An AT&T insider sent Boy Genius Report these pictures of an iPhone 4 that burst into flames after a customer tried to hook it up to his computer.
According to the source, the fire was a result of a defective USB port on the phone. The iPhone 4 reportedly got very hot, slightly burning the customer’s hand, and the port was melted a little bit and the USB cord melted up real good.
I’ve heard the iPhone 4 was a hot gadget but this is ridiculous.
iPhone 4 bursts into flames, burns hand [Boy Genius Report] (Thanks to Robert!)
More From Consumerist
-
Holy Crap, Aerosol Sunscreen Can Set People On Fire
-
July Recall Roundup – Twist’n Explode
-
United Airlines Plane Catches Fire & Is Safely Evacuated Before Takeoff At Seattle Airport
-
We Are Not Shocked That Most People Injured By Fireworks Get Hurt Around The 4th Of July
-
After 2 Fatal Megabus Accidents In A Week, Illinois Governor Wishes Feds Cared
Steve Jobs must be foaming over these problems.
“It’s just a hand” -Steve
They were holding it wrong anyways.
Or maybe he’s fuming.
What problems?
He’s probably burning up the phone lines trying to get an answer on this…
YET ANOTHER reason that the EVO is better. I feel much better about my purchase decision now (not that I had doubt before
).
Because a USB port can’t malfunction when the EVO is nearby?
Because the Iphone port will malfunction. Doesn’t look like a USB connection to me. The USB connection would have fried on the computer side. The iphone side fried, thus I am led to believe the Iphone did it. Let’s wait for more people reporting it before we draw conclusions for either side
Unless this happened while it was plugged into nothing, then the USB supplying power is part of the cause. Li-ion batteries can have bad reactions if not properly charged.
“USB connection would have fried on the computer side”
That is an untrue statement. Ever hook a flash drive up to a wrongly wired usb port? It fries the flash drive and nothing happens to the computer. I did that on a friends computer before he told me that he wired it wrong.
I heard the EVO had a guaranteed 100% defect free design, engineered, and manufacturing process. Quite the feat.
How many products live up to that… At least one… The EVO…… *roll eyes*
I have not seen any defects with the EVO and neither has anyone else? I just hate how loud it is, the speakers are just too good. Thanks for your input, Iphone owner.
It also has more Gee Bees.
Yes the evo has no problems at all…nope none….no screen separation away from the phone nothing….http://mobile.venturebeat.com/2010/06/14/htc-evo-4g-issues-pile-up-glass-screen-separation-unresponsiveness-reported/
shhhh You might get fired if your employer hears you. How dare you have a OPINION.
You’re charging it wrong.
— Steve Jobs – Sent from my EVO
+1. Thank you! I was going to say “You’re just holding it wrong”.
Non-issue
Even though the Apple Store admitted it was a defective port, when it gets to Jobs he will probably blame it on the user or the user’s computer.
the user attempted to hook up the iPhone to his Dell laptop. the iPhone operated as designed.
This is a non-issue.
— Steve Jobs – Sent from my iPad
Ban this menace now!
Let’s not beat around the bush here. It wasn’t a defective USB port, it wasn’t a defective phone. Flash did this.
No death grip jokes yet? I am disappointed.
I was going to say he must have been holding it wrong
No death grip jokes, but if you buy a $25 1″ piece of Apple branded scotch tape it’ll stop this from happening.
Death Grip 1.0 has been upgraded to Flaming Death Grip (Death Grip 2.0)
Looks like the infallible Jesus phone could have used some water, instead of just walking on it.
/Don’t forget to tip your waitress
//Try the veal
Having one of these would be a great survivalist tool in the event you get caught in the woods without matches and need a campfire.
Do you generally take a USB charging device (laptop) when you go camping?
that was the joke
As was mine.
The iPhone 4 will be under a microscope because of the problems people are having with the signal. Now, even random problems like a faulty USB connection like this are blown out of proportion.
