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British man claims iPhone 7 exploded when he answered it

Commentary: A darts player says his hand was speared with glass after his Apple device blew up, according to a report.

Chris Matyszczyk
2 min read

Technically Incorrect offers a slightly twisted take on the tech that's taken over our lives.


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This isn't the first time an iPhone was accused of catching fire. This was Brianna Olivas' phone earlier this year.

Courtesy of Brianna Olivas

He swiped right. And then boom.

That's the story told by Brit Lee Hayes of his unfortunate encounter with his iPhone 7.

He told the Sun that he'd only had it for three days and was answering a call when it allegedly just blew up on him.

"It was on the bench in the kitchen and I heard it ringing. As soon as I touched the screen to answer it the phone just exploded," he reportedly said.

His description of a loud bang and a sizzling noise is consistent with many reports of phones spontaneously combusting.

Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hayes, 42, of Southport, England, reportedly told the Sun that he had many small shards of glass embedded in his hand and that the phone had left burn marks on the kitchen bench where it had been sitting.

Hayes is a semi-professional darts player who calls himself "The Scorpion." He told the Sun his injuries have prevented him from competing and he's thinking of suing Apple.

It's appears that Hayes, himself, has been involved in legal issues before. As the Southport OTS News reported, a Lee "The Scorpion" Hayes was convicted last year of perverting the course of justice. Hayes didn't respond to two requests for comment.

When phones explode, blame often lies with the batteries -- as was the case with Samsung's now infamous Galaxy Note 7. In that case, one customer sued Samsung because he alleged that the phone exploded in his pants.

It doesn't seem to matter which brand it might be or even the age of the phone. Phones are electronic devices and they can go wrong.

Hayes told the Sun he considers himself relatively lucky.

"It was a nasty injury -- my hand was bleeding quite heavily -- but it could have been so much worse. I could have lost my hand," he said.

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