Seems like more than one person were involved with more than one device and while the person who is dealing with this might be more in the state that you are describing, another person can certainly record it potentially already having a device in their hands at the moment doing something on it when they hear and see someone else dropping their phone in the bathroom because it started to smoke. While it might not be something everyone would do, it's certainly pretty far off from being strange or unlikely.
There could be a number of theories that one could ponder or encounter. One can believe whatever they want. Fact is, the OP stated if an iPhone "Smoking" next to his bedside, he would grab a recording device.
And in all reality, what I meant by "The body can't go, where the mind hasn't been" is when someone's waking up out of a dead sleep when your iPhone is smoking, it's not a natural reaction to "Grab my camera"or "Let's start recording this now. "Most people would likely try to get away from it with him first reaction or process exactly what's going on when they turn on the light to look at the device.
What I would believe, is if you take someone who is alert and conscious during the day and their iPhone starts to smoke from a distance or next to their side, then somebody might have the likeliness of having someone recording it or having accessibility to record the smoking device. Which, if you look at all these cases that have happened, most of them have been on airplanes, hotel rooms, General places in public during the day.
I'm not Saying it's not possible for someone to have the availability of another recording device or someone near by to record it , but that's not always the case and most times it's after-the-fact when the Photos emerge and reports follow.
It's in my opinion, I just don't find it logical and reasonable for someone in the night, next to their bed, when this phone is smoking, to start recording it. Logically and insound judgment, it makes more sense for somebody to create a distance from the issue, being they don't know what the predictability of the iPhone will do. Then after it seems safe, then perhaps to handle it. Some take risks of picking it up and touching it, when they likely shouldn't (Assuming it's not near children,jeopardizing others safety or any flammables), when others play it safe.
A lot are variables, but safety should be the first thing in somebody's mind versus "Lets pick it up and record it." Commonsense seems to overshadow some.
