Archive · 7 Aug 2026
Apple Studio Display XDR Explodes While in Use, Smoke Seen
A video on the internet shows a computer monitor that made a loud pop and then started pouring out smoke.
The monitor is called an Apple Studio Display XDR, a fancy and expensive screen made by Apple.
The person who owned the screen recorded what happened and shared the video on a social media site called X. Lots of people watched the video, and many were surprised to see a brand-name screen fail like that.
Some electronics experts think an old part inside the screen, called a capacitor, is probably to blame.
Older capacitors can grow tiny cracks that let moisture in, and then they can suddenly break and shoot out smoke.
This kind of smoky breakdown has happened before to old computers, tape players, and other gadgets.
No one knows for sure what went wrong with this screen, because Apple has not said anything about it yet.
People online made jokes about the screen, calling it a built-in 'incense burner.'
A viral video posted on X by @usgraphics shows an Apple Studio Display XDR emitting smoke after a loud pop while in use.
The incident is described as one of the rare cases of an Apple device catching fire or exploding during use.
Electronics enthusiasts suspect aging RIFA-brand capacitors, whose cracked epoxy coating can let in moisture, as the likely cause.
The cause has not been independently confirmed, and Apple has not issued a statement about the incident.
Online reactions included jokes about the display being a 'built-in incense burner' and references to the 'magic smoke' repair adage.
- Who
- An Apple Studio Display XDR owner sharing as @usgraphics on X, plus online commenters and electronics enthusiasts reacting to the footage.
- What
- An Apple Studio Display XDR emitted a loud pop and smoke while in use, captured on video and circulated widely on X.
- When
- Not specified in the reports; the video recently began circulating on social media.
- Where
- Not specified; the footage was shared on the social media platform X.
- Why
- Enthusiasts suspect aging RIFA capacitors failed due to cracked epoxy coating letting in moisture, but the cause is unconfirmed and Apple has not commented.
Enthusiasts' Capacitor Theory
Unconfirmed Speculation
Cause of the failure
Enthusiasts' Capacitor Theory
Electronics enthusiasts point to aging RIFA capacitors, whose cracked epoxy coating lets in moisture and causes sudden smoky failures.
Unconfirmed Speculation
The cause is not independently confirmed, and Apple has not issued a statement, so the failure remains unexplained.
Apple-specific problem or general aging hardware?
Enthusiasts' Capacitor Theory
Some viewers framed it as a rare, dramatic failure of a premium Apple product, described as a device that caught fire or exploded while in use.
Unconfirmed Speculation
Repair-community members said smoky capacitor failures are a known quirk of aging hardware in general, not unique to Apple products.
- Device
- Apple Studio Display XDR
- Incident
- Loud pop followed by smoke escaping from the monitor while in use
- Video source
- Post on X by account @usgraphics
- Suspected cause
- Aging RIFA-brand capacitors (not independently confirmed)
- Apple response
- No statement issued
- Capacitor failure mode
- Cracked epoxy coating lets in moisture, causing sudden failure with smoke and sometimes sparks
- Known affected hardware
- Old Macintosh computers, tape decks, and test instruments
- Online reaction
- Jokes about a 'built-in incense burner' and the 'magic smoke' adage