There are several reasons why smartphones explode very occasionally. Some causes are at least partly under user control. Others are the luck of the draw, which is almost entirely in our favor. We share the known reasons behind these rare events, so you know the warning signs to watch for. However, the chances of this happening are very slim.
Smartphones Mostly Explode Due to Batteries
An explosion is a sudden release of energy, and heat. Smartphones get their power from batteries, which is the source of their energy. Most of these batteries use lithium-ion chemistry that is almost entirely safe. However, when something goes wrong inside a lithium-ion battery, then the chemicals can spin out of control, and generate excessive heat.
When we recharge a battery, we put the energy back into it that was consumed in the previous cycle. The battery becomes slightly warm during this process. However, if it suddenly becomes too hot, then it can damage the battery causing it to generate even more heat.
These thermal runaway events are the most likely reason why smartphones explode. There are four broad factors behind why this may happen:
- The battery is defective because of design or manufacturing error.
- The battery suffered damage inside the phone due to heat or impact.
- The user connected the wrong battery charger to the smartphone.
- The user over-charged the battery for too long and it overheated.
Other Reasons That Are Not Specific Events
Everything degrades over time. There is no way of getting away from that. If you have used a phone for years, and recharged it many times, then the parts inside can start to wear out, leading to swelling and overheating. We wrote this post to share the early warning signs that this could be happening:
- The phone becomes warmer than usual and you can’t hold it comfortably.
- The phone feels thicker, as the overheating battery expands inside.
- The screen starts bulging, and the phone wobbles when on a flat surface.
These are, as we mentioned earlier, very rare events. If any one of them starts happening, then stop charging the phone. Then leave it alone until it cools down. Thank yourself for not leaving the phone alone while it was charging, so you knew what was happening.
More Information
Upward Spiral of Battery Thermal Runaway
