In March, an Australian woman traveling from Beijing to Melbourne on a long-haul flight had the wireless headphones she was wearing explode while she slept. Before managing to remove them, the headphones caused burns to both her face and neck. It also meant the rest of the flight was spent with the smell of burning hair, plastic, and electronics in the cabin.

At the time, we didn't know the brand of the headphones she was wearing, but now we do. They were Beats, and the woman is asking for compensation for the incident from Apple. The problem is, Apple is refusing, and the company has a very good reason for doing so.

Buy a pair of wireless headphones today and they'll likely use a rechargeable battery for power. But older headphones, including the pair of Beats this woman was wearing, use a pair of AAA batteries instead. According to Apple, the reason the headphones exploded was due to a faulty third-party battery and therefore is not in any way Apple's fault.

According to Digital Trends, the woman (and her legal team) is arguing that nowhere on the headphones or packaging does it state which brands of battery are allowed. That may be the case, but why is the compensation claim being aimed at Apple and not the maker of the battery that caused the explosion and subsequent injuries?

It seems unlikely Apple will end up having to pay out compensation to the woman. Maybe a guiding hand towards the battery manufacturer and a free pair of new wireless Beats could help make this go away quickly? More likely Apple will just keep saying no until her lawyers give up or a court decides for them.

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