One iPhone 7 in China experienced the same fate as several Samsung Note 7's: a loud explosion.
A 4-month-old iPhone 7 exploded while plugged to a charger. No one was hurt except for the iPhone that split in half. This is not the first time that an iPhone in China exploded. In November 2016, an iPhone 7 Plus exploded after hitting the ground. The incident brings to mind the earlier incidents of exploding Galaxy Note 7 caused by faulty batteries, which prompted Samsung to recall all units.
Cause Of Explosion: Another Faulty Battery?
According to a Daily Mail report, the iPhone owner identified herself as Yin from Suqian City in East China's Jiangsu province. According to her, she just bought the iPhone 7 four months ago. The explosion happened inside her home while she was out for a walk.
"My phone ran out of battery, so I left it to charge on my bedside table. I went out for a walk and heard the explosion when I came home. Then I realized it was my phone," she said.
The explosion ripped the phone in half and charred the unit. Luckily, no one was hurt in the incident.
Yin brought the phone to an Apple Center to report the incident. Since the phone was still under warranty, the technicians checked the phone. Initial checks indicated that the blackened screen was caused by a battery explosion. The charging could have caused the battery to ignite. Apple has not yet issued an official result regarding this incident as of this writing. It is also not known whether Apple replaced the woman's exploded unit, which cost her about $781.
A Literal Boom In Smartphones
Several incidents of smartphones exploding have popped in the recent months, with faulty batteries being the main culprit.
The most infamous is the Samsung Galaxy Note 7. Several incidents of the unit exploding and/or catching fire were reported, prompting Samsung to recall all Galaxy Note 7 units. According to Samsung's official investigation, the explosions were caused by batteries sourced from two different suppliers. In the case of Samsung SDI batteries, there wasn't enough room between the internals and the heat-sealed pouch around the battery. For Amperex-sourced batteries, missing insulation led to separator damage and short circuits.
In the case of Apple, there were also iPhone-related incidents reported. In February, an iPhone 7 exploded while its owner was asleep. She posted the then-smoking unit on Twitter and the post immediately became viral. Apple reportedly started to look into the incident.
