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Bent iPhone 5 and not working volume buttons after charging

N

nirhend

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 13, 2012
16
0
Hi,
I bought an iPhone 5 32GB Black & Slate in France - Paris 2.5 weeks ago.
The device is amazing and i really enjoy using it.
Today i used it until battery was empty and the device turned off. I connected it to charge with original AC charger and original lightning cable i got in the box with the iPhone. i noticed after 1h of charging the the device was very HOT and charged only to 15%. i plugged it off, and on to the cable again while resetting the device. then it charged to 31% and no more after 1.5 hours. device was unusual HOT!!!. the device was in home and not exposed to high tempeture or direct sunlight.
suddenly i noticed the screen protector was a bit dislocated in the left side of the device near the volume buttons. i disconnected the device from charging and took it out from it's case. amazing i noticed the the volume buttons where stuck and if i push them they are staying in the device and not coming out and... the device was slightly bent!!! no fall, no damage and it wasn't like that before charging!!!
every thing except the volume buttons work correct and later i charged it usual to 100% with no problems with car charger (12V to USB and Original lightning to USB cable).
what can it be and can cause this problem? maybe the battery was over heated and melted the device inner components to cause this damage?
I really don't know what to do now. there is no apple store and no service to my iPhone 5 in my country. does any one know about such a problem???
attached are pictures and video describing the problem.

Pictures:
http://imageshack.us/a/img692/1816/img0558ya.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img9/8605/img0557yn.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img571/3839/img0556ds.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img854/3816/img0555rs.jpg

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opjEiP7pMu4

Thanks!
 
sfchky03

sfchky03

macrumors newbie
Sep 28, 2012
19
0
hi! this is a known issue, you may want to contact apple directly to get a replacement. that bending of the phone is caused by the battery bulging out of the case. i've seen a video wherein the apple employee himself opened a box with a bent iphone 5.

here's the link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7_AS_9z0IU


contact apple right away. you may need to send the phone to them.
 
N

nirhend

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 13, 2012
16
0
Time replacing the iPhone

Do you know if apple stores stock replacement's iPhone 5 in store or if i bring the my problematic iPhone they will try to fix it and i'll need to leave it there for few days?
 
KdParker

KdParker

macrumors 601
Oct 1, 2010
4,793
998
Everywhere
nirhend said:
Do you know if apple stores stock replacement's iPhone 5 in store or if i bring the my problematic iPhone they will try to fix it and i'll need to leave it there for few days?
Click to expand...

Couldn't imagine them fixing an issue like that. If events happenend as you said they did, I would take it back and get a replacement.
 
Arran

Arran

macrumors 601
Mar 7, 2008
4,848
3,781
Atlanta, USA
This is probably not what you want to hear.

The slight buckling above the volume "-" button suggests somebody sat on it. That may have damaged the internals and caused overheating when it was subsequently charged.

If battery swelling was the real cause, I'd expect to see either; (1) convex bulging on the back plate or (2) the front glass popping out/lifting up on one or more edges. Bending of the edge frame (the most rigid part of the phone - since it's an aluminum L-beam) is not what I'd expect. Sorry.
 
N

nirhend

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 13, 2012
16
0
the story is exectly as told...

didn't sit on it nor it fall or received any direct damage.
device is brand new for 2.5 weeks of regular and really gentle use. Screen protector and case direct when device was out of the box.
i think that the slight buckling above the volume "-" button is the aluminum compressed from the extreme heat of the device or battery expending. i could but wont open it to check, i don't want to void the warranty of course.
device is working as of today except the volume buttons perfectly normal with full battery use, regular charging and it's not heating so much any more.
Maybe the iPhone 5 aluminum frame is less firm then the 4s, i really don't know.
 
Arran

Arran

macrumors 601
Mar 7, 2008
4,848
3,781
Atlanta, USA
nirhend said:
didn't sit on it nor it fall or received any direct damage.
Click to expand...

I don't know what to say, then.

nirhend said:
i could but wont open it to check, i don't want to void the warranty of course.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Don't open it. Let Apple take care of it. I'm always a bit nervous keeping a defective, battery-powered device at home in case it catches fire or something.

nirhend said:
Maybe the iPhone 5 aluminum frame is less firm then the 4s, i really don't know.
Click to expand...