I am not an Apple fanboi, but even I admit things like this happen and it is not really a big deal. But the whole, “you’re holding it wrong,” “it happens with all phones,” “We calculated your bars wrong” thing really put a chink in Apple’s armor.
Why do you have to bring the Asians into this?
Seriously?
“Now, even random problems like a faulty USB connection like this are blown out of proportion.”
This is a fair statement, but given that the phone has only been out for less than a month I’d say it’s a bit premature to call this a random problem. You never know if next week we see 200 more stories just like this one or worse.
Full disclosure: I’m not a fan of Apple at all. I use to think the products were good, but the fanbois killed that for me. I do, however, think Jobs is a total ass-hat in a turtle neck which is why I refuse to buy anything Apple related.
“I use to think the products were good, but the fanbois killed that for me.”
I’m confused- what would fanboys have to do with how good the product is?
IMO, NOT buying a product because of other people’s fandom is just as ridiculous as buying it BECAUSE of their fandom. It’s okay to form your own opinions of a product, relatively uninfluenced by those around you. You should try it sometime.
Truly, one phone malfunctioning out of thousands / millions does not a defect make.
Agreed. I got a 4 on launch day. It had a speck of dust under the screen, right in the middle (looked like a small black pepper flake, the size of 1 or two pixels). I brought it back the next day and they swapped it out no problem. Manufacturing defects happen, and apple seems to have a pretty good track record on making people who have problems that are honestly apple’s fault (unless it’s a DESIGN defect, of course) whole.
Agreed – problems are one thing. They happen, they get fixed, yadda yadda. But it’s the company/Steve’s flippant “blame the customers” responses that have cheesed me off.
Just looks like a flash fire to me.
I see what you did there….Adobe Flash Fire….ooohhhh
I must say, The iPhone 4 is becoming a bit of an attention whore.
This is a NON-ISSUE.
Move along
But it really sorta is. Lots of phones get released without as much fanfare as iPhone 4 did. Or any iPhone, for that matter. So, Apple brought this on itself. And I’m an Apple-lover. I wouldn’t consider myself a fanboy, but I DO own all things Apple. Even then, I’m able to realize that Apple has begun descending the slippery slope of crappiness with this phone. First it’s the antenna issue and their response. Then there was the whole fewer-bars-than-we-led-you-to-believe debacle. And now this issue. Granted this USB thing seems to be an isolated incident, but they wouldn’t be as under-the-microscope if they didn’t put on so many airs about how great the thing is and how it will revolutionize this and that. They drew the attention to themselves, and now it’s backfiring.
Did he try to insert the cable upside down? The guide notches that are facing upward in the photo are supposed to be on the bottom.
Maybe the Zippo app malfunctioned and actually produced real a flames.
FLAME no flames. grumble
Gray Powell is to blame…
Every time an iphone malfunctions, a fanboi loses his wings.
Did he forget he was using the new Grill Starter app??
Typical Blueberry/WinMo/Android/Symbian/etc spin … its a feature … the iPhone is also a lighter!
There’s an app for that.
Apple’s new anti-jailbreak feature, the phone self-destructs to save AT&T’s crappy network
Two modes are now identified: plug-and-play and plug-and-burn. The phone will pick one of the modes automatically.
Was it held the right way?
Hey everyone, stop bashing the iPhone 4. The phone has given me zero problems since I ordered it on pre-order day. Never mind the fact that it is because I have not yet received the phone since ordering, but hey…details schmetails.
Well, if you can’t take the heat… /jk
When has the Consumerist turned into mandatory Jr. High School reading? The post on this thread read like a bunch of kids have nothing better to do that argue that old “Mine is better” schoolyard rant.
Its odd that this was posted today… It was 101F here in NC today and mine slid out of the shade into the sun and began to bake. When I went to use it, it said “phone overheating cool down me down mother f#cker” or something of that nature. It then would not turn on for 30 mins. Maybe this guy can’t read.
He shouldn’t have been holding it that way.