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
163 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
163 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
163 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
163 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
163 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
163 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)

Popular Stories

m5 macbook pro deal

Why You Shouldn't Buy the Next MacBook Pro

Tuesday February 10, 2026 4:27 pm PST by
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models as soon as early March, but if you can, this is one generation you should skip because there's something much better in the works. We're waiting on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with few changes other than the processor upgrade. There won't be any tweaks to the design or the display, but later this...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3

Wednesday February 11, 2026 10:07 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3, the latest updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out in September. The new software comes almost two months after Apple released iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes, ...
Apple Logo Zoomed

Apple Expected to Launch These 10+ Products Over the Coming Months

Tuesday February 10, 2026 6:33 am PST by
It has been a slow start to 2026 for Apple product launches, with only a new AirTag and a special Apple Watch band released so far. We are still waiting for MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the iPhone 17e, a lower-cost MacBook with an iPhone chip, long-rumored updates to the Apple TV and HomePod mini, and much more. Apple is expected to release/update the following products...
iPhone 16e Bottom Crop

Apple Reportedly Unveiling a New iPhone Next Week

Tuesday February 10, 2026 1:51 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report said the iPhone 17e will be announced in a press release on the Apple Newsroom website, so do not expect an event for this device specifically. The iPhone 17e will be a spec-bumped successor to the iPhone 16e. Rumors claim the device will have four key...
Apple Logo Black

Apple Acquires New Database App

Wednesday February 11, 2026 6:44 am PST by
Apple acquired Canadian graph database company Kuzu last year, it has emerged. The acquisition, spotted by AppleInsider, was completed in October 2025 for an undisclosed sum. The company's website was subsequently taken down and its Github repository was archived, as is commonplace for Apple acquisitions. Kuzu was "an embedded graph database built for query speed, scalability, and easy of ...