Apple’s iPhone 8 Plus ‘Bursting Open,’ Tech Giant Investigating Reports

Less than a month after Apple’s iPhone 8 was launched, a report surfaced claiming the device burst open while charging. Another report claimed a defective device was in a similar state. Apple confirmed they are currently investigating the two reports although the tech giant decided not to comment further.

Five days after Apple launched the iPhone 8 on September 22, there were social media reports claiming the casing burst open while charging. A news outlet in Taiwan claimed the owner used the cable and power adapter which came with the device.

According to reports from TNW, a customer from Taiwan, Ms. Wu, purchased a 64 GB iPhone 8 plus. After five days, she reported the gadget’s front panel lifted while she was charging the device. The device reportedly cracked just three minutes into charging. The device was recovered by the carrier, according to the report, and it was submitted back to Apple for analysis.

Meanwhile, another customer from Japan claimed the iPhone 8 Plus delivered to him was split open. The condition of the device looked similar to the iPhone 8 Plus defect reported in Taiwan. The said device was also recovered and submitted for analysis. However, it has not been established whether the two cases are related.

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The popular opinion was that the battery was to blame for both issues. Some claimed the battery manufacturer for Apple iPhone 8 Plus is Amperex Technology Limited – the same firm who manufactured batteries for Samsung Galaxy Note 7.

As reported by Independent, Apple is aware of these reports, and they are currently looking into the cases. Even if reports of the issue are true, it should be noted that this will not be the first time for Apple to encounter this issue. There were also several reports claiming the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus exploded, but these were isolated incidents.

It is yet to be determined if these were isolated cases or if there is a manufacturing defect affecting Apple’s iPhone 8 Plus handsets. If lithium batteries are to blame, it would be best to remove the device to a safe place since these batteries are more likely to burst into flames once they are swollen.

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