Samsung: Youtubers report on bursting smartphones

Youtuber Mrwhosetheboss recently released a video that addresses the issue of bursting smartphones. The smartphones burst due to bloated batteries. As he found out in his further research, this is apparently not an isolated case.

Mrwhosetheboss collected all Samsung smartphones and other manufacturers since 2010 and lined them up in a special cabinet. In his video, he revealed that he was about to make a video about his Samsung collection when he discovered that his 2017 Galaxy Note 8 was ruptured. The battery swelled up so much that the glass broke off and the smartphone practically split in half. At first he thought nothing of it. He ordered the model again online, but noticed that by the time the ordered device reached him, two other models in his collection had burst open. His Galaxy S6 from 2015 and his S10 from 2019.

The smartphones weren’t even used much because he usually only tests the devices. After that, the devices end up in the closet, just like devices from other brands. iPhones, Pixel smartphones and other devices from other manufacturers – no smartphone from other manufacturers burst open.

Problems with new and old Samsung smartphones

After a tweet about the problem, Samsung contacted him and wanted to check the broken devices. He was persuaded by Samsung to send in the devices, but Samsung didn’t get back to him. In the meantime, he found out on Twitter that other influencers and YouTubers were also affected. Matt from This Is channel shared that he has the same problem with his Samsung collection. And it not only affects very old devices, but all devices that are around 3 years old can be affected by the problem, even models that are still in their original packaging.

Meanwhile, more smartphones burst open at Mrwhosetheboss. His Galaxy S8, S10e, S10 5G, the fairly new S20 FE and also one of his foldables, his Galaxy Z Fold 2. The foldable was only used for around 3 weeks and is only around 2 years old.

Batteries can explode

He was told similar things by other tech youtubers like MKBHD (Marques Brownlee) and Zack from Jerryrigeverything, who also explained that it is quite dangerous to charge the devices when the batteries are swollen – this can then lead to the explosion or a fire. Things get particularly tricky if the battery is only slightly swollen and the user does not immediately recognize the problem.

The Youtuber exchanged ideas with other people from the tech scene, around 40 percent reported that the problem also occurs with other manufacturers and around 60 percent confirmed the trend with Samsung smartphones.

There is speculation about the reason

In the video from minute 5:28, a reason for the bloating batteries is also outlined. The Youtuber “Jerryrigeverything” is certain: “The electrolyte, the liquid in which the ions move inside the battery and which ensures that the battery works and is stable, decomposes and releases a gaseous substance.”

The problem at Samsung dates back to 2016

It seems that Samsung has serious problems with the batteries of its smartphones. The problems go back quite a long way, as early as 2016 the manufacturer had to deal with a disastrous battery problem in which even smartphones exploded. In the last step, Samsung recalled the devices, we also reported about it: