Three more reports of swollen batteries in iPhone 8 Plus surface, still not statistically ...

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in iPhone
Three more reports of swollen iPhone 8 Plus batteries have surfaced in international markets, but the current rate of failure is still well within industry norms for infant failure of lithium ion batteries.




Three of the social media reports and two from MacRumors readers depict a swollen battery displacing an iPhone 8 Plus screen out of its housing. Four claim that the devices in question were being charged with an official cable and power adapter, with one earlier claim that it was received with a swollen battery.

Prior to AppleInsider's Saturday's report about the first two accounts of swollen batteries, a source within Apple not authorized to speak on behalf of the company informed us that Apple investigates swollen batteries even on older phones brought into Apple retail stores as a matter of course.

At present, the failures appear to be "infant failures" -- meaning failures within the first 30 days of production of the device. AppleInsider has learned that another possibility is mishandling of the device in shipping -- but there are no solid numbers failure rates from that, or any good way to glean that data outside of Apple diagnostics.

The normal infant failure rate of lithium ion batteries is about one in one million, so the existing failures are still well within statistical probability, assuming all of the accounts are accurate regarding charging equipment and the devices were not mishandled somewhere in the shipping process.

A more in-depth poll of ten Apple Genius Bars that we have worked with in the past still show zero iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus models brought in for service with a swollen battery such as that displayed in the pair of reports.

Reading data gleaned as part of a different report from about this time last year, the same stores had four iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models come in for service with swollen batteries after the launch of the device, with the number tapering to two between all the stores in late October and early November. All but one of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models that came in for service at our polled Apple Stores were ultimately attributed to either user mishandling or abuse during the shipping process.

There are no reports of fire or property damage beyond the iPhone as a result of the swollen batteries at this time.

Several factors can cause a battery failure over time. In many cases later in a iPhone's life, an off-brand charger or cable can contribute to battery failure, as can mishandling by the user. There are no good numbers on lithium ion battery failure rates as a function of use, but calendar age and use pattern are also factors.

Apple has confirmed that it is looking into the situations surrounding each failure, but has so far declined to provide any more information.

The reported failure rate on the Galaxy Note 7 exceeded 1 in 20,000 with many of the failures causing explosive off-gassing of battery electrolyte. The root cause of the bursting phones was linked to both battery production problems and a design problem with the phone.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 46
    "Three more reports of swollen iPhone 8 Plus batteries have surfaced in international markets, but the current rate of failure is still well within industry norms for infant failure of lithium ion batteries. "

    I hope to God the babies' batteries are ok?!?! 😜
  • Reply 2 of 46
    eightzeroeightzero Posts: 3,056member
    In other news, Apple is looking into reports that as many as 3 buyers of the iPhone 8+ were not completely satisfied.
    magman1979anton zuykovSoundJudgmentEsquireCatswatto_cobradoozydozen
  • Reply 3 of 46
    AI_liasAI_lias Posts: 434member
    I guess better swollen and coming apart than setting your house on fire...
    jbdragonEsquireCatswatto_cobradoozydozen
  • Reply 4 of 46
    Is that a loaf of bread on the desk and a Nature Valley granola bar?
  • Reply 5 of 46
    eriamjheriamjh Posts: 1,631member
     My iPhone 6 arrived bent in the box. And this is during the so-called "bend-gate".  No one cared except me.  Apple replaced it NQA.  

    I didn't post to social media.  
    watto_cobradoozydozenbb-15
  • Reply 6 of 46
    calicali Posts: 3,494member
    “Not statistically significant.”

    Why are we reporting this?
    watto_cobraksec
  • Reply 7 of 46
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,844member
    sog35 said:
    Timmy..............

    I mean seriously.  This is basically a 4 year old phone.
    Your comment is child like in its misunderstanding of the world. It’s a brand new phone, and there are always some battery failures. 3-5 out of millions is nothing. So clueless. 

    And anybody using the children’s version of a grown man’s name sounds like a fucking idiot. 
    edited October 2017 cyberzombiemagman1979GG1bonobobmacxpressRonnnieObrucemcwatto_cobradoozydozenbb-15
  • Reply 8 of 46
    MplsPMplsP Posts: 3,911member
    Just out of curiosity, was the number of failures for the Galaxy Note 8 'statistically significant?' I'm also curious if the battery supplier for the iPhone 8 is the same as the iPhone 7. Since the mechanical designs are virtually identical and the batteries are close to the same size, it seems like we would have seen similar reports with the iPhone 7. Of course, that's assuming there's not reporting bias, which is a big assumption. Even if the incidence is within the range of expected failure, public perception is far from rational
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 46
    mr. hmr. h Posts: 4,870member
    MplsP said:
    Just out of curiosity, was the number of failures for the Galaxy Note 8 'statistically significant?'
    Presumably you mean the Note 7? That being the one infamous for exploding batteries. From the end of the article:

