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[Apple rep] Kernel Panics can overheat and melt your lightning cables. Recorded call

wesk702

wesk702

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Jul 7, 2007
1,809
368
The hood
Public Service Announcement: please keep your charging iPhones in a safe area away from potential fire hazards.

So long story short, I found my wife's iPhone extremely hot and unresponsive after leaving it on the charger. Upon inspection the tip of the lightning had melted and the cable itself was also burning hot. After speaking with an Apple Senior Advisor, he confirmed that my phone had a kernel panic and that kernel panics can cause the iphone cable to malfunction and even cause it to melt. It seems like this is a huge public safety issue, right?

** and before anybody complains about what accessories I was using, everything was all original Apple accessories that came with the iPhone in the box with the iPhone. There was absolutely no third party devices used.

Apple Senior Advisor phone call:
https://soundcloud.com/unsatisfied-customer/lightning-cable-melting

Confirms at 1:05 and 1:52

Sorry for the recording quality.

Full detailed story:
http://www.reddit.com/r/apple/comments/2iszzx/confirmed_cautionkernel_panics_in_iphones_can/

Update: so I received a call today from the executive office of Phil Shiller(looks like checks his emails...greatly appreciated). I was told by one of his people from his office that the information I was given by the Apple rep was completely wrong. She said she would inform the Apple Store that I'm coming in for another appointment this weekend and that they would take a real look at it. So I will update after what happens this weekend. And of course she also told me that, the Apple Store didn't even document any notes on my first visit, which doesn't surprise me. I've been told before that they didn't document hardware issues I reported previously resulting in several phone calls and multiple visits. Just unfortunate that complaining up the good chain seems to be the only way to get them to take a serious look at my phone. Kernel Panics causing meltdowns?... Common Genius Bar, get it together.
 
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Apple representatives are all dumb. If this were a known liability issue and they were trying to cover it up, the genius would have replaced it for free to keep you silent.
 
Macrumors member starts a thread that their iPhone started a fire in and wants Apple to buy them a brand new house in 3... 2... 1...
 
When an iPhone kernel panics, it reboots. Not unlike how current versions of OS X do so now, too.

I believe that your phone heated and the cable melted, but I think the Apple rep was probably either not too clued in, or made up the kernel panic thing as the cause. Otherwise, the number of iPhones frying on the charger would be more numerous than bent iPhones, and would've been commonplace years ago.
 
Hal~9000 said:
Macrumors member starts a thread that their iPhone started a fire in and wants Apple to buy them a brand new house in 3... 2... 1...
Click to expand...

"So I was charging my bent 6+ while making a phone call, when my hair got pinched and it caught on fire! This would have never happened if Steve Jobs was still alive."

:p

In all seriousness, if there's a choice between charging it on a glass table or a pile of old newspapers, it's good to keep this in mind.
 
scaredpoet said:
When an iPhone kernel panics, it reboots. Not unlike how current versions of OS X do so now, too.

I believe that your phone heated and the cable melted, but I think the Apple rep was probably either not too clued in, or made up the kernel panic thing as the cause. Otherwise, the number of iPhones frying on the charger would be more numerous than bent iPhones, and would've been commonplace years ago.
Click to expand...

It was just odd that the Genius Bar rep said that, the. The Applecare senior advisor that I was forwarded to the next day said the exact same thing. Just odd that they both acknowledged that. Just feels unsafe.

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edlex said:
So is it safer to charge the phone while it's off?
Click to expand...

Well, it's dead now, so no difference I guess.
 
wesk702 said:
It was just odd that the Genius Bar rep said that, the. The Applecare senior advisor that I was forwarded to the next day said the exact same thing. Just odd that they both acknowledged that. Just feels unsafe.

----------



Well, it's dead now, so no difference I guess.
Click to expand...

I mean in general as a safety precaution is it safer to charge the phone while it's off .
 
wesk702 said:
Just feels unsafe.
Click to expand...

No one is twisting your arm forcing you to use an iPhone. If you thinks its unsafe them purchase a phone made by someone else. If you continue to use your iPhone then you don't think its that unsafe which would make this whole thread pointless.
 
wesk702 said:
It was just odd that the Genius Bar rep said that, the. The Applecare senior advisor that I was forwarded to the next day said the exact same thing. Just odd that they both acknowledged that. Just feels unsafe.
Click to expand...


It's not that odd. I've had a genius bar rep and senior advisor both claim to me that my iMac's fans were revving at high RPM constantly because I didn't have enough RAM (8GB), and that low RAM causes computers to overheat.

Yeah.

Turns out after doing some poking around of my own, there was some lint where it shouldn't have been and that apparently caused a sensor to freak out. A little compressed air, and I'm typing this to you now from that same iMac, which is very quiet now and has been trouble free for months.

Like any support staff, you have good techs and clueless ones.

In any case, I think as long as the charger, cable and iPhone are all replaced and you're not using any of them anymore, you should be fine.
 
edlex said:
I mean in general as a safety precaution.
Click to expand...

