This is what an exploding smartphone looks like
We've all become familiar with the images of the aftermath of an exploding smartphone, whether it be a completely destroyed phone, the damaged nearby property, or even bodily injury.
But we rarely see the moment a phone catches fire and the panic that ensues.
A recent video shows the moment a smartphone explodes and it's particularly harrowing. The footage from a security camera shows a phone inside the front pocket of a hotel employee in Indonesia bursting into blue flames.
You can see the hotel employee reach out to his phone as it's heating up before it exploded into a blue ball of fire. Unfortunately, the phone blows up in his face right when the employee looks down to investigate the heat that usually precedes an exploding phone. After a few seconds, the hotel employee manages to remove his shirt with the burning smartphone still inside the pocket. Understandably, he wasn't able to remove the phone from his pocket with his hands.
After ditching his shirt with the help of some people nearby, the employee can be seen clutching his face. Hopefully he didn't get too hurt by the incident and he makes a quick recovery.
The phone was apparently a Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos, which was released in 2013, according to Channel NewsAsia. The event should immediately remind anyone who follows tech news about the exploding Galaxy Note 7 fiasco, where a number of Note 7 devices exploded due to faulty batteries.
The truth is that any phone can explode when it's exposed to any number of factors, like too much heat, damage, or even using cheap third-party chargers, which can cause damage to a phone battery.
This video, for example, supposedly shows an iPhone 7 exploding. It's not clear why that alleged iPhone 7 exploded, but it's not the first iPhone to burst into flames.
It's always best to use the charger that came with your smartphone, use a third-party charger from a reputable brand, or one that's sold from a reputable store, like the phone maker itself, or a phone carrier.
Here's the video of the exploding Galaxy Grand Duos: