Samsung user claims Galaxy S25 FE exploded while charging overnight

According to the user, their Galaxy S25 FE was charging overnight, using the in-box cable and a third-party 20W USB-PD charger (as Samsung doesn’t include a charger in the box). The phone was kept on the mattress where the user and their son were sleeping, but it wasn’t under a pillow.

The user woke up to popping sounds, with metal and plastic shrapnel flying everywhere like fireworks from the phone. While the fire department put the smoke out and handled the phone, the user claimed they got their hair singed and suffered a small burn on their neck, while their son is traumatized from the incident. There is smoke and property damage in the room, along with a persistent odor.

The user is based in Canada, and the phone is said to have been purchased new from Virgin about six months ago. The user is still paying monthly installments for the phone. They also admit that the phone was kept in a leather wallet case and that the case contained coins. While this may have contributed to the thermal runaway event, phones have plenty of built-in safety measures that should have stopped the overheating before it became a problem.

The user has contacted Samsung support and received a ticket number, but hasn’t heard anything back from the company.

This marks the third incident of a recent Samsung Galaxy flagship exploding this year. While Samsung issued statements in the first incident, it did not respond or issue a statement for the second incident. We’ve reached out to Samsung for a statement on this incident and will keep you updated once we hear back.

Despite this being the third incident this year, it still appears to be an isolated case. The number of reports remains low for a phone lineup that sold in many millions worldwide. Galaxy phone users should not panic or be concerned.

That being said, there are some general tips that all users should be aware of. Phone brands will advise you to charge with official accessories only, but at the very least, you should stick to reputable accessory makers for cables and chargers rather than random, no-name brands. You should also avoid wallet cases, as they tend to be very thick and effectively block all the phone’s surface areas for heat dissipation. While the phone should still have enough safeguards and thermal throttling in place to prevent excessive heat build-up and an explosion, the trapped heat is still bad for your phone’s battery health in the long run.

In the unfortunate event of a Lithium-ion battery fire, here’s how to deal with it:

• 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.