Apple Watch Series 7 explodes; sends user to ER
An Apple Watch Series 7 user was left in distress when his watch heated, exploded, and then warranted an ER (Emergency Room) visit. To make the matters worse, the tech giant allegedly tried to coerce the customer to not go public with the news. The company has confirmed that it will investigate the issue thoroughly to understand what caused the explosion.
Overheating caused the watch's back to crack
The Apple Watch user first noticed overheating when he was wearing it, according to 9to5Mac. He took off the watch and found out that the back of the watch was cracked. Then WearOS software warned him to shut down the watch due to the temperature. This happened when the user was inside the house where the temperature was just above 70-degrees Fahrenheit (21-degrees Celsius).
Customer support did not provide any solution or instructions
The user called Apple's customer support to report the overheating of the watch. The call went through multiple levels and finally reached a manager who promised him further investigation into the issue. However, none of the executives gave him any solution or instructions. All that he was told was to not touch the watch until he heard back from the company.
Watch's display shattered due to overheating
The next day, however, the situation escalated. The user woke up to find that the Apple Watch was hotter than before. Its display was shattered due to the heat. He picked up the watch to snap some pictures to send to Apple. When he picked up the watch, he heard "crackling sounds." Fearing his safety, he decided to throw it out.
The wearable 'exploded' while throwing it out
Just when he was throwing it out, the watch "exploded." He was safe from the explosion, but the watch did leave burn marks on his couch. The user then visited ER due to concerns about lead poisoning. Thankfully, Apple Watch does not have enough lead to cause poisoning. He called Apple again to update them on the situation.
Apple did not take prompt action
Apple's response to the user's second call was again lackadaisical. The customer support told him that his case will be a "top priority" and that he would receive an update by Monday (October 3). However, he did not hear back from them until Wednesday. Too much for a "top priority" case. The company then picked up the watch for further testing in its labs.
Apple launched the watch in 2021
Apple launched the Watch Series 7 in 2021. The wearable sports a rectangular dial with an Always-on Retina display and IPX6-rated build quality. It boots watchOS 8 and provides up to 18 hours of battery life. The wearable offers a heart rate sensor, SpO2 sensor, enhanced sleep tracking, and an electrocardiogram (ECG) report. The company discontinued it last month after Watch Series 8's debut.
What to do when your Apple Watch heats up?
If your Apple Watch gets overheated, try to restart the watch. Sometimes heating could be because of running lot of apps. If that doesn't work, factory reset the watch. If overheating is battery-related, try not to use the watch. You should ideally contact customer support and get a new battery. Also, use Apple-certified chargers and cables to protect your device.
