Smartphone Catches Fire, Burns Down Man’s Home!

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is one of the "hottest" phones in the market.  But this might be taking it a bit far.

The Chinese News Agency Xianhuo repored online recently that a Hong Kong resident identified only as "Mr. Du" was listening to music on his Galaxy S4 when it burst into flames.  After throwing his phone down on his couch, the flames reportedly spread throughout his apartment, causing significant damage.

The website weirdasianews.com posted a photo of the man's home. According to the website, this is the latest in a number of smartphone mishaps:

"Another similar case was reported a month before this, in which an 18-year-old Swiss girl suffered third-degree burns on her leg from an exploding Samsung Galaxy S3 placed in her pocket. In 2012, the same case was reported in Dublin, where a man’s Galaxy S3 caught fire on his car’s dashboard.

Another incident involved Apple, Samsung’s key competitor. Reports state that a Chinese woman died from an electric shock when she answered a call on her iPhone 5 while the phone was charging. Another man reportedly suffered the same fate, only this time it led to a coma."

However, weirdasianews.com DOES state after thorough investigations, most of these incidents were the result of what are called "third-party products,"  meaning these people utilized non-manufacturer parts or additions to their phones.  In the case of the Swiss girl, it was later learned she was using a discounted non-Apple replacement battery.

Samsung's Hong Kong office is reportedly investigating the incident, as Mr. Du told the Chinese news agency he was only using factory equipment, and had no add-ons.