iPhone 15 Pro Max burns user’s fingers as it melts USB-C cable
UnsplashApple’s iPhone 15 Pro Max melted a USB-C cable while charging overnight, causing burns on the user’s fingers.
The EU forced Apple to adopt USB-C ports with the iPhone 15 series. Previous iPhones all charged through what the company called a Lightning connector. However, it might not be the best idea to use just any USB-C cable to charge your iPhone.
A Reddit user reported their iPhone 15 Pro Max got so hot while charging overnight that it burned their fingers, melting their USB-C cable. The affected user wasn’t using an official Apple cable, but rather a generic travel adapter and a USB-C cable from Amazon.
Generic USB-C cables vs iPhone 15
Redditor NoisilyMarvellous posted an image on December 24 showing an iPhone 15 Pro Max with melted remains of a USB-C cable.
The user had plugged the phone in to charge overnight when the whole fiasco happened. They explained: “I knew the iPhone 15 Pro Max gets hot, but a month into use mine got so hot while charging overnight that it literally left a burn on my finger.
“When I took the charger off, it had melted some of the plastic, left burn marks on the body and stuck the metal part of the USB-C port into the phone.”
Replying to another user, NoisilyMarvellous said that they were using a travel adaptor and a USB-C cable from Amazon. “I have used both products for months with 0 issues,” they added.
The iPhone 15 series has faced ongoing overheating issues, but until now, there hasn’t been a case where the phones got so hot that they melted a cable or caused burns to a user.
The generic cable used by the affected user seems to be the culprit behind the overheating of the iPhone 15 Pro Max in question.
Not all cables are created equal. Apple recommends charging your phones with the cable that comes with the box, or buy one that says it’s been certified by a trade group called the USB Implementers Forum, or USB-IF.