Apple Watch Owner Heads To ER After Battery Allegedly Overheats And Blows Up

An Apple Watch owner claims his smartwatch exploded after a night of overheating. After contacting Apple about the incident, the company asked the man not to share his story.

Apple recently launched its latest Apple Watch 8 at its Far Out event. The new family of smartwatches also introduced a new high-end device, aimed at athletes and those who love the outdoors. But it was a Series 7 owner who contacted Apple about an explosive event, and says his Apple Watch was the smoking gun.

The owner, who spoke to 9to5Mac about his experience, says that as he was wearing his smartwatch he began to notice that the device was getting much warmer than normal. When he removed the watch from his arm, he found that the back of the watch had cracked and the watchOS app was displaying a warning about needing to turn his device off due to the high temperatures.

The alarmed owner reached out to Apple about the issue, and says the incident was then escalated until it finally reached a manager who created a case in order to further investigate the situation. At this point, the watch owner says he was not given any type of solution or advice, other than to not touch the watch until he heard back from Apple Support.

After perhaps a restless night sleep, the watch owner says that the device was even hotter to the touch, and that the watch had gotten hot enough to shatter the display. As he picked up the watch to take pictures, the device began to make "crackling sounds," and exploded just as he tossed it out a window. You can view a video of smoke coming from the Apple Watch by clicking on the image above. Do be warned, however, that this is an age restricted video due to language.

Out of fear that he may have been exposed to lead, he says he went to the emergency to room to be checked out. It should be noted, smartwatches do not contain enough lead to pose any type of risk of lead poisoning.

Following his visit to the ER, the man says he reached out to Apple once again to update the company of the situation. He was informed that his case was being given the classification of "top priority" and Apple would follow up with him the following Monday.

It was not until October 5th that he received communication from the tech giant. At that time, the company arranged to have the watch picked up and delivered to Apple's labs for further testing. The company also included a document it wanted him to sign, stating he would not share his story with anyone. He declined to sign the agreement, and instead reached out to 9to5Mac about his explosive experience.

If you ever experience a smart device that is overheating, it is recommended that you remove the device from your home or vehicle, and contact the manufacturer immediately about the issue.

Top Image Credit: 9to5Mac