In a gym mishap that could happen to anyone (but probably shouldn't), personal trainer Kyle Counts inadvertently dropped a hefty 90-pound dumbbell on his iPhone 15 Pro Max during a workout session in Scappoose, Oregon. As captured by gym security footage, what followed was a dramatic sequence of events.
Initially unaware of the phone slipping from his pocket, Counts inadvertently dropped the dumbbell directly onto it. To his dismay, smoke started emanating from the device, soon followed by sparks. Despite the unexpected pyrotechnics, Counts managed to grab the phone and swiftly evacuated the gym through an emergency exit.
In his own words, "The phone kept sparking, so I tried to kick it into a nearby puddle to extinguish the fire." Eventually, after a brief boiling phase, the phone smoldered out.
Reflecting on his unfortunate phone mishaps, Counts admitted to similar accidents in the past, including incidents involving car doors. While his iPhones have endured previous mishaps, this episode marked the worst outcome with smoking and sparking.
For future gym sessions, Counts might consider stashing his iPhone in a locker or investing in a ruggedized phone case to mitigate the risks. As for the iPhone 15 Pro Max, it might not be invulnerable to a 90-pound dumbbell, but it certainly put on a dazzling show in its final moments.