That's for sure. The 4 and 4s have steel frames. Far more rigid than the aluminum of the 5. (Of course they also have easy-break glass backs :) )
 
M

Myiphone7

macrumors 6502a
Nov 18, 2010
848
0
Arran said:
This is probably not what you want to hear.

The slight buckling above the volume "-" button suggests somebody sat on it. That may have damaged the internals and caused overheating when it was subsequently charged.

If battery swelling was the real cause, I'd expect to see either; (1) convex bulging on the back plate or (2) the front glass popping out/lifting up on one or more edges. Bending of the edge frame (the most rigid part of the phone - since it's an aluminum L-beam) is not what I'd expect. Sorry.
Click to expand...

People don't sit on their iPhone 5's dude.

Why would he put his iPhone 5 down on a chair, then say ok, now I'll sit on it.
 
Ivabign

Ivabign

macrumors 6502
Mar 27, 2011
422
43
SoCal
Is there a chance someone else sat on it when you weren't looking? If the battery expanded - it would expand out - the front glass is held by clips - the compression bend would be difficult to achieve by something inside the aluminum frame getting larger.

It is similar to placing a piece of dynamite in a hole with no cover - it blasts up with minimal damage to the bottom and sides of the hole - it's like when I was a kid playing with firecrackers (now don't try this at home) - if you held the bottom gently - you could let it explode in your fingers with nary a sting.
 
KentuckyHouse

KentuckyHouse

macrumors 68030
Jan 29, 2010
2,715
986
Lexington, KY.
Arran said:
That's for sure. The 4 and 4s have steel frames. Far more rigid than the aluminum of the 5. (Of course they also have easy-break glass backs :) )
Click to expand...

Which are easily replaceable. While I think the iPhone 5 is a beautiful piece of tech, it's becoming obvious that Apple really screwed the pooch by going with the aluminum frame. I mean, if a battery expanding can bend it like this, imagine what someone forgetting it's in their back pocket and sitting down will do??? And yes, some of us carry our phones in our back pockets.

Myiphone7 said:
People don't sit on their iPhone 5's dude.

Why would he put his iPhone 5 down on a chair, then say ok, now I'll sit on it.
Click to expand...

Um, I think you're taking it too literally. Lots of people put their phones in their back pockets (me included) and accidentally sit on them from time to time. I've done this dozens of times with my 4S and there's not a scratch (or bend) on it.

It's pretty obvious the aluminum frame of the iPhone 5 isn't strong enough to withstand the occasional oops! moment.
 
brand

brand

macrumors 601
Oct 3, 2006
4,390
456
127.0.0.1
Myiphone7 said:
People don't sit on their iPhone 5's dude.

Why would he put his iPhone 5 down on a chair, then say ok, now I'll sit on it.
Click to expand...

People do it all the time. :rolleyes:

I have kept my phone in my back left pocket for over 10 years when not in use and have never had and issue.
 
N

nirhend

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 13, 2012
16
0
Ivabign said:
Is there a chance someone else sat on it when you weren't looking? If the battery expanded - it would expand out - the front glass is held by clips - the compression bend would be difficult to achieve by something inside the aluminum frame getting larger.
Click to expand...

no way, it was used only by me, everyone that asked to look at the device did it when i was near him and in my wide open eyes:)
maybe the compression was because the heat, frame was compressed maybe because it was strained and heat make it like Shrink to it's "original" material form.

Ivabign said:
It is similar to placing a piece of dynamite in a hole with no cover - it blasts up with minimal damage to the bottom and sides of the hole - it's like when I was a kid playing with firecrackers (now don't try this at home) - if you held the bottom gently - you could let it explode in your fingers with nary a sting.
Click to expand...

Maybe there is a problem with the battery, for now it didn't expand but just extremely heated, it can make sense.

i must say the in the first days of using the device while few times rebooting it i got the "Connect to iTunes" screen. rebooting it again turned to work and device booted well. maybe something in the device is not working well and this chain of events eventually did the charging and heat problem
 
Arran

Arran

macrumors 601
Mar 7, 2008
4,848
3,781
Atlanta, USA
Myiphone7 said:
People don't sit on their iPhone 5's dude.

