Apple Investigating iPhone 7 Plus Caught Melting on Video

[drewyboy]

Really? So If I plug my 120v "whatchcallit" into a 480v power supply nothing happens? Who doesn't know how electronics work?

Yeah, because those phone chargers sure do plug into a 480v plug. /s Please, come on, you know full well the context that I said that in. We're talking about a stupid 120v usb charger that plugs into a 120v outlet. No need to try and show off, grow up.

Edit: Made sure you knew the first sentence was sarcasm because knowing how you took my conversation out of context, I wanted to make sure you didn't quote me as if I was being serious.

 

[dampfnudel]

$10 says it's an aftermarket battery or cable that didn't stop charging.

Well, if she did use some third-party charger, I hope she mentioned that to Apple. Just out of curiosity, in case she doesn't mention that, can Apple engineers tell if a non-Apple charger was used? Can they retrieve some log or something?

 

[flyinmac]

Well, if she did use some third-party charger, I hope she mentioned that to Apple. Just out of curiosity, in case she doesn't mention that, can Apple engineers tell if a non-Apple charger was used? Can they retrieve some log or something?

If you've read the prior posts on the topic, including mine, a phone catching on fire is a design problem or defect within the phone.

A quality design should include a fuse element to protect the device from catching on fire if an outside power source provides too much current.

As for a log, it would be possible. But I don't know if Apple has bothered to implement one. Such a log could only report what power levels were present at a given time. From there, it would be speculation as to whether it was an Apple charger or another brand.

Given that the cables have an ID chip in them, they could theoretically log which brand of cable was used.

But, I haven't heard anything to indicate that Apple does have their devices store that information.

 

[mi7chy]

Don't worry. It's new early obsolescence by design to get people to buy the new iPhone 8. People have caught on to new versions of iOS intentionally slowing their devices and shortening battery life so Apple had to resort to new method.

 

[smacrumon]

So despite plenty of unknowns at this point people's different assumptions are magically de facto evidence somehow...

"plenty of unknowns"... or not. Bottom line, devices shouldn't catch on fire. The customer's experience should be believed until there is evidence disputing the customer's claims. There isn't.
[doublepost=1487978133][/doublepost]I'd further add that if Apple was completely serious about third party adaptors and "risks", Apple could code software in the phone that completely disables an unrecognised non genuine charger and prevent charging or "damage".

If you've read the prior posts on the topic, including mine, a phone catching on fire is a design problem or defect within the phone.

A quality design should include a fuse element to protect the device from catching on fire if an outside power source provides too much current.

As for a log, it would be possible. But I don't know if Apple has bothered to implement one. Such a log could only report what power levels were present at a given time. From there, it would be speculation as to whether it was an Apple charger or another brand.

Given that the cables have an ID chip in them, they could theoretically log which brand of cable was used.

But, I haven't heard anything to indicate that Apple does have their devices store that information.

[doublepost=1487978548][/doublepost]

Are you like, a battery medium or something, that you know that? I'm sure both companies use the best battery technology available. Potential energy sometimes goes boom. That's just, like, how the universe works, you know?

Respectfully, but that is BS. You know? It might surprise you, Apple doesn't use the best battery tech, just like the displays Apple uses aren't the best tech. Apple uses cheap old tech. The newest battery tech available today can actually withstand punctures and prevent explosions. That's the technology that Apple should be using especially charging customers insane premiums on devices.

 

[Mrjoedot]

Chinese knock off looks similar as the authentic ones now. Just someone spinning the news I guess
[doublepost=1487986604][/doublepost]Once upon a time there was an iPhone 5 exploded in Finland or something back in 2012 or /2013. It puts fear in those 5 users back in the day but guess what, years gone by and there was no other explosion, at least by the product flaws. It applies to the latter generation up until now. It won't explode unless the user go something wrong with it.

Example
-charging with fake cable or adaptor
-charge and use the device simultaneously
-unscrew the devices and did not put back parts in its place properly.
And the list goes on.

 

[drewyboy]

Chinese knock off looks similar as the authentic ones now. Just someone spinning the news I guess
[doublepost=1487986604][/doublepost]Once upon a time there was an iPhone 5 exploded in Finland or something back in 2012 or /2013. It puts fear in those 5 users back in the day but guess what, years gone by and there was no other explosion, at least by the product flaws. It applies to the latter generation up until now. It won't explode unless the user go something wrong with it.

Example
-charging with fake cable or adaptor
-charge and use the device simultaneously
-unscrew the devices and did not put back parts in its place properly.
And the list goes on.

Oh come on. Your first two are complete crap. What's a "fake" cable or adaptor? A cable is a cable, it carriers current or it doesn't. The cable might start on fire but not the phone. Same goes for the charger. They wouldn't cause a phone battery to overheat/burst.

And your second point about charge and use? So now I can't use my device while it charges? BS. Is that "using it wrong"? So they took away the charge and listen, now I can't even use it while I charge it? Please just sit down and be done.

 

[patent10021]

And the Oscar goes to...Samsung's Damage Control Department.

They want the iPhone to be banned on flights too.

It looks like it was opened up and acid put inside.

 

[Kajje]

"But it's smokeable, double tokeable
I got the one-hitter quitter bombay s*** that's tokeable
Roll it up, light it up, smoke it up
Inhale, exhale"​

 

[mi7chy]

FINALLY!! We have the proof Apple devices are just as dangerous.

Now will Apple move to safer battery technology or continue to put more customers at danger?

Sorry folks, no third party or batteries here, this is the real deal genuine Apple device checking out in a very shocking way.

Too late. iPhone and/or iPad have already taken down an airliner.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-battery-overheated-sparked-fire-cockpit.html

 

[C DM]

Too late. iPhone and/or iPad have already taken down an airliner.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-battery-overheated-sparked-fire-cockpit.html

So already taken down or simply some hypothesize that there might be a scenario where a mobile device might have played a role?

 

[deano1972]

I had to chuckle to myself reading this thread .. why is it so hard for some to believe that 'one' iPhone 7 has a faulty part that caught fire/exploded!

How many of these phones have sold so far.. 40 million? .. and how many have exploded like this?
Any brand that mass produces something can sell that one faulty item with a faulty part inside it.

 

[nutriousmitten]

Fully expect to hear a few more of these stories here in the next days or weeks. World's full of people trying to take advantage of situations, or perceived situations and then using the reach of social media to plead their case for either attention and/or potential monetary windfall. Media outlets always hungry for a story or controversy, post first/ask details later.

Don't get me wrong, likely this was an issue of a manufacturer malfunction, but who knows, given the case they were using, all sorts of variables to figure out.

When the Note 7 battery issues became a thing, suddenly there was a story or 5 more everyday for a couple weeks of things blowing up, many were legit, of course, but there was a fair share of them turned out being (though not as widely or loudly reported as the initial alarming article) someone deliberately doing something to their Note (or other Samsung phones) that would make many smartphones go up in flames...all in the false hope of having Samsung arriving at their door with a significant cheque, or, unable to resist the 15 minutes of fame and attention; trending on twitter and having some media outlets email/interview them etc.

 

[dilbert99]

The protection machinsim should also prevent that as well. If the charger pumps more voltage than the devices allowed to receive, the device should only receive the max it received.

Like iPhone 7 plug into iPad charger.

Sort of, a charger will deliver approx 5V give or take a small margin of ripple. The phone may or may not have a voltage regulator inside on the charging port. If it did then it would be able to take a larger range of voltages.

 

[smacrumon]

It's really simple.

Google: "iPhone 6 fire iPhone 7 fire", then click "News". You'll get a number of cases where iPhone 6 and 7 have combusted.

Anyone suggesting iPhones don't explode is being irresponsible and blatantly being dishonest.

https://www.cnet.com/au/news/apple-iphone-7-plus-fire-caught-on-video/
http://www.phonearena.com/news/Apple-iPhone-6-Plus-catches-on-fire-awakens-sleeping-owner_id90620
http://www.eweek.com/mobile/apple-trying-to-permanently-resolve-iphone-6-and-7-battery-defects.html
https://arstechnica.com/apple/2017/...ixes-unexpected-shutdowns-in-the-iphone-6-6s/

 

[Gasu E.]

FINALLY!! We have the proof Apple devices are just as dangerous.

No, we don't. If Samsung phones blow up once per 10,000 devices, and Apple phones blow up once per 10,000,000 devices, Apple devices would be much much safer.

Batteries are dangerous, and Li-on in particular are dangerous. There's always a small chance that batteries will explode, leak, etc. The entire purpose of a battery is to store lots of energy in a tiny space. Does that not sound dangerous to you? Common sense.

It's quite possible this incident was due to a flaw in the battery, not the phone design, and a marginal battery got through Apple's QA. No QA process is perfect; but if so, we would hope Apple could figure out what the specific problem with this one was and screen for that in the future.

 

[smacrumon]

No, we don't. If Samsung phones blow up once per 10,000 devices, and Apple phones blow up once per 10,000,000 devices, Apple devices would be much much safer.

Batteries are dangerous, and Li-on in particular are dangerous. There's always a small chance that batteries will explode, leak, etc. The entire purpose of a battery is to store lots of energy in a tiny space. Does that not sound dangerous to you? Common sense.

It's quite possible this incident was due to a flaw in the battery, not the phone design, and a marginal battery got through Apple's QA. No QA process is perfect; but if so, we would hope Apple could figure out what the specific problem with this one was and screen for that in the future.

Well it is proof it is just as dangerous. One fire is equal to another fire. Just because it isn't happening in larger numbers doesn't mean it isn't as dangerous, the incidence is lower, that's part is true.

You know my hunch is a combination of a few things; since introduction of 3D touch, side power buttons, thinner casing, the iPhone is more prone to squishing and warping just during normal use which can lead to affecting the battery's overall stability.

There is much safer battery technology that doesn't explode when punctured but the manufacturers like Apple aren't using it, yet, and they should really be looking at implementing it.

 

[C DM]

Well it is proof it is just as dangerous. One fire is equal to another fire. Just because it isn't happening in larger numbers doesn't mean it isn't as dangerous, the incidence is lower, that's part is true.

