Actually, Any Smartphone Can Explode Just Like the Samsung Galaxy Note 7

Maria Carter

From Woman's Day

The Samsung Galaxy Note7, which the smartphone company recalled last month, then stopped manufacturing altogether, isn't the only phone apt to overheat and catch fire while it's charging.

"Unless you've got one of those old flip phones, odds are you've got a lithium ion battery in your phone right now," consumer expert Lisa Lee Freeman told the The Dr. Oz Show.

Lithium ion batteries are also found in laptops, hover boards, e-cigarettes, game console controllers, and battery operated power tools like drills, among other devices. Each battery contains a negative electrode and positive electrode; the two electrodes are separated by a barrier, and never touch, but chemical reactions between them produce energy that powers the device. But when the two electrodes touch (either because of faulty manufacturing or damage to the barrier), sparks fly, causing the battery to short circuit and catch on fire, Dr. Oz explained on the Oct. 14 episode of his show.

Here are Freeman's top five tips for preventing smartphone fires:

  1. Charge your phone during the day. "When you charge your phone overnight, it could get overheated. The best way to charge it is in short bursts, and it's better not to charge it to full," said Freeman.

  2. Choose a hard, flat surface for charging. There should be plenty of room for air to circulate around your phone so that it doesn't get overheated. Falling asleep with it under your pillow is one of the worst things you can do, says Freeman, because heat speeds up chemical reactions that could lead to a fire inches from your head.

  3. Never put your phone in the refrigerator. If heat is bad for your mobile device, the icebox is good for it, right? Wrong. Sticking it in the fridge or freezer will fry the battery, said Freeman.

  4. Give it a time out. "If you feel your phone overheating, turn it off or stop using it for 10 or 15 minutes," said Freeman. "If you need to, take the case off."

  5. Minimize apps. Using energy-draining apps like GPS and games, especially while downloading files, streaming music, and/or running other apps, is just asking for an overheated phone.

Learn more about the potential dangers of lithium ion batteries at doctoroz.com.

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