iPhone recall: They shut down before exploding, says Apple

Dubai - Apple under the scanner for iPhone battery fires, sudden shutdowns

Apple has blamed the sporadic battery fires in the iPhone to over-exposure ambient air in China, and has defended its decision to recall the device as an operational - and not a safety - issue.
Chinese watchdog Shanghai Consumer Council said on Friday it has received complaints of spontaneous combustion in the iPhone 6 family, and that it has independently investigated and found instances of iPhones shutting down unexpectedly.
A number of media reports have recently pointed to batteries in the iPhone 6 catching fire, and Apple issued a limited recall on some such devices on November 20.
In a note posted on its Chinse website, Apple says it takes every customer concern very seriously, including the "limited number of reports of unexpected shutdown with iPhones".
The Cupertino-based firm says that its investigation was helpful in identifying the problem.
"As a result of our investigation on this, we found that a small number of iPhone 6s devices made in September and October 2015 contained a battery component that was exposed to controlled ambient air longer than it should have been before being assembled into battery packs. Two weeks ago, we launched a worldwide program to replace affected batteries, free of charge. We again apologise for any customer inconvenience. It's important to note, this is not a safety issue."
The firm also said that "a small number of customers outside of the affected range have also reported an unexpected shutdown. Some of these shutdowns can occur under normal conditions in order for the iPhone to protect its electronics."
In its December 1 advisory to customers, Apple highlights that the shutdowns are a safety mechanism in-built in iPhones so they don't explode.
"We also want our customers to know that an iPhone is actually designed to shut down automatically under certain conditions, such as extremely cold temperature. To an iPhone user, some of those shutdowns might seem unexpected, but they are designed to protect the device's electronics from low voltage," it noted.