You know my hunch is a combination of a few things; since introduction of 3D touch, side power buttons, thinner casing, the iPhone is more prone to squishing and warping just during normal use which can lead to affecting the battery's overall stability.

There is much safer battery technology that doesn't explode when punctured but the manufacturers like Apple aren't using it, yet, and they should really be looking at implementing it.

Just as dangerous means that the likelihood of that danger is just as much, and the reasons for it are the same (and basically just as random), which as you yourself pointed out isn't the case.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

You are correct.
And iPhone/iPad chargers do not have any kind of chip in them. They simply have a resistor that tells the device how much current it can safely draw from the charger. That's how the phone knows to draw 1A from the standard charger but only 500mA from a laptop's USB port.
The Lightning cable does have a chip but the charger doesn't.

AND YET, I have heard of people being able to identify the charger through a utility that actually shows a serial number. That kind of info does NOT come from 'a resistor'.

I ran into this issue while working with Cisco Aironet APs. Their brick power injector HAS INTELLIGENCE! The IOS KNOWS when it's not a Cisco power brick. I had one made by the same company, looked exactly the same, except for the Cisco name, and the Cisco 'intelligence', and the IOS knew it wasn't a Cisco brick. They don't warranty devices powered with off-brand adapters.

Still, even if the iDevice chargers don't have 'a chip', they are likely to be made to a higher standard than the ones from some back alley in Ford knows where. I mean, it's not just bizarre coincidence that so many cheap adapters are lighting up so many devices.

 

[I7guy]

So already taken down or simply some hypothesize that there might be a scenario where a mobile device might have played a role?

Some have skipped the testimony and fact-finding part of the trial and have gone straight to the jury to ask that the defendant be found guilty. I think that is called hyperbole.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Don't waste your breath. Some people have no understanding of electronics. You are absolutely right though, the control mechanism is fully contained in the phone. That'd be horrible design to have it in the adapter or cable. Just goes to show people buy the "it's a cheap cable" argument without any knowledge.
[doublepost=1487951355][/doublepost]

Wrong. A charger would be the point of failure, not the phone.
[doublepost=1487951421][/doublepost]

You apparently don't understand a charger doesn't what you think it does. It simply converts from AC to DC. It doesn't control the charging mechanism for a phone at all. Pleas stop spreading this crap the cheap converters will kill your phone.
[doublepost=1487951540][/doublepost]

And if they didn't, you would have said "i don't believe you. no video." or "i don't believe you. it was set up". For most people seeing is believing. Even then, they point to stuff they have no understanding of like a charger, or the cable.

Yeah, there's absolutely no difference between power supplies. Fakes are just as good, because 'power is power'.

Give me a break:

1) Counterfeit Macbook charger teardown

2) Investigators find 99% of fake chargers can seriously shock you

3) Yeah, fake chargers are perfectly safe, except they are not

4) Small Apple charger teardown

5) Yep, fakes are totally not crap

Yeah, A charger feeding the device crap that shouldn't be there is all the devices fault for the manufacturer not planing on the owner plugging their device into a back alley sewer. It's Apple's fault? Okay then...

 

[Finchly]

Don't worry. It's new early obsolescence by design to get people to buy the new iPhone 8. People have caught on to new versions of iOS intentionally slowing their devices and shortening battery life so Apple had to resort to new method.

Spontaneous combustion would certainly be a novel way to shorten the upgrade cycle. Jobs would never have approved this!

 

[drewyboy]

Yeah, there's absolutely no difference between power supplies. Fakes are just as good, because 'power is power'.

Give me a break:

1) Counterfeit Macbook charger teardown

2) Investigators find 99% of fake chargers can seriously shock you

3) Yeah, fake chargers are perfectly safe, except they are not

4) Small Apple charger teardown

5) Yep, fakes are totally not crap

Yeah, A charger feeding the device crap that shouldn't be there is all the devices fault for the manufacturer not planing on the owner plugging their device into a back alley sewer. It's Apple's fault? Okay then...

No I never said that. I said the worst that is going to happen is that the crap cable or converter is going to start on fire. The phone is built to protect itself regardless of the cable or converter used, obviously within reason. A few volts extra here and there shouldn't matter. Now if you're converting voltage 1:1 then yeah, there's probably going to be an issue. And what do you mean by "charger feeding the device crap that shouldn't be there" is? What "crap" are you talking about?

 

[Gjwilly]

AND YET, I have heard of people being able to identify the charger through a utility that actually shows a serial number. That kind of info does NOT come from 'a resistor'.

You're thinking of MagSafe chargers not iDevice chargers.
And even then, the chip is in the MagSafe connector, not the white power brick.

 

[flyinmac]

Spontaneous combustion would certainly be a novel way to shorten the upgrade cycle. Jobs would never have approved this!

Steve would have just spun it to sound exciting.

He'd have said: "The new iPhone comes with a new feature for cooking your food on the go, called 'iRoast'. With iRoast, you can cook small single serving meals in a flash. You can even roast marshmallows. iRoast will provide up to 5 minutes of cooking time per battery."