Samsung Galaxy S4 burns under pillow, third-party battery to blame

[Transcendence]

 

 

Texas resident Ariel Tolfree may have trouble sleeping for a while. The 13-year-old went to sleep with her white Galaxy S4 under a white pillow – and was awakened by a burning smell close by. The problem? Her Galaxy S4 was burning.

The Galaxy S4’s battery was so hot during the night that it swelled, then burned not only the Galaxy S4 and through the pillow under which it was placed, but also her mattress.

Tolfree’s family contacted Samsung, who’s taken a look at the smartphone to verify whether or not the parts were originally from Samsung. The team discovered that the battery inside of it was a counterfeit battery from a third party, not an original Samsung battery.

Still, despite the fact that the third-party battery is to blame in the case, Samsung has agreed to replace the Galaxy S4 as well as the mattress and the pillow.

There’re some things to ponder with cases such as Ariel Tolfree’s. First is the fact that the battery inside wasn’t an original Samsung part. Granted, it would still be disturbing (even if it was a Samsung part), but using third-party parts such as battery replacements isn’t recommended by Samsung. The company states within its phone manuals that using third-party parts could result in electric shock and distress – so it seems as though Tolfree and her family weren’t educated enough about Samsung policies and the company’s recommendations in its phone manual.

 

 

Next, placing a tech gadget of any kind under a pillow and letting it sit for hours on end is dangerous in and of itself. Even placing iPads under a pillow (and letting them charge) has produced a hot screen that must sit in cool air before you can continue using the iPad. Place any gadget under a pillow (including charging ones) and it’s not hard to understand how a mobile device could burn and/or explode. Ariel Tolfree is only 13, so it’s understandable that she may not know the rules about electric burns and how easy electric shocks can arise.