phone and only to have it exploded when I charge my phone in the hotel that night. It is reasonanle to assume the data should be safe on my device for awhile before a backup can be done.
@David Lee,
Yes, it is amazing that people can still defend this. This is Apple's fault, plain and simple.
It happens to very few phones. I had an original for 3 years, and now I have a 3GS that is 3 years old. Neither of them ever had a battery problem. Based on the number of reports in this and other theads you probably have a better chance of winning the lottery than having a battery fail in this specific mode. Batteries do fail, but most often they just stop taking a charge. Even that is rare, however.
if that's the case, a batch or two of bad batteries, then issue a recall. they should be able to track this and if not, issue a product notice. just like the automakers do. just like computer manufacturers do. just like everyone else does!
Hi tonefox,
I wouldn't describe it as rare. This is my first phone to expand but I have personally owned a MacBook that has had an expanding battery (bent the case a bit too) and one of the companies I work honestly must have had about 10 batteries in their MacBook Pros expand. This is a company of just 50 people and not all with MacBooks.
I might write to Apple about the information I was given (not to get him fired of course) but I am fully expecting that the information was official, he was way to confident for it not to have been. He did not speak quietly in front of is peers and seemed to be fairly bright, actually nice guy with a difficult job to do.
I might write to Apple about the information I was given (not to get him fired of course) but I am fully expecting that the information was official, he was way to confident for it not to have been.
Please do. I have no more claim to being an authoritve spokesperson than anybody else. :-)
If I wanted the official stance of Wallmart / Marks and Spencer / Tesco (sorry - I am UK oriented) or even Apple, I would hesitate to quote the opinion of the Trainee manager working in the store...
Look what Google turned up:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57568095-94/samsung-cell-phone-battery-explodes -in-mans-pocket/
http://www.fonearena.com/blog/17012/samsung-phone-explodes-in-face.html
http://www.androidauthority.com/busting-the-myth-yes-cell-phones-can-explode-425 82/
http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=127134
It looks like no manufacturer's phones are immune. We have examples above of Samsung, Motorola Droid, HTC, Nokia, etc.
Mine also decided to turn into the amazing expanding iPhone yesterday while charging.
You all know the story, I plugged it in to charge, heard it turn on as the battery was completely dead, though I have been using it for some weeks without any problems. a little while later, I heard it make the power up sound again as it was right next to my head. on the arm of my couch the I was resting my head on at the time. I picked it up and though that it seemed much thicker than I remembered it being, then noticed the screen popping out. I immedately unplugged it but it was already to late for it. It continued to expand until it pretty much disassembled itself, however it did that outside as I didnt want it in my house any longer.
I am planning on going to the Apple store tomorrow to see what they will do about it. It doesn't seem right that a $700 device doesn't last longer than 3 years.
I am considering bringing in all my much older devices that have lasted much longer than 3 years without self distructing, just prove a point when they tell me its desinged to do that.
Count me in too! Been using my old 3GS as a touch and went to get it today only to see the glass/chassis had separated from the backing - expanded leaving a 2-3 mm crack at the top. Bizarre, and then see this discussion and it all becomes clear. This is CRAZY!
What to do? Has anyone had a positive response from apple? Credit or repair success? This really *****! After paying hundreds of dollars only a few years ago I don't expect it to "explode" all of a sudden and be rendered unusable!?!
Oh WOW, they want to take another $149 of my money, I sure don't think so, they already got me for $470 when I bought it on a 2 year contract... and then the phone only lasted 3 years... I don't really think I will be giving Apple any more of my money when they design their devices so that the phone self-destructs after a couple years... Doesn't really sound to me like they are taking it seriously or they would be replacing these phones free of charge to try to keep a lid on this.
As it stands, I do IT Consulting for quite a few companies, not to mention all my friends I play tennis with, I will be sure to show everyone the pictures of my iPhone anytime someone asks for my opinion about what device they should purchase for themselves or their company.
I'll buy Samsung devices from now on, at least if their battery fails the battery cover comes off and I just have to buy a $20 battery (honestly I could get 3 for that price).
I really don't care if it's out of warranty, the use of the device was not out general expectations, however the device completely ruining itself, well, is.
iPhone 3gs exploding expanding battery
