Apple Blames Third-Party Batteries for Case of Exploding Beats Headphones

In a new development, Apple has reportedly refused to grant any compensation to a women whose Beats headphones were said to have exploded mid-flight. Apple claims that the explosion was due to a defect in third-party AAA batteries, and not the headphones.

In February, a woman who wishes to remain anonymous, faced burns on face and hair when her headphones caught fire during a flight from Beijing to Melbourne. The headphones in question were Apple's Beats headphones running on AAA batteries. When the explosion happened, the woman was asleep, and she managed to burn her face and hair because of this mishap.

She sought to be reimbursed by Apple, but was left disappointed. Apple's lawyer responded that the fault was in the battery, and not the headphones. "Our investigation indicated the issue was caused by a third-party battery," an Apple representative told Australian Associated Press.

While the exact model number of the Beats headphones is unknown, the woman says that she bought it from duty-free in 2014, and bought the batteries from Australia. "The headphones don't work without batteries, yet nowhere on the headphones - or their packaging - did it specify which brand of batteries should be used," she told the publication.

No other Beats headphones have been reported to explode, indicating that this is an isolated issue, and could be of no fault of Apple. Apple no longer makes Beats headphones that run on AAA batteries, so this is likely an older model. We recommend you use good quality batteries in your gadgets, and not cheap knock-offs, that could cause such situations. Australian Transport Safety Bureau also warns that batteries should be kept in approved stowage in-flight, unless in use.