How and why smartphones explode ?

Specialist Samoylenko from B&C Agency explained why smartphones began to explode more often

In recent years, smartphones have begun to explode more often, but the main reason has not changed and is directly related to battery overheating. According to them, the increase in such cases is associated with changes in the design of devices, their miniaturization, and the desire to add more technical innovations. Experts said that it is possible to calculate a potentially dangerous gadget by several indicators - and both users of devices from Chinese vendors and iPhone fans can be in danger.

Explosive

News regularly appears on the network about how smartphones explode almost in the hands of the owners or next to them. As a result, people with injuries end up in hospitals, and sometimes incidents even lead to the death of device owners. At the same time, gadgets allegedly do not give any signs that something is wrong with them.

For example, a woman in  India who is said to have died in a Redmi 6A smartphone explosion was just sleeping in bed. The gadget lay next to the face of the deceased.

A similar situation happened in  China. The owner of the gadget was not injured, but the Redmi Note 11T Pro smartphone visually looked like it could not be restored: most of the case was burned, and the display was broken as a result of the explosion.

In another case, the smartphone caught fire while using WhatsApp messenger. Oppo Reno 2 started smoking and then it exploded. The cause of the incident has not been established. In this case, the smartphone was not connected to charging.

The greatest risk of fire and explosion is associated with those moments when the smartphone is left next to the user during sleep. Many gadget owners leave their devices to charge overnight, which in theory increases the risk of an incident.

According to a survey by the Android Authority portal, more than half of smartphone users place their gadgets next to them in bed during sleep.

About 46% of those surveyed said they always sleep with their smartphones in bed. Another 10% of respondents admitted that they sometimes fall asleep with a smartphone left next to the pillow. Some of them explained such preferences by using gadgets to track sleep or turn on relaxing sounds.

What makes smartphones explode?

Each case of a smartphone explosion threatens device manufacturers with serious reputational losses, Sergei Matusevich, Artezio web technologies development director (part of the Lanit group), told

“According to statistics, up to 300 cases of fire of various devices are registered in the  United States per year, while the share of smartphones in these statistics does not exceed 30%. The most flammable are most often chargers and portable batteries,” he said.

Initially, smartphone explosions did not occur with flagship models of prestigious brands, but with budget Chinese brands, but then everything changed, Ivan Samoylenko, managing partner of B&C Agency, stated in a conversation with media.

“Most often there were fires or even explosions on Samsung Galaxy Note 7 devices, and earlier the same thing happened with Motorola, Blackberry, and Sony equipment. Later, Xiaomi and Apple gadgets were noted with the same problems, ”the expert list.

However, first of all, such a danger arises in old phones with low-quality batteries that overheat too quickly, said Gem4me business analyst Anastasia Ilyicheva.

Sergey Matusevich from Artezio stated that if the device caught fire or exploded, then most often it is impossible to restore it.

“Open fire or explosion of the battery destroys the microcircuit and can damage the screen or processor, they are located close to the battery. As a rule, devices are no longer subject to restoration after burning or explosion, ”the expert explained.

According to him, modern smartphones are very compact in design, so heating above 100 ° C can lead to the degradation of parts and their failure.

Anastasia Ilyicheva from Gem4me agrees with this point of view. “It is hardly possible to restore a phone after an explosion, and in any case, it is not worth doing this, as it will be less reliable and even more prone to such incidents,” the analyst noted.

The main problem that leads to the explosion of the gadget is overheating, said Sergey Matusevich from Artezio. According to him, this can occur for various reasons.

“The most common is battery overheating. The battery itself is a consumable item. Over time, it degrades and accumulates less charge. And here it is important how it is operated, whether it is charging correctly, whether there are any physical damages, ”the specialist noted.

Matusevich cited as an example that the battery can be damaged without causing any harm to the device itself.

“Even if you just charge the device with a non-original charger, the gadget can overheat and explode,” he warned.

The device itself can also overheat if, for example, it is charged under a pillow or in conditions where heat dissipation is difficult, Matusevich noted. Overheating of the battery can also be provoked by some programs. However, most modern smartphones have a built-in heat monitoring system and turn off to cool down, the expert assured.

According to Ivan Samoylenko of the B&C Agency, the explosion of the battery in some cases was due to problems in the design, in others, it was the result of careless, improper use of the device by a person.

“The fact is that manufacturers who strive to make their smartphones as thin as possible for the sake of fashion and consumer demand often made the battery protective shell thinner,” the expert said.

The protection of the lithium battery installed in the device became thinner, which led to fires when the battery overheated, Samoylenko said.

“Earlier, before touchscreen smartphones with lithium batteries came along, mobile phones didn't have this problem. At the same time, the battery itself was much more solid in size, ”he noted.

How to recognize a dangerous gadget ?

It is impossible to tie explosions and fires of smartphones to a certain brand, Sergey Matusevich, director of web technologies development at Artezio, believes.

“The brands that make smartphones don’t release all the parts for it. If any batch of batteries turns out to be defective, then all devices in which they will be installed will suffer, ”he said.

According to him, first of all, devices explode, the creators of which make design errors or use defective batteries. Different companies purchase components from third-party manufacturers, and it is the suppliers who control the quality of products and technical processes.

“Large companies value their reputation very much, therefore they impose special requirements on the quality of components, and most often they themselves control their production at partner factories,” Matusevich noted.

Gem4me business analyst Anastasia Ilyicheva advised contacting a service center if the battery heats up very quickly and strongly since most often this is due to low-quality components. “It can be not only damage to the battery but also problems with the contacts of the battery,” she explained.

Sergey Matusevich from Artezio said that you can recognize a potentially explosive smartphone by the way it periodically gets very hot during use.

“If the smartphone does not heat up much during charging, then this is normal. If you hold it hot in your hands, it is best to show it to the master or apply for a guarantee, ”advised the expert.
Overheating should also be monitored during the operation of the device. The main marker is severe discomfort when touched or used, Matusevich explained.

The norm is the heating of the case during the launch of "heavy" programs, but even this overheating should be tolerable for the palms, he said.

“If the battery is “inflated”, and the screen or back cover is lifted, then you need to urgently contact the master,” the specialist concluded.

Ivan Samoilenko, the managing partner at the B&C Agency, also named another sign that could indicate that the battery is worn out and should be replaced.

According to him, this is not only the rapid heating of the phone case and swelling of the battery but also the deformation of the smartphone in the place where the battery is installed.

“In such cases, it is better to immediately remove the battery from the phone and contact the service department, where it will be replaced in accordance with the manufacturer’s requirements,” the expert said.

He concluded that in the future it is always worth using the original chargers of the appropriate power in order to minimize the risk of the gadget exploding.