iPhone 4 Catches Fire, Slightly Burns Owner [Photos]

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Posted July 8, 2010 at 4:44pm by Shalom Levytam

An unlucky customer had his new iPhone 4 catch fire while AT&T tried to troubleshoot the device.

It’s the first time our guy has seen this happen (us too), but the brand new iPhone 4 caught on fire while being hooked up to a computer using the Apple USB cable that accompanied the device. The customer wanted to exchange the iPhone — obviously — for a new, non-charred unit however the AT&T store in question was out of stock. An Apple Store did confirm to our AT&T connection that this did appear to be a defective USB port and not some sort of user error.

When it caught on fire the iPhone bezel became extremely hot, slightly burning the customer's hand. The USB port was slightly melted and the USB cable was badly melted as can be seen in the pictures below...

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iPhone 4 Catches Fire, Slightly Burns Owner [Photos]

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joeheathen - July 10, 2010 at 12:01am

Apple has already issued a fix to help prevent iphones from burning more customers - don't hold it that way, either.

MuscleNerd_ - July 8, 2010 at 6:19pm

WTF ??... I wont buy an iPhone 4 util next year when Apple fix all this bad hardware on the secong generation iPhone 4, sorry guys but you are purchasing Apple's garbage.

brandon - July 8, 2010 at 6:39pm

How's the unlock coming? How much longer do you think or are you waiting until the software update

MuscleNerd_ - July 8, 2010 at 6:59pm

Just keep waiting

brandon - July 8, 2010 at 7:03pm

Ok thank you......just one more question do u think the software update is gonna fix the reception or do u think its crap.....

SurferDude - July 8, 2010 at 10:52pm

You know that's not really musclenerd right...?

SuperMuscleNerd_ - July 8, 2010 at 11:24pm

Ha! They had no idea

Manuel - July 8, 2010 at 5:59pm

I really think that Apple should start taking responsibility for their defects. It's not the first time it happens that an Apple product catches fire, but it's never Apple's fault. They have even gone as far as saying that the fact that the iPhone 4 loses reception is the customers' fault because they are holding it in a particular way! And instead of acknowledging the mistake, they are just rewriting the software to display a lower signal (and apparently, this is taking them a few weeks). I am an Engineer student and a Software Developer, and I know that it is not possible that Apple "used the wrong formula" to calculate the signal bars. And I'm sure that most people on iClarified have at least some programming experience, and they know how improbable it is that the "wrong formula" has gone undetected for three generations of iPhones. Don't get me wrong. I love my iPhone. But Apple is coming off as arrogant and rude. IMO, they are sabotaging their reputation just so as not to have to call back the iPhone 4.

NeHoMaR - July 8, 2010 at 5:40pm

I don't think you can make fire with the voltage a iphone and USB uses. That should be a cigar or something.

brandon - July 8, 2010 at 5:52pm

Apple is probably gonna come out with a software update for that too.....lmao

Manuel - July 8, 2010 at 5:58pm

Voltage is not relevant when talking about a device catching fire. 10.000 volts at low amperage can just create a small spark, but half a volt at high amperage is more than enough to cause a fire. The USB port can certainly provide enough power to start a fire, and the internal lithium battery can provide much more current.

Manuel - July 8, 2010 at 6:01pm

@brandon LMAO Yeah... I'm pretty sure that they are going to fix it in the same software update which fixes the reception problem in the iPhone 4!. LOL

FadetoBlack - July 8, 2010 at 5:14pm

He plugged it in wrong.

Marc C - July 8, 2010 at 5:23pm

I second that.

Lorvar - July 8, 2010 at 5:25pm

Wouldn't be surprised if it's the cable. I've had 4 of them replaced between my two iPhones. All of them with the wires exposed from the connectors. My brothers is in a state where the plastic broke right off and had to put electric tape over the exposed metal connector.

Pablo - July 8, 2010 at 5:33pm

How can u plug it in wrong?

exposer - July 8, 2010 at 6:37pm

LOLL

Tobby - July 8, 2010 at 7:21pm

RECALLaaaàááâäãāáãàâä

Steve - July 8, 2010 at 8:42pm

I agree, did he plugged the cable in using "right hand"? otherwise, it's wrong

FadetoBlack - July 8, 2010 at 9:05pm

That's exactly what I was thinking,Steve. In fact I think in the manual in small print it reads "If you using the iPhone 4, and you are left-handed.. You blew it"