Apple Inc.'s iPhone 5 Explosion: Woman in China Suffers Eye Injuries, Remains in Hospital for Treatment
According to a Chinese news report from Da Lian Everything News, a Chinese woman has sustained eye injuries after her iPhone 5 exploded while she was talking to someone on her phone.
The woman in China allegedly felt the screen of the iOS device getting warm after holding her iPhone 5 close to her ear for about 40 minutes. After several attempts to end the call by repeatedly tapping on the screen, the iPhone 5 eventually exploded.
The explosion from the iPhone 5 sent some particles of the device into her eyes. The Chinese woman was then rushed to the emergency and remained in the hospital to receive medical treatment.
Based on the news report, the woman said she dropped her iPhone 5 once on the floor that left a small crack in the phone's upper right corner. The Chinese woman said her iPhone was still functioning well despite the drop.
In the Chinese report, after having observed her iPhone screen was getting hot, she looked at her phone to check it. She discovered the screen was not responding to her touch when she tried to end the call. After several tries, the iPhone screen exploded.
The woman recalled she had difficulty opening her eyes after debris got inside. It was her colleagues who rushed her to the hospital. The Chinese news report also said the doctor found the woman's eyeballs red and irritated. The doctor discovered a scratch mark on the eyeball which suggested a small object caused the scratch.
A representative from Apple responded to the news report and said the alleged iPhone 5 explosion would require Apple to investigate further. The representative said that the incident would not be normally covered by the product warranty.
In a previous incident involving Apple's iPhone, a Chinese man was left in a coma after being electrocuted while he charged his iPhone 4. This incident was followed by a Chinese woman's death due to iPhone electrocution. Both iPhone electrocution incidents were apparently caused by the unauthorized use of third-party adapters or chargers not officially made by Apple Inc.
Apple Inc has already responded to the incidents by launching a program known as the Takeback Program, to replace third-party USB power adapters with genuine Apple adapters for $10. The Cupertino tech giant also established a special page in its Chinese website to educate customers about the use of genuine adapters and how to identify fake ones.
