Following a string of reports of iPhones hissing and then exploding throughout the EU, Apple has kicked off an investigation into the possibility that iPhones have been malfunctioning in Europe. A division of the European Commission, tasked with ensuring consumer safety, has prompted Apple to investigate the matter further. According to a statement from the Directorate-General for Health and Consumers, Apple believes that “these are isolated incidents and that there is not a general problem,” but is nonetheless “trying to get more information on the details of the incidents and will do tests as necessary to investigate the possible cause.”
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has seen dozens of reports of faulty iPods overheating and burning their owners, so it’s possible that some sort of defect is causing iPhones to literally blow their tops. The lithium-ion batteries used in the iPhone are notorious for causing fires. We’ve seen many a report blaming faulty Li-ion batteries for causing mobile phones to overheat and cause injury to their owners. We’ve even heard of at least one overheating iPhone burning its owner.
Now, before you get worked up into a paranoid frenzy, keep in mind that the reports of iPhones emitting a hissing noise are still relatively isolated cases. We’ll wait for more conclusive evidence before blaming some sort of iPhone manufacturing defect as the cause of exploding iPhones.
Still, if your iPhone starts hissing, we’d suggest you set it on a table and walk away.
[Via: Macworld.co.uk]