Tester Claims First Ever Phone Explosion During Durability Assessment
A well-known durability tester, who operates a popular online video channel with close to 10 million followers, recently uploaded footage of a high-priced folding smartphone going up in flames during a routine examination. The device, which costs $1,800, cracked along its antenna lines and then began to emit heavy smoke, setting off a fire alarm in the tester's workshop space. The fiery incident happened when the tester tried to straighten the already broken phone, causing the battery parts to compress and short circuit.
"In all my ten years of testing phone durability, I've never seen a smartphone explode until now," the tester said in his video, emphasizing that this was the first time a phone has literally gone up in smoke during his assessment.
Repeated Design Flaw Results in Device Failure
What makes this incident stand out is the fact that the phone broke at the same structural weak point that had been problematic in its two previous versions. Both earlier models also cracked along the antenna lines near the hinge during similar tests. The tester expressed disappointment that the creators didn't address this known design flaw, despite two previous disastrous failures.
The tester likened the recurring flaw to the well-known mishaps in popular movies, adding, "It's as if they're repeating the same mistake over and over, expecting different results."
The creators of the phone had promoted it as their most durable foldable device to date. They claimed it could survive over ten years of folding and was the first of its kind to be rated for dust and water resistance. They also boasted of a newly designed hinge, claiming it to be twice as robust as the previous model's.
Claims of Durability Questioned
However, the tester's examination cast doubt on these durability claims. When he filled the phone's hinge with sand, a standard part of his dust resistance check, the phone made troubling noises, suggesting that particles had found their way into the mechanism. In his words, "The screen might be dust-proof, but the hinge definitely isn't."
The battery explosion was due to thermal runaway, a chain reaction within lithium-ion batteries that occurs when the heat generated exceeds the battery's cooling capabilities. When the tester bent the phone, the fracture along the antenna line compressed the internal layers of the battery, causing a short circuit that released all the battery's stored energy in an uncontrolled surge.
The tester went on to explain that this phenomenon usually happens when battery temperatures reach between 150 to 180 degrees Celsius, triggering reactions that can push temperatures over 1,000 degrees Celsius. Once started, it's nearly impossible to stop.
Despite the extreme nature of his tests, the tester noted that he had subjected every mainstream phone produced in the past ten years to the same evaluations without ever experiencing a battery fire.
Device Overview
The folding smartphone, which was released recently, features a new processor, 16GB of RAM, and screens measuring 6.4 inches on the outside and 8 inches when unfolded. The device starts at $1,800 for the 256GB model, but prices can go up to $2,149 for a version with 1 terabyte of storage.
There was no immediate response from the creators of the phone regarding the tester's findings.
Other Reviews Praise Durability
Despite the explosive result in the tester's evaluation, other reviewers have commended the device's durability under normal usage conditions, particularly its dust and water resistance rating. One reviewer even took the device to the beach where it was covered in sand and partially submerged in saltwater, but it continued working afterward.
In conclusion, the tester suggested that future designs should consider relocating the antenna lines. He concluded, "Before they try anything else, they should think about moving the antenna lines near the hinge. Either way, I'll be here next year to keep them accountable."