Smartphones that have experienced spontaneous combustion is nothing new, where most of the time the cause is due to the battery. Apparently, someone living in the UAE with a Samsung Galaxy S4 that is barely a month old found out the hard way that not all consumer electronics devices that one purchases is free from any and all kinds of defects, as her Samsung Galaxy S4 allegedly burst into flames after she left her smartphone charging overnight. I guess if there is one positive spin to take away from this event would be this – the owner of the smartphone remained unhurt, but as you can see from the photo above, the Galaxy S4’s microUSB port, USB cable as well as the S View cover were burnt to a crisp.
Samsung Gulf Electronics has already confirmed that they will be investigating this particular incident, and has also agreed to deliver a one-for-one replacement in addition to some compensation, although the amount remains undisclosed. This is the first instance of a Galaxy S4 being reported to have burst into flames, although its previous flagship, the Galaxy S3, has undergone a somewhat similar situation in the past – and more than once, too. Best never to leave your smartphone charging overnight while it rests on something that is easily flammable – you know, Murphy’s Law and all that.