If the battery inside an iPhone is dented, punctured, swollen, or otherwise damaged, which of the following is the proper next step to take?

Question

Options

• AReassemble the iPhone and replace whole unit.
• BReassemble the iPhone and return it to the customer.
• CTurn on the device and run it until the battery is below 50 percent charge, then replace the battery
• DRemove the battery carefully, then replace it.

• B
  7% (3)
• C
  2% (1)
• D
  90% (37)

Explanation

Removing and replacing a damaged battery (D) is the only safe course of action because damaged lithium-ion batteries pose serious risks - swelling, leaking, fire, or explosion - and must never remain in a device or be returned to a customer. Reassembling and replacing the whole unit (A) is unnecessary overkill and still leaves a dangerous battery inside during that process. Reassembling and returning it to the customer (B) is a safety and liability violation - you'd be handing someone a potential hazard. Running the battery down to 50% (C) is dangerous fiction; a physically damaged battery should never be powered on, as cycling a compromised cell can trigger thermal runaway.

Memory tip: Think "remove first, replace second" - physical damage means immediate extraction, no exceptions. If the battery looks wrong, it comes out before anything else happens.

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