I think it is safe to say even a Genius at the Genius Bar can’t help this one. Here’s a sad story about a guy who tried to unlock his iPhone, got through all the software steps and then poof, it went up in smoke…literally.

“We were so happy, all the software part was done, so we started opening the iphone. The antenna cover was a bit tricky but eventually it came off. Then we started to open the metal cover (after taking out the 3 screws) and PUFF, up it went in smoke, I think my collegue must have touched something. It literally went up in black smoke. I was so hot that when I tried to pick it up I burnt my fingers. So, this is for sure the most difficult part of the whole process. I don’t know what he did, as I had just stepped out of the room to fetch something when I heard a scream…they got such a fright.”

Posted in the Hackintosh user forums, one member, Cyberface had some advice:

Seriously though… any high-power lithium battery powered device can catch fire if shorted out. Remember the burning laptop battery scares - it happens. Lithium ion shouldn’t be as susceptible in theory, but there are always reports of exploding / burning Li-ion batteries. The battery in the iPhone isn’t protected since the case isn’t meant to be user-serviceable, you probably just shorted something out early in the process and it got hot enough to smoke later…

This process ain’t no iFuntastic hack. This is some serious business. Be careful.

[Via Hackintosh]