Apple investigating claims AirPods 'blew up' in man's ear

Apple's AirPods may be at risk of exploding, if one Florida man's experiences are anything to go by. Photo / AP

Apple's AirPods may be at risk of exploding, if one Florida man's experiences are anything to go by.

According to the gym-goer, he was working out when the wireless headphones began smoking.

Apple says it is investigating the claims, which could have resulted in serious burns had the man not quickly removed the allegedly faulty gadget, according to the Daily Mail.

Jason Colon, from Tampa, ran to get help after he noticed the white smoke billowing from the device.

When he came back, he found that the right ear bud had exploded, with the case showing signs of charring and the internal components laid bare.

Colon says he believes the gadget's battery was responsible for the damage.

Speaking to local news station News Channel Eight, he added: "It's the craziest thing I ever went through.

"I didn't see it happen, but I mean, it was already fried! You can see flame damage.

"I don't know what would've happened to my ear but I'm sure since it hangs down, [my] ear lobe could've been burnt."

An Apple spokeswoman told the news station that the firm is investigating the claims.

This is not the first time that a popular electronic product has hit the headlines for exploding.

In 2016, South Korean manufacturer Samsung's flagship Galaxy Note 7 was hit by a spate of exploding batteries.

Samsung blamed two separate issues for numerous fires in the tablet smarphone hybrid.

The first was that the battery components in the Galaxy Note 7 did not fit in the battery's casing.

This caused the battery cell's upper right corner to be crimped by the casing.

The second affected the devices sent to replace the original faulty phones.

These were caused by manufacturing issues, including poor welding at the battery manufacturer.