    The reported failure rate on the Galaxy Note 7 exceeded 1 in 20,000

    jbdragonSoundJudgmentwatto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 46
    foggyhillfoggyhill Posts: 4,767member
    Especially because there are more and more phones delivered.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 46
    foggyhillfoggyhill Posts: 4,767member
    MplsP said:
    Just out of curiosity, was the number of failures for the Galaxy Note 8 'statistically significant?' I'm also curious if the battery supplier for the iPhone 8 is the same as the iPhone 7. Since the mechanical designs are virtually identical and the batteries are close to the same size, it seems like we would have seen similar reports with the iPhone 7. Of course, that's assuming there's not reporting bias, which is a big assumption. Even if the incidence is within the range of expected failure, public perception is far from rational
    You mean troll squatters  like those here and in almost all online place where you can put down an opinion  and clickbait junkies like you got everywhere else, Youtube, media, all so called "news" sites.

    Oh, and there were many of those that caught fire (the Note phones), seems to be something a bit different too...

    Like I said, swelling eventually occurs to most battery if you keep your device long enough (with enough charge cycles); how it happens makes one hell of a difference. Popping screen vs puncture battery and fray wires is one hell of a difference.

    Doesn't mean they should ignore it of course. But, it's Apple and we are in social hell were we have to know when everyone's taking a dump, so of course we will know about it... Instead of like in the past, just going back to the store and getting the phone exchanged.
    edited October 2017 magman1979watto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 46
    BebeBebe Posts: 145member
    Hmmm, this is not good. :(
  • Reply 13 of 46
    mubailimubaili Posts: 453member
    darn, I was hoping there would be hundreds of cases to drive down the APPL stock price so we mortals can buy some on the cheap heading into the X preorder weekend. Battery Gate, I beg you, please.
  • Reply 13 of 46
    foggyhillfoggyhill Posts: 4,767member
    Bebe said:
    Hmmm, this is not good. :(
    Only if you have no clue. Then, yeah, in your fertile imagination, it will be  "no good"...
    jbdragonmagman1979watto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 46
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,858administrator
    cali said:
    “Not statistically significant.”

    Why are we reporting this?
    The same reason we always do when the rest of the media flips out for no good reason about something Apple has done or has not done.
    edited October 2017 jbdragonradarthekatpscooter63watto_cobradoozydozenchiabb-15
  • Reply 16 of 46
    mubaili said:
    darn, I was hoping there would be hundreds of cases to drive down the APPL stock price so we mortals can buy some on the cheap heading into the X preorder weekend. Battery Gate, I beg you, please.
    You have to do better than just 3 phones, than... Much better!
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 46
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,858administrator

    MplsP said:
    Just out of curiosity, was the number of failures for the Galaxy Note 8 'statistically significant?' I'm also curious if the battery supplier for the iPhone 8 is the same as the iPhone 7. Since the mechanical designs are virtually identical and the batteries are close to the same size, it seems like we would have seen similar reports with the iPhone 7. Of course, that's assuming there's not reporting bias, which is a big assumption. Even if the incidence is within the range of expected failure, public perception is far from rational
    Note 7 statistically significant: 1 in 20,000 conservatively. Probably closer to 1 in 15,000.

    Battery supplier: Doesn't look like it.

    Mechanical design: Nope. Many differences. Similar battery size, but similar size does not equal the same size or the same issues.

    Similar reports with the iPhone 7: We did.

    Reporting bias: The five who have had the problem posted. The 20 million+ who haven't, didn't.

    Agree with public perception -- thus the explanation of what an infant failure is.
    2old4funjbdragonradarthekatmagman1979pscooter63watto_cobrachiaairnerd
  • Reply 18 of 46
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,844member
    Bebe said:
    Hmmm, this is not good. :(
    Why's that, exactly? 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 19 of 46
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,844member

    cali said:
    “Not statistically significant.”

    Why are we reporting this?
    The same reason we always do when the rest of the media flips out for no good reason about something Apple has done or has not done.
    But...you are the media...spreading the story... Despite the three-word qualifier, it's still spreading this story across new feeds across the globe. For a non-event. 

    Sorry but it just looks like your own flavor of clickbait to me.
    rogifan_new
  • Reply 20 of 46
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    cali said:
    “Not statistically significant.”

    Why are we reporting this?
    Because the long knives are out and this is a prime example of FUD in action. After the Samsung debacle the tech media is out for blood and anything they can smear Apple with needs to be trumpeted from the rooftop. AI, and iMore are at least trying to explain the situation.
    jbdragonmagman1979pscooter63watto_cobrachiabb-15
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