According to a report from Chinese news outlet Da Lian Evening News [Google Translate] (via ZDNet), a woman in China suffered eye injuries from her iPhone 5 after it exploded while she was on the phone.

The woman reportedly felt the device's screen become warm after talking for 40 minutes, and eventually it combusted after she tried numerous times to end the call by tapping on the screen. The explosion sent particles of the phone into her eyes and she was rushed to the hospital, where she was eventually treated. Previously, the woman stated that she had dropped the phone once which left a small crack in the upper right corner, but claims the phone was still useable.

exploded_iphone

When she looked at the device to check it, Li then discovered the touchscreen was not responding when she tried to end the call. After a few more tries, the screen exploded.

Li said she felt some debris shooting into her eyes. "I could not open my eyes," she recalled. Her colleagues rushed her to the hospital where the doctor found her eyeball red and inflamed, and identified a scratch mark which suggested an object had scratched it.

An Apple representative has responded to the report and said that the incident would require further investigation and would not typically be covered under product warranty. Earlier this year, a Chinese man was left in a coma after receiving an electric shock while charging his iPhone 4, an incident which followed the death of a Chinese woman under similar circumstances. Both incidents apparently involved the use of unauthorized third-party adapters.

Apple has responded to the incidents by establishing a special page [Google Translate] to its Chinese website informing customers about the identification and use of genuine USB power adapters for the iPad and iPhone, as well as launching a third-party USB charger "Takeback Program" offering official replacement chargers for $10 to anyone who turns in a suspect adapter.

Top Rated Comments

gnasher729 Avatar
138 months ago
Just what china wanted! Apple will get burned big time for this!

According to the woman's own admission, she had dropped the phone before, which had left obvious damage on the screen. That's the first safety rule, don't use an electric device with obvious damage.
Score: 49 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GSPice Avatar
138 months ago
Why is it always the Chinese? I almost don't care about stories like this anymore.
Score: 46 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macbeta Avatar
138 months ago
Its Just Because its Apple

I'm willing to bet that many many accidents happen/caused by other manufactures phones, its just when it happens with an iPhone it gets pumped up by the media.:apple:
Score: 40 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OriginalMacRat Avatar
138 months ago
Why is it always the Chinese? I almost don't care about stories like this anymore.

Because it has the highest concentration of fake iPhones and fake iPhone parts which have safety issues.
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MBHockey Avatar
138 months ago
Why is it always the Chinese? I almost don't care about stories like this anymore.

Yeah, because they aren't real people right?
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Gasu E. Avatar
138 months ago
Yeah, because they aren't real people right?
I assume (I hope!) he meant, "why don't we hear about this kind of thing elsewhere?"
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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