Smoking iPhone 4 Frightens Passengers on Airplane

[Michael Essany]

Apparently, an overheating, smoking, and slightly glowing iPhone 4 was enough to frighten the pants off of passengers on an Australian regional airline late last week, we're just now discovering.

Passengers on board the Regional Express (REX) say the flight crew had to extinguish a glowing red iPhone 4 that was the source of a creepy "dense smoke." Presumably, some on board thought the iPhone was an explosion risk or perhaps a bomb scare. But as it turns out, the device was just overheating. And, luckily, no one was harmed.

As we understand it, the entire incident was documented and subsequently reported to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) for investigation. As we all know, Apple has a history of battery issues with the iPhone 4, but the degree to which this particular device melted down is not common.

By no means should this story make anyone fearful of flying with their iPhones. But we'll keep you posted on the outcome of the ongoing investigation by aviation officials.

Source: PCMag

[BenderRodriguez]

The cabins are pressurized so it's the same if your in an airplane or on the ground

what was he doing with it when it started to overheat is the better question
and does he get a new iPhone for free?

[brab]

Most cabins are pressurized to approx. 8,000 feet, with the exception of new 787s to 6,000 feet, so it's far away from what you just said.

EDIT:
A380s have 5,000 feet.

[BenderRodriguez]

Most cabins are pressurized to approx. 8,000 feet, with the exception of new 787s to 6,000 feet, so it's far away from what you just said.

EDIT:
A380s have 5,000 feet.

Um this sounds false, cause they are always pressurized no matter what altitude the airplane is at it might not be the same as the ground though like I said earlier

[torrent82]

The cabins are pressurized so it's the same if your in an airplane or on the ground

what was he doing with it when it started to overheat is the better question
and does he get a new iPhone for free?

This is the third time I read this article.
In no article does anyone notice or say anything about the Steve Jobs Apple logo on the back of the iPhone...
The phone had a user-modified back plate! If I think that the user is gonna get a replacement? NO!
The lesson here?: don't mess with the hardware or it blows up in your MF face!!!
Moreover the Yahoo article about this has the same picture of the exploding phone with the logo cropped out...great! It's like everyone can't wait for a f*ck-up to appear so they can jump on it and start pointing the finger at Apple...

[fventura03]

This is the third time I read this article.
In no article does anyone notice or say anything about the Steve Jobs Apple logo on the back of the iPhone...
The phone had a user-modified back plate! If I think that the user is gonna get a replacement? NO!
The lesson here?: don't mess with the hardware or it blows up in your MF face!!!
Moreover the Yahoo article about this has the same picture of the exploding phone with the logo cropped out...great! It's like everyone can't wait for a f*ck-up to appear so they can jump on it and start pointing the finger at Apple...

that might be the cracked glass around the apple logo that is making you believe it's a modified back.

[bigstudio]

Um this sounds false, cause they are always pressurized no matter what altitude the airplane is at it might not be the same as the ground though like I said earlier

What brab meant was the cabins are pressurized to the equivalent of what air pressure would be at 8000 feet. In other words, less than the air pressure on the ground. There are many reasons for this, like less stress on the shell of the plane and less stress on your ears should pressure suddenly be lost!

[epikarus]

I dont think thats a steve jobs apple log on the back. It looks like the cracked glass is refracting the logo that way. I maybe wrong, but why jump to the conclusion that the phone was modified? **** happens, manufacturing something isn't perfect. Who's fault is it? no ones. And this article isnt blaming anyone especially apple.

[thetoothfairy]

Kind of a bummer... next thing you know is they won't allow cell phones on the planes.....

[Greatbiguns]

This is the third time I read this article.
In no article does anyone notice or say anything about the Steve Jobs Apple logo on the back of the iPhone...
The phone had a user-modified back plate! If I think that the user is gonna get a replacement? NO!
The lesson here?: don't mess with the hardware or it blows up in your MF face!!!
Moreover the Yahoo article about this has the same picture of the exploding phone with the logo cropped out...great! It's like everyone can't wait for a f*ck-up to appear so they can jump on it and start pointing the finger at Apple...

