Samsung Galaxy S3 explodes; leaves girl with third-degree burns

While you might say that you have the world in your pocket, thanks to your uber-cool and expensive smartphone, you need to make sure that it isn’t setting your world on fire as well. Meet 18-year-old Fanny Schlatter from Switzerland, who learnt this lesson the hard way as her Samsung Galaxy S3 exploded in her pant pocket, leaving her with third-degree burns to her thigh.

Schlatter, an apprentice painter, was in her office when the phone kept in her pocket exploded, forcing her to tear the piece of clothing off to prevent any further damage. By then, her right thigh had received third-degree burns. The phone, she says, was not more than a few weeks old and the batteries she was using were original.

Boom!

What caused the explosion isn’t clear, but Samsung Switzerland is not taking this easy. "Once we have been able to contact this person, we will launch a thorough investigation to shed light on the accident and, in this context, what is left of the phone will probably be sent to Korea," said Mirjam Berger, Swiss Spokesperson for Samsung, as the company issued an apology.

The incident seems slightly more innocuous compared to the one we saw involving the same model last year. In June last year, a Galaxy S3 belonging to an Irish man “burned up from the inside”. The company replaced the damaged piece with a brand new Galaxy S3 and some goodies, but sent the device to be tested to figure out what cause the damage. Turns out, the phone had been microwaved, which caused it to burn. The owner of the phone retracted his complaint and admitted that the phone had been microwaved as it had fallen in some water.

In May too, a Redditor claimed that his Samsung Galaxy S3 exploded while he was charging it by his bedside. The phone made a loud noise and a “weird squeaking sound” as it started emanating lots of smoke and a foul smell. The phone was burnt as was the mattress.

Pretty sure you guys know phones can explode, sometimes with no reason at all, but here’s a cursory warning: careful with those smartphones!