Lol, don't know the answer to that, but keep this tidbit in mind. When your iPhone is charging at night while you and the family are asleep, there is a chance an error in your phone can cause your lightning cable to get so hot it could melt and even potentially start a fire in your home. Comforting thought isn't it? Even more comforting is that an Apple Senior Advisor said this could happen.

Where will your children and family be when the kernel strikes?!

Ps: anybody got Samsung PR's email?
 
Being an Apple customer is very festive.

Good
Bad

Safe
Unsafe

Stable
Buggy

Straight
Bendy

Controversial beyond compare...

Polarizing beyond all...

Never Ever A Dull Moment!
 
brand said:
No one is twisting your arm forcing you to use an iPhone. If you thinks its unsafe them purchase a phone made by someone else. If you continue to use your iPhone then you don't think its that unsafe which would make this whole thread pointless.
Click to expand...

Not really, cause I can't use the phone anymore. People feel burned when they purchase an expensive product and well... get burned. I'll take a refund any day. Unfortunately I'm outside of that window.

I think it's fair to say that their OEM product damaged my phone and yes, I would appreciate a replacement or refund. I never was beating around the bush when speaking with them and stated that I think a replacement request is warranted in this situation. But after the call, it brings to light a whole new, bigger issue.

Can you imagine if a tech rep told you there was a chance that your nMP could put the power cable aflame if there was a kernel panic?
 
wesk702 said:
I think it's fair to say that their OEM product damaged my phone and yes, I would appreciate a replacement or refund. I never was beating around the bush when speaking with them and stated that I think a replacement request is warranted in this situation. But after the call, it brings to light a whole new, bigger issue.
Click to expand...

If this is as unsafe as you claim it to be how could a replacement phone even be acceptable?
 
wesk702 said:
keep this tidbit in mind. When your iPhone is charging at night while you and the family are asleep, there is a chance an error in your phone can cause your lightning cable to get so hot it could melt and even potentially start a fire in your home.
Click to expand...

da503d1ca1.gif


Don't forget your refrigerator that's plugged in... or your coffee pot... or your computer... or your water heater... or your gas line... or your...
 
fxbeta said:
"So I was charging my bent 6+ while making a phone call, when my hair got pinched and it caught on fire! This would have never happened if Steve Jobs was still alive."
Click to expand...

I think you were holding it wrong..... :confused:
 
brand said:
No one is twisting your arm forcing you to use an iPhone.
Click to expand...
Single stupidest thing I've read today. If what the OP says is true, and I give him the benefit of the doubt that the phone and cable got extremely hot, then at the very least something happened and others should be aware of it. I don't know about the kernel panic or what-have-you, but something caused that to happen. If it is all Apple OEM equipment, then it is worth figuring out what it is. Maybe a short circuit due to cat hair? Maybe a pinched wire? Dust? Loosely inserted plug? Manufacturing defect? Who knows. Apple did recall all their wall chargers a few years ago, is this one of those? But stuff this high and mighty "no one is twisting your arm forcing you to use an iPhone" crap. I might like to know more. We have two sitting in this house with kids running around.

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Hal~9000 said:
Image

Don't forget your refrigerator that's plugged in... or your coffee pot... or your computer... or your water heater... or your gas line... or your...
Click to expand...
False equivalency, it's what's for dinner.
 
brand said:
If this is as unsafe as you claim it to be how could a replacement phone even be acceptable?
Click to expand...
Because despite OP's misgivings about the product, he probably realizes that the chances of it happening again are very slim. There's a fine line between a problem being very prevalent, and a problem having serious repercussions.

Maybe 50 out of every 100 of x device gives you a static shock, and maybe 2 out of every 100 of y device can explode in your hand. Totally different situations. One might not be as widespread as the other, but when it does happen can be very serious.
 
wesk702 said:
Lol, don't know the answer to that, but keep this tidbit in mind. When your iPhone is charging at night while you and the family are asleep, there is a chance an error in your phone can cause your lightning cable to get so hot it could melt and even potentially start a fire in your home. Comforting thought isn't it? Even more comforting is that an Apple Senior Advisor said this could happen.

Where will your children and family be when the kernel strikes?!
Click to expand...

I'm willing to take that very, very, very tiny chance. There are plenty of other things in a house that are more likely to catch fire, anyways. There are also almost zero reports of this happening in the two years that iOS devices have had lightning cables, and the five years before that when we had 30-pin cables.

wesk702 said:
Ps: anybody got Samsung PR's email?
Click to expand...

If you want to help Samsung out even more, discard that draft you're writing and replace your iOS devices with Samsung devices.
 
brand said:
It would seem that the OP would disagree with you.
Click to expand...
Depends on how one defines "huge". Huge as in a large number of people are experiencing it? Or huge as in it could potentially take someone's life? Both could be defined as huge. I don't think anyone can deny that this is not a widespread problem.
 
myscrnnm said:
Depends on how one defines "huge". Huge as in a large number of people are experiencing it? Or huge as in it could potentially take someone's life? Both could be defined as huge. I don't think anyone can deny that this is not a widespread problem.
Click to expand...

Are you seriously going to classify everything that could possible take someone life no matter how small the chance as a huge public safety issue.
 
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