Why would he put his iPhone 5 down on a chair, then say ok, now I'll sit on it.
Click to expand...

Of course nobody would ever do it like that. Not deliberately. Geez

But accidents do happen.

----------
KentuckyHouse said:
...it's becoming obvious that Apple really screwed the pooch by going with the aluminum frame...
Click to expand...

Yes, it wasn't very clever using a softer metal and then making the phone longer - which increases leverage and makes it easier to bend.
 
realeric

realeric

macrumors 65816
Jun 19, 2009
1,152
1,544
United States
Physics.

1. Aluminum melting temperature is 582~652C(1079~1205F).
2. Don't sit on the phone.
3. You can't break the glass because it is very flexible.

iphone5-gorilla-glass.jpg
 
N

nirhend

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 13, 2012
16
0
Pictures

Attached are new photos i took now, you can see the bent clearer in the aluminum frame and i think also in the rear shell.
the important thing that shows it's not from physical damage (siting on it etc...) is that just the frame and rear shell is dent, screen is straight and or maybe a little bit expended outside the frame, really don't know but you can see it clearly as the screen edge is more visible at the dent area.
Of course the screen is softer and more flexible but, with this amount of pressure that will bent the aluminum shell, the screen must break.... or the pressure was so precise to the frame only... which in no possible way will be from like siting on the device

http://imageshack.us/a/img716/8906/56719123.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img856/6581/81529069.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img28/2028/96461674.jpg
 
kas23

kas23

macrumors 603
Oct 28, 2007
5,629
288
There have now been a number of threads with people having bent iPhones. It's kind of hard to understand why every single one of them would be lying about someone physically sitting on their phones. It just makes little sense for them to all withhold this information because none of us have any say in Apple replacing their phones.

I would also expect the screen to break too. About the picture above (the weights on the glass), we don't know how slowly those weights were added onto the glass. Someone sitting on the phone would cause a sudden shift in weight (of likely over 100 lbs) directly onto the glass face, not unlike a sudden fall onto a hard surface, likely causing the glass to shatter. Plus, we do not know how the other components of the screen affect the resilency of the Gorilla Glass either.
 
Ivabign

Ivabign

macrumors 6502
Mar 27, 2011
422
43
SoCal
kas23 said:
There have now been a number of threads with people having bent iPhones. It's kind of hard to understand why every single one of them would be lying about someone physically sitting on their phones. It just makes little sense for them to all withhold this information because none of us have any say in Apple replacing their phones.

I would also expect the screen to break too. About the picture above (the weights on the glass), we don't know how slowly those weights were added onto the glass. Someone sitting on the phone would cause a sudden shift in weight (of likely over 100 lbs) directly onto the glass face, not unlike a sudden fall onto a hard surface, likely causing the glass to shatter. Plus, we do not know how the other components of the screen affect the resilency of the Gorilla Glass either.
Click to expand...

I don't know why many people state that their phones have bent without the benefit of their rear end applying pressure - but many of the ones I have read often are written in a way that feel (to me at least) as they are prepping their story for the Genius Bar - getting a feel from responses at MacRumors whether the guy at Apple is going to laugh them out of the room or not - I look closely at my 5 and can see pretty clearly that it is damned thin and would not take a great deal of pressure to bend - but to spontaneously bend with no outside force seems difficult to believe (for me) -

Perhaps because I have to deal with people who say the Earth was created 4000 years ago and Dinosaurs walked with man, I am a bit jaded.
 
realeric

realeric

macrumors 65816
Jun 19, 2009
1,152
1,544
United States
kas23 said:
I would also expect the screen to break too. About the picture above (the weights on the glass), we don't know how slowly those weights were added onto the glass. Someone sitting on the phone would cause a sudden shift in weight (of likely over 100 lbs) directly onto the glass face, not unlike a sudden fall onto a hard surface, likely causing the glass to shatter. Plus, we do not know how the other components of the screen affect the resilency of the Gorilla Glass either.
Click to expand...

No. Because Aluminum is more rigid than the glass, the aluminum frame will fracture first.
 
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