iPhone Does Not Become Issue despite Series of Reports of Catching-Fire Cases

Attention is being paid to cases where Apple’s iPhone series erupted into flames amid the half of production and sales of Samsung Electronics’s Galaxy Note 7. Although the iPhone caught fire from its early models once in a while, it did not become a big issue like the Galaxy Note debacle. This point draws attention, too.    

Cases where the iPhone burst into flames have been steadily reported since its early models. Since late last year, at least four cases where the iPhone caught fire have been reported through media at home and abroad. The cases involve iPhone models launched over the past two years such as the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. According to media reports, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is looking into what caused such fire. 

Apple also experienced “humiliation.” It was a global recall of batteries in the iPhone 5 in 2013. At that time, Apple replaced batteries of the iPhone 5 free of charge. When an iPhone owner replaced the battery of his or her device at a cost, the company made a refund.

On the other hand, some people are concerned that consumers may suffer from “batteryphobia” with controversy over cases where not only Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Note 7 but Apple’s iPhone caught fire. This is because nearly all smartphones are loaded with lithium-ion batteries and the more advanced functions, a smartphone offers, the more heat it will inevitably emit.