A CCTV camera has captured the moment a man's iPhone exploded in his hand as he tried to send a text message.

Abd Ghaith said the iPhone 6 blew up in his hands as he sat behind the counter of his grocery store in Brooklyn, New York.

He told WABC-TV that the device's screen suddenly went black, and then it got so hot, it charred his thumb.

"I received a message. I answered the message. I put the phone on the charger and then as I'm holding the phone it started like a little smoke coming out of the left side of the phone.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"And then when I pulled the case back to see what it was the phone literally just exploded," Ghaith said.

The phone was so hot it scorched a mark into the floor after he dropped it.

Ghaith says the phone continued smoking for 20 minutes.

"My biggest concern is I'm happy it was a text message and not a call. Because if I had it to my ear and it happened it probably would have burned off my face."

Ghaith said he expected Apple to replace the device at no cost.

A company spokesperson said: "Apple takes customer care and their safety very seriously. We will analyse the device."