Incident: iPhone X Overheating and Smoking Incident After iOS 12.1 Update

Published Date: 2018-11-14

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident involving the iPhone X overheating and emitting smoke happened after Rahel Mohamad installed iOS 12.1 on the device [77581]. 2. The article was published on 2018-11-14. 3. Estimation: The incident likely occurred in November 2018.
System 1. iPhone X 2. iOS 12.1 3. Lithium battery in the iPhone X [77581]
Responsible Organization 1. The software failure incident, where an iPhone X overheated and emitted smoke after installing iOS 12.1, was caused by the software update released by Apple [77581].
Impacted Organization 1. The iPhone X user, Rahel Mohamad, was impacted by the software failure incident [77581].
Software Causes 1. The software cause of the failure incident was the installation of iOS 12.1 on the iPhone X, which led to the device overheating, emitting smoke, and eventually exploding [77581].
Non-software Causes 1. The issue could be a result of a flaw in the iPhone's lithium battery [77581].
Impacts 1. The iPhone X unexpectedly overheated, released smoke, and eventually exploded after the user installed iOS 12.1 software update [77581]. 2. The incident caused physical damage to the iPhone X, including shattered glass on the back panel and scorched marks on the front display [77581]. 3. The user had to drop the phone immediately as it became very hot, indicating a potential safety hazard and risk of injury [77581]. 4. Apple requested the user to send the iPhone X for closer inspection, indicating a potential impact on the user's device usability and inconvenience [77581]. 5. The incident raised concerns and speculations about a possible flaw in the iPhone's lithium battery, leading to questions about the safety and reliability of Apple's devices [77581].
Preventions 1. Ensuring thorough testing of software updates before releasing them to users could have potentially prevented the software failure incident [77581]. 2. Implementing more stringent quality control measures during the manufacturing process of the iPhone X, particularly in relation to the lithium battery, could have helped prevent the overheating and smoking issue [77581]. 3. Providing users with clear instructions and warnings about potential risks when installing software updates or using the device while charging may have helped prevent the incident [77581].
Fixes 1. Conduct a thorough investigation into the software update process to identify any potential bugs or issues that may have caused the iPhone X to overheat and emit smoke [77581]. 2. Implement additional quality control measures in the software update testing phase to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future [77581]. 3. Provide a prompt software patch or update to address any identified vulnerabilities or flaws in the iOS 12.1 update that could lead to overheating or other safety concerns [77581].
References 1. Rahel Mohamad - the iPhone X user who experienced the software failure incident [Article 77581] 2. Apple - the company to which Rahel Mohamad reported the issue and requested closer inspection of the iPhone X [Article 77581] 3. Twitter - where Rahel Mohamad initially reported the issue and shared photos of the damaged iPhone X [Article 77581] 4. Gadgets 360 - the publication that interviewed Rahel Mohamad and reported on the incident [Article 77581] 5. Apple's Support division - the division within Apple that responded to Rahel Mohamad's report on Twitter [Article 77581]

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring one_organization, multiple_organization (a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization: - The article does not mention any previous incidents of iPhone X devices overheating and catching fire due to a software update within Apple's products or services. This seems to be an isolated incident with Rahel Mohamad's iPhone X after installing iOS 12.1 [77581]. (b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization: - The article briefly mentions previous incidents involving battery issues with other iPhone models, such as the iPhone 6S battery overheating in an Apple Store in Zurich and an iPhone 7 Plus exploding after being removed from the charger. These incidents involved different iPhone models and occurred in different locations, indicating that similar incidents have happened with products from multiple organizations (Apple) [77581].
Phase (Design/Operation) design, operation (a) The software failure incident in the article is related to the design phase. The incident occurred after the user installed iOS 12.1 on his iPhone X. Rahel Mohamad reported that the iPhone X 'got hot and exploded' immediately after the software update was completed and the phone turned on, indicating a failure related to the software update process [77581]. (b) Additionally, the incident could also be related to the operation phase. Mohamad mentioned that he connected the iPhone X to a charger after installing the software update. When he unplugged the phone and attempted to pick it up, he found it to be very hot, leading him to drop it immediately. This suggests that the operation of connecting the phone to the charger after the software update could have contributed to the overheating and subsequent smoking of the device [77581].
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system (a) within_system: The software failure incident of the iPhone X overheating and emitting smoke was reported to have occurred after the user installed the iOS 12.1 software update on the device [77581]. This indicates that the failure was within the system, specifically related to the software update process and its impact on the device's performance.
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions, human_actions (a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions: - The incident involved an iPhone X overheating and emitting smoke after installing iOS 12.1 software update and being connected to a charger [77581]. - The phone began to smoke and catch fire immediately after the update was completed and the phone turned on, indicating a non-human action leading to the failure [77581]. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions: - The user, Rahel Mohamad, installed the iOS 12.1 software update on the iPhone X before the device overheated and emitted smoke [77581]. - Mohamad connected the iPhone X to a charger after installing the software update, which could have contributed to the overheating issue [77581].
Dimension (Hardware/Software) hardware, software (a) The software failure incident in the article is related to hardware. The incident involved an iPhone X user experiencing the device overheating, emitting smoke, and eventually exploding after installing iOS 12.1 and connecting it to a charger. The user reported using the official Apple 30 watt USB-C power adapter and lightning cable. The issue was observed immediately after the software update was completed, indicating a hardware-related problem with the device overheating and potentially the battery malfunctioning [77581].
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) non-malicious (a) The software failure incident described in the article is non-malicious. The incident involved an iPhone X overheating and emitting smoke after the user installed iOS 12.1 on the device and connected it to a charger [77581]. There is no indication in the article that the failure was due to any malicious intent or actions.
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) unknown The software failure incident reported in Article 77581 is not directly related to a software issue but rather to a hardware issue. The incident involved an iPhone X overheating and emitting smoke after the user installed iOS 12.1 and connected the phone to a charger. This incident seems to be more related to a hardware malfunction, possibly involving the battery, rather than a software failure. Therefore, the intent of the incident does not fall under the categories of poor_decisions or accidental_decisions related to software failures.
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) accidental (a) The software failure incident in the article is not related to development incompetence. The incident was primarily due to the iPhone X overheating and emitting smoke after installing the iOS 12.1 software update and being connected to a charger. This issue was not caused by a lack of professional competence in the development of the software. (b) The software failure incident in the article appears to be accidental. The iPhone X user, Rahel Mohamad, reported that the device overheated and exploded after installing the iOS 12.1 update and connecting it to a charger. This incident was not intentional and seemed to have occurred unexpectedly [77581].
Duration temporary The software failure incident reported in the article [77581] is temporary. The incident occurred after the user installed the iOS 12.1 software update on the iPhone X and connected it to a charger. The phone started to smoke and caught fire immediately after the update was completed and the phone turned on. This indicates that the failure was due to specific circumstances related to the software update and charging process, rather than a permanent issue affecting all circumstances.
Behaviour value, other (a) crash: The software failure incident in the article did not involve a crash where the system lost state and stopped performing its intended functions. (b) omission: The software failure incident did not involve the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance. (c) timing: The software failure incident did not involve the system performing its intended functions too late or too early. (d) value: The software failure incident involved the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. The iPhone X overheated, emitted smoke, and eventually caught fire after the user installed the iOS 12.1 software update [77581]. (e) byzantine: The software failure incident did not involve the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. (f) other: The software failure incident involved the iPhone X overheating, emitting smoke, and catching fire after the user installed the iOS 12.1 software update. This behavior is categorized as a failure due to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly [77581].

IoT System Layer

Layer Option Rationale
Perception None None
Communication None None
Application None None

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence property, non-human, other (a) death: People lost their lives due to the software failure - There is no mention of any deaths resulting from the software failure incident reported in the article [77581]. (b) harm: People were physically harmed due to the software failure - The article mentions that Rahel Mohamad, the iPhone X user, experienced the device overheating and emitting smoke, but there is no mention of physical harm to individuals [77581]. (c) basic: People's access to food or shelter was impacted because of the software failure - There is no indication in the article that people's access to food or shelter was impacted by the software failure incident [77581]. (d) property: People's material goods, money, or data was impacted due to the software failure - The software failure incident resulted in damage to the iPhone X owned by Rahel Mohamad, as evidenced by the scorched marks, broken glass, and smoke emitted by the device [77581]. (e) delay: People had to postpone an activity due to the software failure - There is no mention of any activities being postponed due to the software failure incident in the article [77581]. (f) non-human: Non-human entities were impacted due to the software failure - The software failure incident impacted the iPhone X device owned by Rahel Mohamad, resulting in overheating, smoke emission, and damage to the device itself [77581]. (g) no_consequence: There were no real observed consequences of the software failure - The software failure incident led to observable consequences such as the iPhone X overheating, emitting smoke, and sustaining damage, as reported by Rahel Mohamad [77581]. (h) theoretical_consequence: There were potential consequences discussed of the software failure that did not occur - The article does not mention any potential consequences discussed that did not occur as a result of the software failure incident [77581]. (i) other: Was there consequence(s) of the software failure not described in the (a to h) options? What is the other consequence(s)? - The software failure incident resulted in the iPhone X overheating, emitting smoke, and potentially exploding after an iOS software update, leading to damage to the device and potential safety concerns for the user [77581].
Domain information (a) The failed system in this incident was related to the information industry as it involved an iPhone X user experiencing an unexpected overheating and smoking issue after installing an iOS 12.1 software update [77581].

Sources

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