Shibani Bhujle, a New York marketing manager, complained of an incident unexpected by other iPhone users. She said that her one-year-old iPhone 4s spontaneously combusted which burnt her fingers and then oozes a liquid out of the device.

According to Ms Bhujle, her iPhone 4s was on a coffee table when suddenly the device went off randomly. She told VentureBeat that her iPhone was not charging or not connected to its charger and then she smelled fumes from it which made her picked it up; the device was extremely hot.

She tried to turn on the device but it didn't work and then she panicked as the phone continued to emit a burning smell as it heats up. She pried the back of the iPhone, and there she found the melting of the battery and the oozing of its acid.

Opening any Apple device is not a smart move for it will make it a non-serviceable unit. Ms Bhujle was disappointed that no Apple store served any repairs and replacement.

She also talked to numerous Apple employees but ended up with nothing. "This is a product defect with the battery that Apple is refusing to acknowledge and trying to hide. As of now, they have brushed this under the carpet and left it at that. I am in disbelief that they have not even offered a replacement device when it is a manufacturing issue," Ms Bhujle stated.

Apple devices aren't the ones vulnerable to issue such as this. A participant on a Las Vegas hacker's conference in 2012 suffered a burnt butt when his Motorola device heated up from his back pocket.

Lithium Ion-based batteries which are commonly used on most smartphones are smaller and more durable but require more care from the user due to the fact that they are fragile.

Here are some warnings to keep your batteries from exploding and extending its usage:

  • Frequent recharge is fine but should not recharge for long periods of hours.
  • Keep in a cool place during charging and usage. It extends the battery life and prevents to overheat.
  • Avoid exposing your device to water, sand, dust, and humidity to avoid short-circuit.
  • If the device gets water exposure, open the back casing and remove the battery. Let the device dry up.
  • Never leave your device inside the car alone to avoid overheating.
  • Plastic casing can overheat a handheld device.
  • Use only recommended accessories to your device which are authorised by the manufacturer.
  • Contact the technical assistance of the manufacturer for any battery or overheating problems.
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