14 DAY TRIAL // Despite isolated reports of exploding iPhones, Apple is far from suffering from a widespread issue similar to the one that hit Samsung and its Note 7 flagship, but new cases of Cupertino’s phones catching fire keep making the rounds every once in a while from all over the world.
This time, it’s an old iPhone 5s that reportedly caught fire, with the owner explaining that it left the device charging on his bed only for a couple of minutes.
MyDrivers is reporting that it all happened on October 16 when owner Jinan Liu plugged in his 2-year-old iPhone 5s to recharge the battery. He left the device unattended only when he went to the toilet, but then discovered that the iPhone was emitting smoke.
Upon closer inspection, Liu noticed that the phone burned down everything around it, so he used some water to stop the fire.
“Children were playing in the next room”
The report also reveals that children were playing right in the next room and explains that a bigger fire could have caused substantial damages, including the loss of lives. We wouldn’t go so far, though, because not even the Note 7, which was impacted by a widespread issue causing phones to burst into flames, put owners’ life at risk.
It appears that Apple is already investigating the incident, but a preliminary cause of the fire is not yet available. The owner says that the iPhone 5s was purchased two years ago from Apple and he is the one who bought it. It’s not clear, however, if any third-party cable or charger was used during this whole time.
Without a doubt, Apple has every reason to want this case settled as fast as possible, mostly because reports of explosion aren’t really helpful for the company’s image.
Furthermore, it could have a bigger impact on sales, but for the moment, it’s worth noting that this report should be taken with a grain of salt, not necessarily because Apple hasn’t issued a public statement, but due to the fact that it’s an old iPhone and a lot of the details regarding the incident are vague.
