Gadgets

Apple Watch batteries, if swollen, destroy the watch and can injure users (2 photos)


Apple faced anothera class action lawsuit alleging that all generations of Apple Watch smartwatches have a defect in the battery, leading to the destruction of the screen, the fragments of which can injure the owners of the gadgets. The lawsuit does not affect the latest generation of Apple Watch Series 7 smartwatches.

The statement of claim states that the establishedIn Apple Watch, the battery (based on lithium cobalt oxide) can erode the screen if it swells. The plaintiffs argue that there is not enough room inside the watch case to expand the battery without making contact with the screen. It also states that the company has not installed a protective shell (casing) to prevent the swollen battery from contacting the back of the screen.

If the battery swells, there will be “significantpressure "on the Apple Watch face, which, according to the plaintiffs, may cause delamination or cracking of the screen, which will not be the fault of the owner of the gadget. Deformation of the Apple Watch screen causes the watch to malfunction, and sharp debris when the screen shatters can cause “unintentional body contact” of the user's hand with the sharp surfaces of the cracked screen, resulting in injury.


As an illustration of the problem in the lawsuit, it is toldabout the history of the incident with the watch model Apple Watch Series 3. After three years of use, the user received cuts as a result of the destruction of the screen. The Apple Watch Series 3 owner was in a golf cart at the time of the injury (severe cut on the lower forearm). The statement of claim contains a photograph of a deep cut in the user's hand. It also describes numerous cases of damage to screens due to swelling of the battery, which did not result in injury.

It is assumed that Apple knew about the problems of its smart watches, but withheld information from the public about a defect that could lead to injuries to Apple Watch owners.

Source: macrumors