On the Case: Apple Looks Into Reports of Bulging Batteries Splitting iPhones

Apple Inc. said on Monday it is looking into the case of an iPhone whose buyer said the casing was split by a swollen battery, marking the latest in a string of reports of similar incidents in Asia.

A man surnamed Liu in the southern city of Guangzhou ordered an iPhone 8 Plus and received it on Oct. 5, only to discover the phone’s battery had swollen and split apart the area between the screen and the case, exposing some of the phone’s innards, according to Chinese media reports. The reports added that there were no signs of fire or an explosion.

After discovering the split case, the buyer returned the product to JD.com, one of China’s leading e-commerce sites, where he made the purchase. A JD.com spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

An Apple spokeswoman declined further comment beyond that the company was looking into the report. But according to a knowledgeable source, the incident appears to have involved a battery that may have become swollen and caused the phone’s casing to split open.

The Guangzhou case would follow similar reports of iPhone batteries becoming swollen and causing casings to burst in Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

The latest reports come about two weeks after the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus went on sale in China, mostly to lukewarm reviews. Many have commented the phones are too similar to previous iPhone models, and none of the usual crowds have formed outside Apple stores during the launch period. Some Apple fans are waiting for the more premium iPhone X, which is set to go on sale early next month.

Apple’s share of the China market has also been slipping in the last year, as it competes with an up-and-coming group of domestic rivals led by the likes of Huawei and Oppo. In the second quarter Apple’s China iPhone sales fell 7.6%, making it the market’s fifth largest player, according to market intelligence firm IDC. Apple’s own report showed its Greater China sales fell by an even sharper 10% in its fiscal quarter through July 1.

Contact reporter Yang Ge (geyang@caixin.com)