NICE CATCH!! I didn't even notice that, until you pointed it out... Better check the quality of your "aftermarket" parts, nobady want there pants to exploid especially if they can't turn and sue anyone.

[Anthony Bouchard]

The phone had a user-modified back plate! If I think that the user is gonna get a replacement? NO!

Good eye...

[arem]

This is the third time I read this article.
In no article does anyone notice or say anything about the Steve Jobs Apple logo on the back of the iPhone...
The phone had a user-modified back plate! If I think that the user is gonna get a replacement? NO!
The lesson here?: don't mess with the hardware or it blows up in your MF face!!!
Moreover the Yahoo article about this has the same picture of the exploding phone with the logo cropped out...great! It's like everyone can't wait for a f*ck-up to appear so they can jump on it and start pointing the finger at Apple...

if you honestly and truly believe that replacing a back plate will cause a battery overheating malfunction you are the worst kind of idiot.

[raduga]

if you honestly and truly believe that replacing a back plate will cause a battery overheating malfunction you are the worst kind of idiot.

That's nice.
Do you know how the passive cooling system in an iPhone works?

[dsg]

I wonder if it was the environment change that caused the iPhone to overheat

Keeping iPhone Within Acceptable Temperatures iPhone is designed
to be operated in temperatures between 0º and 35º C (32º to 95º F) and
stored in temperatures between -20º and 45º C (-4º to 113º F). Low- or
high-temperature conditions might temporarily shorten battery life or
cause iPhone to temporarily stop working properly. Leaving iPhone in
a parked vehicle or in direct sunlight can cause iPhone to exceed these
storage or operating temperature ranges. Avoid dramatic changes in
temperature or humidity when using iPhone as condensation may form
on or within iPhone.
When you’re using iPhone or charging the battery, it is normal for iPhone
to get warm. The exterior of iPhone functions as a cooling surf

this infomation was found here

I don't think it is an aftermarket backplate as this is the only steve jobs Apple logo backplate I could find




I think it's just looks like it the Steve Jobs Apple logo because of where the glass has cracked

here I've upscaled the logo using the 10% rule



It's just a crack

Edit: I just found another aftermarket back

still not the same

[Slmchrist]

Not trying to tick anyone off , but that is definitely a modded back plate. The glass fracture would not remove extra paint out of the apples cut out!! You can still see the eyeglass frames in the logo.

Edit

As I continue to look it could be just the crack glass? Scratchead!!??

[sTrAnGe mOdS]

Why does everyone have to be so hostile about this? Its a news article guys. Whether the phone was modified or not, there's no sense in arguing and getting all mad over it..

[BenderRodriguez]

So it looks like the Apple symble is off alittle but if it's the Steve Jobs back where is "Steve Jobs" and the "Year"

[Slmchrist]

Why does everyone have to be so hostile about this? Its a news article guys. Whether the phone was modified or not, there's no sense in arguing and getting all mad over it..

IMO I think we should know if it was modded so we would know to stay clear of the backplates! Just my opinion.

[Muff!nMan]

I wonder if it was the environment change that caused the iPhone to overheat



this infomation was found here

I don't think it is an aftermarket backplate as this is the only steve jobs Apple logo backplate I could find




I think it's just looks like it the Steve Jobs Apple logo because of where the glass has cracked

here I've upscaled the logo using the 10% rule



It's just a crack

nice work! Additional confirmation is that the 1955-2011 thing isn't there. It is just a crack

[Stumbows]

I had a friend that had the same thing happen to them. They dropped their iPhone from about 3 feet and when picking it up the thing was getting so hot that he couldn't even hold it any longer and it melted down big time like this picture. And for the record his was completely unmodified and maybe 3 months old.