The Samsung Galaxy SIII was released on May 29, 2012. The flagship Android smartphone has received rave reviews, and is already being hailed as the closest competitor to Apple’s iPhone 4S. There was a large element of shock last week when reports of the phone ‘exploding’ began to surface on discussion forums and Twitter.
A consumer based in Dublin, Ireland, posted his story on Boards.ie, claiming that his Galaxy SIII exploded on the dashboard of his car, while driving. The device emitted “a white flame, sparks and a bang”, according to ‘Dillo2k10’, a student. He went on to say that “there’s no confirmation it was a fault with the phone. It may actually have been caused by a combination of my car mount and my car’s heating system”. Either way, everybody seems baffled. He uploaded some photographs directly after the incident, showing his white Galaxy SIII with scorch and burn marks noticeably visible. Thankfully, he was not hurt in the situation which could have had serious repercussions while driving.
The user was immediately supplied with a replacement phone, while the damaged device was sent to Samsung’s headquarters for further investigation. It isn’t the first time such incidents have occurred. In March, there was an episode involving the Samsung Galaxy SII, the predecessor of the SIII. A spare battery exploded in a Korean schoolboy’s back pocket, burning his buttocks and fingers. Samsung responded, stating the explosion was caused by “massive external pressure or force”.
With regards to the latest explosion in Dublin, Samsung spokesman James Chung stated: “our initial investigation found no fault with the phone, but we’ll conduct further investigations to decide the exact cause of the problem.” It certainly was a serious mishap for this new smartphone and may well deter customers from further purchases until the problem is solved. The story and images went viral, tarnishing Samsung’s image and may well prove a serious coup for Apple. All going well, Samsung will find a reasonable explanation for the unexpected explosion and Galaxy SIII fans will remain undetered.
imagenote: Stereopoly/wikimedia/cc