Apple claims exploding iPhones in China are not its fault

Apple has denied that it is responsible for eight iPhone 6-series handsets bursting into flames in China, blaming the fiery phones on “external factors.”

The company came under fire (pun semi-intended) from Shanghai’s consumer watchdog for the alleged fault, but Apple said its own investigations have shown there is “no cause for concern.”

There’s never a good time for a manufacturer to hear that its handsets are prone to bursting into flames. However, in the wake of Samsung’s Note 7 debacle, the subject is very much present in the public consciousness — and could help sway former Samsung users toward Apple.

In other words, this would have been the worst possible time for a possible dangerous fault to be discovered in Apple handsets, which is what has been alleged.

Instead, Apple blames external damage on the iPhones for what it described as a “thermal event” (re: spontaneous combustion). Apple also denied taking too long to respond to concerns from the Chinese consumer watchdog.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about iPhones exploding. In all previous instances, however, the issue has concerned either user damage to the device’s battery or a dodgy, third-party charger. A recent investigation of third-party chargers suggested that 99 percent of non-Apple units failed basic safety tests.

In the case of Samsung’s disastrous Note 7 handset, a recent teardown suggests the fault may have been with a battery that was packed in too tightly, giving it no room whatsoever to expand.

Source: BBC

Luke Dormehl

Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.