Apple AirPods Allegedly Caught Fire And Exploded During Florida Man's Workout
Apple is reportedly investigating an alleged fire and explosion from a set of its popular wireless AirPods earbuds. The incident happened to a Florida man who was wearing the earphones at a local gym during his workout.
According to James Colon, he was exercising when "white smoke started billowing out" of the AirPods. The man says that he pulled the AirPods from his ear and placed them on some workout equipment nearby and went to get help. When he came back the right AirPod was found in pieces while the left one was intact and without issue.
"It was already popped," Colon said. "I didn't see it happen, but I mean, it was already fried."
Apple has stated that it is investigating the cause behind the explosion and that it would contact Colon directly. Had the AirPod exploded in the man's ear, the injury could have been severe. "I don't know what would've happened to my ear, you know?" Colon said. "But I'm sure since it hangs down, it could've been
This isn’t the first item that a device using a rechargeable battery has caught fire or exploded. Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries in the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone were overheating and catching fire prompting two recalls, and Samsung eventually pulling the phones off the market. Years ago, overheating Sony-manufactured batteries made headlines as laptops from multiple brands, including Dell and HP, were catching fire.
