Mobiles can be temperamental creatures, sometimes failing to secure signal, running slowly or exploding.
There have been user reports of an iPhone exploding on a plane, a Galaxy S III spitting white flames and another Apple handset catching fire in an owner's pocket.
Now, a Vodafone spokesperson reports an iPad exploded in a Canberra-based store, according to news.com.au.
Staff and customers were evacuated from the shop as the device's charging port projected 'a burst of flames,' prompting the fire brigade to put an end to the smoke and sparks assaulting the location.
An Apple rep visited the store to retrieve the tablet, but no official word on what caused it to explode at present.