A few weeks after the release of the Apple iPhone 7, reports have surfaced about a few minor issues with the new smartphone.
However this latest story is related to something altogether more serious. This Wednesday an image was posted on Reddit showing a badly damaged iPhone 7 that had seemingly exploded.
Exploding iPhone 7, or not?
Comparisons were immediately made with the ongoing problems being suffered by the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, which has been exploding due to a fault. However the iPhone 7 story is likely very different.
There is a chance that the iPhone 7 didn’t explode at all. Another possibility is that it did explode, but with some outside influence.
A Reddit user known as kroopthesnoop posted the first image of the phone. They claim that a coworker had pre-ordered the iPhone 7 and it had turned up in that condition.
In a later post, they claim that Apple and AT&T have been notified of the issue and have agreed to send a replacement. The photos appear to show that the iPhone 7 was badly damaged during transport.
Damaged packaging but explosion unlikely
The packaging is punctured and the back of the phone itself has a large dent. This may indicate that the damage was caused by a physical blow.
Burned areas of the packaging suggest that the battery did catch fire. However this is normal if lots of physical force is applied to them.
Of course there is a chance that the iPhone 7 did explode of its own accord. That hypothesis seems unlikely given that the phone was unused and was powered down for shipping.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has suffered problems with overheating and exploding batteries. This is reportedly due to an error in the manufacturing process. At the same time it is worth pointing out that these incidents have mainly occurred when the phone is switched on and charging.
Is is certainly possible for the battery in an iPhone 7 to overheat and perhaps explode. However at this stage it seems unlikely that the problem is widespread.
Apple iPhone 7 suffers some teething troubles
Other issues have been reported with the new Apple smartphone. Some users have reportedly heard a hissing sound from the handset when particularly challenging processing tasks are being carried out. It is thought that this is caused by the GPU, and isn’t really a problem.
Some people have also reported that the new Jet Black iPhone 7 scratches very easily. The new finish suffers marks if it comes into contacts with everyday items such as keys or coins. While Apple does specify that buyers should get a case for the Jet Black models, this is still a major annoyance.
If you want to get a flashy new handset, it’s a bit annoying to have to cover it up with a case. However judging by the evidence, it’s worth doing so unless you want a badly scratched smartphone.
LTE and Bluetooth connectivity also reportedly suffer
Yet more issues have been reported with LTE and Bluetooth capabilities. Apple has removed the headphone jack from the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, which means that the Lightning port or Bluetooth is used to listen to music.
However this capability has been impacted by reported problems with Bluetooth connectivity. Posts have appeared on Reddit, Apple support forums and MacRumors forums related to the issue.
It appears that Bluetooth connectivity is an issue when users try to connect their iPhone 7 with a car infotainment system. While many of the affected users drive BMWs, cars from Hyundai and Kia have also reportedly been affected.
If users were able to connect their iPhone 7 to their car via Bluetooth, playback would cut out every few seconds. BMW has recognized the issue in an official statement.
The automaker has revealed that it has not approved the iPhone 7 for use in its vehicles, and is still testing the device. BMW has since told iPhone 7 owners to seek an iOS update from Apple.
At the same time Verizon subscribers who bought an iPhone 7 have reported trouble with LTE connectivity. Among various forum users who have reported problems, Reddit user Kangalex says that the iPhone 7 doesn’t connect to LTE automatically when outside WiFi range.
The problem looks like it is down to the iPhone software. This is due to the fact that the issue persisted even after the SIM card was replaced by Verizon.
Other Verizon customers have complained that VoLTE calls disconnect, and LTE connections are restored only after VoLTE is turned off. Verizon is referring many disgruntled customers to Apple.
While there may be some issues affecting the iPhone 7, it doesn’t look like the handset is exploding of its own accord.
