The recent incident of a passenger’s smartphone catching fire mid-air has left many anxious. It also made many wonder what causes smartphones to catch fire. In recent years, we have seen a few cases where users got injured due to a sudden explosion or fire in mobiles’ battery. In some rare incidents, the users even lost their lives. Here are some of the common reasons why smartphones’ battery explode and catch fire.
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Leaving smartphone at high temperatures for long duration
Smartphones batteries are optimised to work in a certain temperature range. Regularly exposing your smartphone to harsh temperatures can cause long-term damage to the battery. A smartphone can overheat when left in direct sunlight or a closed car for a long duration. Overheating makes the cells in the battery unstable and produce gases such as carbon dioxide and oxygen. These may cause smartphone to explode and catch fire.
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Overnight charging or using smartphone while charging
As mentioned earlier, overheating is one of the primary reasons due to which a smartphone explodes and catches fire. Many smartphone users are used to leaving their devices on charging overnight, this at times may lead to overheating. Again, this is debatable and there is no clear study on this. Also, remember that overnight charging does not usually damage the smartphone’s battery in a month or year. The damage, if caused, is usually caused after a long period of overnight charging. Sometimes it can also result in explosion due to short-circuit.
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Using third-party charging cable and adapter
It is always recommended to charge your smartphone with the original cable and adapter. Using a charger of any other brand may damage the battery of your smartphone. Third-party charging cables and adapters can overheat the device and lead to short circuits in the battery.
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Physical damage to the smartphone
Rough usage of smartphone can not only damage the outer body but the battery as well. The damage can hamper the mechanical or chemical components of the battery. The imbalance can lead to short-circuit, overheating and other reasons that can cause the smartphone to explode or catch fire.
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Overloading of chipset
Extreme usage with gaming and multi-tasking can cause the smartphone to heat up quickly. The main reason for the heat is the processor. To keep the devices safe, manufacturers add numerous cooling mechanisms for safety. However, it is still advisable to give your smartphone rest for a few minutes if you feel it is getting too hot. .
