For instance, just a few days back in China, a Xiaomi Mi 4C reportedly exploded in a man's back pocket, leaving him severely injured with third degree burns.
Instances like these raise some serious questions. How can we be sure that our smartphone is not drifting towards that ill fate?
Thankfully, by following just a few pointers, you can lower the probability of your smartphone hurting you in a fire or explosion. A gentle reminder, unless there is some serious flaw in the manufacturing of the phone and its components, it is highly unlikely that your smartphone will explode like the cases we've been hearing about in the past few days. But then again, it's always better to be safe than to be sorry.
Use original batteries and chargers Don't expose your phone to heat Ensure proper ventilation Don't let the battery drain to zero Don't charge a wet phone Replace a damaged battery immediately
This one is probably the root cause of majority of the incidents. Using a low-quality third party battery is straight away a no-no. The same applies for cheap third-party chargers. Often, these have low-quality components that can lead to overheating, and in some cases even fire. If you have no choice but to replace either of these two components of your smartphone, then make sure you use original ones from the brand, or offerings from reputed companies if the former is not available. After all, your life is more precious than a few bucks.
Never leave your phone in places where it may experience extreme temperatures. The PCB inside the device is extremely sensitive to ambient temperatures, and you'll do more harm to it if you leave the handset in places where it may experience abnormal temperatures... such as inside a parked car. The problem escalates even higher if the phone is charging. All this can lead to overheating, which can then damage the health of your battery, or worse, lead to combustion or explosions.
Quite a few of us charge our smartphones overnight. Although modern day batteries are well protected against problems like overcharging, it is always better to charge the phone when you can take quick action in case something goes unplanned. That said, if you still charge overnight, make sure the phone gets proper ventilation. Putting the device under the pillow and blocking normal air flow might be the last thing you want to do. Technologies like fast charging can also make the device quite hot, and you need to ensure the phone gets enough air to cool down.
It's a misconception that you need to charge your batteries when they are completely drained and charge them all the way up to 100 percent every time. Nowadays, most smartphones use Li-Ion batteries which work best when they are neither completely full nor completely empty. In fact, charging the phone when it reaches 40-50 percent battery level is one of the best ways to ensure battery health. Make sure the battery level doesn't go down to zero too often, as the batteries can get damaged by low voltage.
Splashed some water on your smartphone, or made a call in the rain? Don't put your smartphone to charge right away. Water and electricity don't go very well together, often leading to corrosion and short circuits that are undetectable to the naked eye. Before you charge your smartphone, make sure it has completely dried out, including the ports. As an example, despite being water resistant, the Samsung Galaxy S7 doesn't allow users to charge the smartphone, unless the micro-USB port has dried off. If your smartphone witnessed a bad fall recently, it might have catastrophic results on its battery, even though you cannot notice much difference on the outside. If you have a removable battery, it is best to check for any dents on the battery, and replace it if you find one. Moreover, a swollen battery is one of the earliest signs of something going wrong inside. It is best to visit the nearest official store and get your phone checked if something like this happens.
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