TL;DR
- A Galaxy S24 user in South Korea claims their phone exploded while browsing the web, resulting in minor burn blisters.
- The device was reportedly not charging at the time and had no history of repairs or physical damage.
- Fire authorities believe the fire was caused by the lithium battery.
Reddit user chocho-789 claims they were normally using their phone to search the internet when it suddenly started swelling rapidly. It then allegedly started emitting smoke, then extreme heat, and finally exploded in their hand. The lower part of the phone split open during the incident, which the user says reduced the severity of their injuries as they suffered minor burn blisters rather than more serious physical harm. The user had to receive medical treatment for smoke inhalation symptoms and “anxiety/insomnia” after the incident.
The Reddit user asserts that their phone was not charging at the time, has never been repaired or opened, and has not suffered drop damage.
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The Reddit user’s fire department reported that the fire signs were consistent with lithium battery ignition. The user claims to also have video footage related to the incident.
Further, the user is already in touch with a local Samsung service center in South Korea (the user’s location), but wishes to be in direct communication with the appropriate department at Samsung’s head office.
We’ve reached out to Samsung through their media contact page for a statement. We’ll update this article when we learn more.
For now, this appears to be another isolated case. The incident earlier in the year was on a different phone. We’ve not seen any evidence of a widespread issue with the Galaxy S24 series. This now-deleted Reddit post from 2024 claims their Galaxy S24 Ultra also caught fire, but the number of such reports is too low for a phone lineup that sold in many millions worldwide. As such, Galaxy phone users should not panic or be concerned.
Still, it’s worth repeating how to deal with a Lithium-ion battery fire:
- Move people away immediately and avoid inhaling smoke or fumes.
- Don’t touch a burning or smoking phone with your bare hands.
- If possible, create distance and call emergency services rather than handling it yourself.
- Avoid using water to extinguish the fire indoors. Lithium-ion batteries can behave unpredictably.
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