Apple iPhone 4 Explodes into Flames, Burns Bed While Owner Sleeps (PICS)

Here’s a picture of an Apple iPhone 4 that you’re not likely to see in any of the company’s promo galleries anytime soon:

The phone in question belongs to a Chongqing man named Wang Kailin. Wang put the phone next to his pillow two nights ago, and several hours later with no apparent prompting, it exploded, starting a small fire that (as you can see from the image below) ruined Wang’s bed and might well have ruined his head if he had been sleeping closer to it at the time.

According to an expert consulted by the Yangzi Evening News, the likely cause of the explosion was the battery, though it’s not clear if this was a problem with the manufacturing or something else like water damage causing a short. Given that iPhones aren’t exploding all over the place, it’s probably related to something specific that happened to Wang’s phone rather than an endemic problem with Apple’s manufacturing procedures.

Even so, though, let this be a reminder to all of us that even if battery explosions are rare, there’s no good reason you need to sleep with your phone right next to your face. Put it somewhere safe for the night, and if you notice anything strange about the battery (especially if it seems to be swelling) get it replaced right away!

(Yangzi Evening News via Sina Tech)