A not-so-happy news for Apple and its users is coming from Taiwan, Japan and China, as a few iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus buyers have reported issues with the battery of some of the devices. The problematic gadgets featured bloated batteries, resulting in the iPhone cases to split apart, exposing the smartphone's internal parts.
Apple confirmed the boating issue
An Apple spokesperson confirmed the news of bloated batteries in new devices but refused to comment further on this issue. The spokesperson also revealed that the company is seriously looking into the matter.
The company also issued a short statement in this regard. "We are aware and looking into it."
As of now, more than half a dozen cases of battery bloating have been reported from China, Japan and Taiwan. Considering the millions of smartphones which are already being sold out, the number of battery bloated devices may seem pretty less, but being a serious malfunction related to battery, this flaw may negatively impact the sale of iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 plus in the coming days.
Expert opinion on battery bloating issue
Sam Jaffe, managing director of Cairn Energy Research Advisors, in a recent talk with the Verge, said that bloating is very unusual, especially for a brand-new battery. As per Jaffe, something fundamentally wrong will be there if bloating happens in new battery pieces.
Jaffe, who is a battery industry analyst believes that various companies are producing risky batteries which are prone to short-circuiting, in an attempt to store more power. Jaffe added that it is too early to comment on the bloating of batteries in Apple phones.
"It could be just a random distribution. Just a random event, and it's only a few," said Jaffe, reports The Verge.
Apple following the path of Samsung?
Apple's major rival in the international market, Samsung, has also faced issues related to its battery in the past. In 2016, Samsung recalled end number of Galaxy Note 7 smartphones from the market, following reports of explosions and fire.
The company later explained that the fire was the result of overheated batteries, and soon Samsung provided new gadgets to the affected users. But the heating issues persisted and the gadgets were later called off.
Apple iPhone 8 and iPhone Plus fail to live up to the expectations?
The first case of bloated battery was reported in Taiwan, and soon, a handful of similar cases were reported from Japan and China too. Reuters, on October 6, reported a Chinese state media news about an iPhone buyer who claimed to have received a cracked open iPhone 8 Plus. The report also added that there were no signs of scorching and explosion in the device.
The buyer of this handset, Liu, revealed that he bought the new iPhone 8 Plus from the e-commerce platform JD.com Inc. The buyer also claimed that he returned the phone to the seller without trying to charge it.
Apple considers China a very important marketplace, and the news about the battery bloating will surely create setbacks to their business plans in the country. The company is already facing heavy competition from local makers like Huawei and Oppo who sell high-end Android smartphones at a very low price.
Apple iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus were released just two weeks back, on September 22, 2017. The complaints about the gadget within 14 days of its release will surely create negative impacts on the upcoming sale figures.
