\u2018Dying in one\u2019s sleep\u2019 is often thought of as the most peaceful way to pass, if there is such a thing. Sadly, this was not the case for fourteen-year-old Alua Asetkyzy Abzalbek from Bastobe, Kazakhstan.<\/p>\n
The teenager went to bed with her phone on her pillow, listening to music while she fell asleep. The phone was plugged into a nearby power socket, a typical scene for many people. Then the phone\u2019s battery exploded, severely injuring Alua\u2019s head, and killing her instantly, according to the police. Her family found her in the morning and called the paramedics who could do nothing for the poor teen.<\/p>\n
Forensic experts confirmed these statements. The phone exploded in the early morning when it overheated from charging. The brand of the smartphone was not disclosed. Alua\u2019s death was sudden, tragic, and painful for anyone who knew her. Her best friend, Ayazhan Dolasheva, 15, posted on social media: \u201cI still cannot believe it. You were the best. We have been together since childhood. It is so hard for me without you. I miss you so much. You have left me forever.\u201d [1] [2]
\nThe Epidemic of Exploding Phones
\nMobile phone after battery explosion. Smartphone burn. Mobile phone caught fire. Mobile smartphone overheat and catch fire. Cable overheat and catch fire. Smartphone burn, bang, blast, blowing up. Source: Shutterstock<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, Alua\u2019s cause of death isn\u2019t as unique as we\u2019d like to believe. Earlier this year, a man in India was being filmed on CCTV when the phone in his pocket blew up. He was working in a hardware factory beside two other colleagues when a small explosion was seen in his pants pocket. He jumps up and tries to remove the phone while it smokes intensely. When he manages to extract it from his pocket, it lies on the floor, still filling the room with smoke. The men exit quickly in fear of further explosions.<\/p>\n
The owner of the phone got treated for burns on his leg, but fortunately, he was able to remove the phone before it caused him worse damage. [3] Last year, a woman in Shanghai\u2019s Minhang district in East China\u2019s phone exploded on her car\u2019s dashboard \u2014 while she was driving. The incident was also captured on camera and her screams reverberate in the background.<\/p>\n
Read More: 15 Apps Parents Should Look Out for On Their Kids\u2019 Phones
\nLike the case of the factory worker and Alua, this scene also starts ordinarily: a woman drives with her Apple iPhone 6 attached to the dashboard.
\nmobile phone battery explodes and burns due to overheat \/ danger of using smart phone Source: Shutterstock<\/p>\n
Then it bursts into flames. The woman panics but is forced to keep driving since she\u2019s in the middle of ongoing traffic, but the phone seems to stopped burning. Then it catches on fire again, this time without going out. The woman stops her car and runs out screaming, \u201cMy phone exploded! My phone exploded!\u201d to passersby who are checking if she\u2019s okay.<\/p>\n
The woman had the battery changed at a mobile repair shop called Hoho Fast before this event. While the company took back the phone and gave her a new battery after the explosion, they refused to fix the phone and pay for the damages to her car.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was driving alone; no one touched the phone,\u201d said her husband. \u201cIt just suddenly blew up. She wasn\u2019t charging or even using it at the time. \u201cWhen we bought the battery from Hoho Fast in February, they told us it was genuine. They\u2019re refusing to take further responsibility and won\u2019t compensate us. We asked them for a new phone. They say they can only give us a second-hand one. It\u2019s like they\u2019re squeezing us like a tube of toothpaste. They\u2019ll squeeze us until we run out of patience and give up; then the case is closed for them.\u201d [4]
\nWhy Do Phones Explode
\nmobile phone battery explodes and burns due to overheat danger of using smart phone Source: Shutterstock<\/p>\n
This phenomenon sounds like something out of a horror movie. \u201cIt\u2019s an omen of the end of the world!\u201d However, there\u2019s a simple, scientific explanation for why phones explode.<\/p>\n
First off, it\u2019s important to note that in most cases it\u2019s the battery at fault, not the phone. In the battery are separators that prevent two electrodes from connecting. When those separators have a defect in some way, the electrodes can touch and cause an explosion. This is because the electrolytes receive the energy that should be contained within the battery. These electrolytes are unstable and sensitive to heat, which causes other chemicals to produce gas that raises that increased heat and pressure, which leads to an explosion. This is what happened to the now-infamous Samsung Galaxy Note 7 back in 2016. [4][5]<\/p>\n
Most phones use lithium-ion batteries that are usually able to be overcharged safely. If a battery explodes, it is usually due to a manufacturing default. However, it\u2019s important to note that constantly overcharging a phone can eventually hinder its performance. [5]<\/p>\n
Read More: New iPhone Feature is Worrying People After Concerned it Will \u2018Increase Street Robberies\u2019
\nHow to Prevent Phones from Exploding
\nsmartphone explosion, blow up cellphone battery or explosive mobile phone or explode burst fire burn out smart device with dispersion effect. Source: Shutterstock<\/p>\n
The good news is that it\u2019s highly unlikely that your phone is going to explode. There are built-in safety features to prevent these sorts of accidents. However, there are ways a phone or its battery can be damaged and affect these features.<\/p>\n
Dropping and damaging the battery<\/p>\n
If the battery looks swollen, deformed, or continuously overheats without reason, it\u2019s probably damaged.<\/p>\n
Hot temperatures and environments<\/p>\n
This involves running multiple tabs, long phone calls, using apps that are demanding for the CPU, charging, or other natural ways a phone can heat up while sitting in direct sunlight. This may not explode a phone, but it can lead to a shortened battery life.<\/p>\n
Here are a few ways to prevent this:
\nmobile phone battery explodes and burns due to overheat \/ danger of using smart phone Source: Shutterstock<\/p>\n
Remove the phone case while charging
\nKeep the phone out of direct sunlight
\nDon\u2019t leave the phone in a hot car for long periods of time
\nDon\u2019t charge the phone while it\u2019s in a bag or another location that traps heat
\nUsing the wrong or cheap knockoff chargers
\nGetting a phone wet
\nBattery punctures from an accident or other aggressive situation [6]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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