Samsung user claims Galaxy S25 FE exploded while charging overnight

According to the user, his Galaxy S25 FE was charging overnight using the in-box cable and a third-party 20W USB-PD charger (since Samsung doesn’t include a charger in the box). The phone was placed on the mattress where the user and his son were sleeping, but it was not under the pillow.

The user woke up hearing a popping sound, metal and plastic shrapnel flying everywhere like fireworks from the phone. When the fire department extinguished the smoke and took over the phone, the user claimed that his hair got burnt and he suffered minor burns on his neck, while his son is shocked by the incident. There is continuous foul smell in the room as well as smoke and damage to property.

The user is based in Canada, and the phone is said to have been purchased new from Virgin about six months ago. The user is still paying monthly installments for the phone. He also admitted that the phone was kept in a leather wallet case and that there were coins in that case. While this may have contributed to the thermal runaway incident, the phone has plenty of built-in safeguards that should have prevented overheating before it became a problem.

The user has contacted Samsung support and received a ticket number, but has not received any response from the company.

This is the third incident of Samsung Galaxy flagship exploding this year. While Samsung issued a statement in the first incident, it did not respond or issue any statement for the second incident. We’ve contacted Samsung for a statement on this incident and will keep you updated once we hear back.

Despite this being the third incident this year, it still appears to be an isolated case. The number of reports remains low for a phone lineup that has sold in the millions worldwide. Galaxy phone users should not panic or worry.

That being said, there are some general tips that all users should know about. Phone brands will recommend you only charge with official accessories, but at the very least, you should stick to reputable accessory manufacturers for cables and chargers rather than random, no-name brands. You should also avoid wallet cases, as they are too thick and effectively block all of the phone’s surface area for heat dissipation. Although phones should still have adequate safeguards and thermal throttling to prevent overheating and explosion, trapped heat is still bad for the health of your phone’s battery in the long run.

In the unfortunate event of a lithium-ion battery fire, here’s how to deal with it:

• Move people away immediately and avoid exposure to smoke or fumes.
• Do not touch a burning or smoking phone with your bare hands.
• If possible, keep a distance and call emergency services instead of handling it yourself.
• Avoid using water to extinguish indoor fires. Lithium-ion batteries can behave unpredictably.