A Chinese woman was traveling on the highway when her smartphone exploded. The woman heard a clap and the phone burst into flames on the dashboard, billowing smoke, as captured by a dashcam. The woman was not hurt, but the encounter terrified her. To avoid such scenarios, we’d like to share some vital guidelines for using our devices.
Having your phone battery replaced in unofficial repair stores
It appears that the Chinese woman’s phone exploded due to a replaced battery that was not supposed to be used in that phone. The battery was replaced just a few days before the incident. It’s interesting that the woman wasn’t using or charging her phone at that moment.
This situation demonstrates that we shouldn’t turn to uncertified repair stores and buy unofficial batteries.
Throwing your battery on a solid surface
Power banks can also be rather dangerous in some situations. At Istanbul’s Ataturk airport, a passenger began to argue with a security officer who wouldn’t allow the passenger to take his gadget with him. The angry man let his emotions run wild and threw his device on the floor. The minor explosion caused smoke but, fortunately, there were no reported injuries, though other passengers were frightened.
This situation illustrates the importance of taking care of your actual device.
Biting a battery
In the beginning of 2018, at an electronics store in China, a man was buying an iPhone. He suddenly decided to bite into the battery to somehow test its authenticity, leading the device to explode. The man wasn’t injured thanks to his quick reaction. But the explosion was pretty strong.
This incident shows that it’s absolutely not advised to bite and chew batteries as it’s dangerous for our health.
Falling down with a phone in your pocket
This advice may sound stupid since no one is safe from falling down. If your phone deforms, its battery will probably deform too, leading to overheating and explosion. A few years ago, a guy fell off a bicycle and bent his phone and its battery. As a result, he got a second-degree burn. What’s more, one American student just sat on his phone and it caught fire.
These cases prove that you should be careful with your smartphone.
Using unofficial phone chargers.
The quality of unofficial cables and chargers (especially those that $2 or less) usually leaves much to be desired. Cheap chargers may cause fires resulting from an explosion or overheating. And of course, we should always take care of our charging cables and make sure they don’t get bent.
We should also be careful with chargers that promise fast charging (3 amps and more).
Talking on the phone while it’s charging
It’s not recommended to use your phone while it’s charging. This spring, an 18-year-old Indian girl was killed by a smartphone explosion. Her brother who was near her said that his sister was talking on her phone while it almost ran out of power. The girl decided to charge the phone while still having the conversation. The phone suddenly exploded and the young woman was hospitalized and died due to her injuries.
To avoid these incidents, try not to use your phone while it’s charging. If the call is really important, you can use the speaker or earphones.
It’s also not recommended to:
7. Put your phone next to your body. And it’s dangerous to put a charging phone under a pillow because it’s considered a fire hazard.
6. Charge your phone when it’s too cold or hot.
5. Continue to charge your phone if it overheats.
4. Leave your phone charging overnight (if you have a cheap charger). Try to charge your phone during the day.
3. Put your phone in direct sunlight (on your car’s dashboard, at the beach, and so on.)
2. Use your charging phone while taking a bath.
1. Ignore situations when your battery runs out too fast (this is an indicator that it’s time to turn to a certified repair store).
Bonus: Don’t forget to wipe your phone with alcohol or antibacterial wipes.
It turns out that the surface of our phones is quite dangerous too. In 2012, microbiologists at the University of Arizona found out that our cellphones have 10 times more germs than toilet seats. We always touch different “public” objects (door handles, elevator buttons, shopping carts, money, and so on) and, as a habit, use our phones at the same time. Then we come home, wash our hands, and grab our phones from time to time. Some people even take their cellphone to the toilet.
So it’s better to wipe your phone at least once a week with alcohol or an antibacterial wipe.
Where do you keep your phone at night? How often do you clean it?