Tai Wai woman's iPhone 6 Plus explodes while being charged

A woman from Tai Wai has reported what could be Hong Kong's first case of an iPhone 6 Plus exploding while being charged, Apple Daily reported on Monday.

The owner, surnamed Tsang, said she was shocked at the explosion, adding that the 128GB handset and all its accessories were original Apple products.

She said she plugged the charger to the unit at about 1 a.m. on Saturday and left it on the desk next to her bed. At around 8 a.m., she was awakened by a huge bang and saw the handset on fire.

She put out the fire using a pillow and was not injured. A picture of the unit after the explosion shows the back cover and the protective case melted by the heat.

Tsang said she intends to seek compensation from Apple.

Tsang has reportedly used a charging cable for iPad on her iPhone, prompting speculation among netizens that this could be the cause of the explosion as the cable for iPad has a voltage of 2.5A, while that for iPhone is 1A.

However, Apple's official website said the charging cable for iPad is also compatible with iPhone and iPod.

Lo Kok-kung from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University said the explosion could be due to a short circuit or overcharging.

“The auto power cut-off feature of the handset for charging could have been out of order, hence the battery was overcharged and exploded due to excessive heat,” Lo said.

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EL/AC/CG