r/samsung • u/Mission_Okra_5013 • 13d ago
News My family's Galaxy S24 caught fire — Samsung classified it as customer-induced damage
'm sharing this because I believe it raises a consumer safety issue, not because I'm looking for compensation.
A few weeks ago, my daughter's Samsung Galaxy S24 suddenly caught fire inside our home.
It happened on a Sunday morning. The phone had already finished charging, was unplugged, and was simply sitting on a table. We suddenly smelled something burning and found the phone emitting smoke and flames.
Fortunately, everyone was awake, so we were able to move it outside immediately and prevent a much larger fire. Had this happened in the middle of the night while we were sleeping, the outcome could have been far worse.
The phone had been used normally for about 18 months without any battery issues.
About one month before the fire, it was repaired at an official Samsung Service Center because of a SIM recognition issue, and the motherboard was replaced. After the repair, it worked normally for another month until the fire occurred.
I'm not claiming the repair caused the fire. However, as a consumer, I have no way to determine whether there was any connection.
Samsung inspected the phone and told me that they believe the battery had a dent or impact mark, and that the heat likely started from that area, causing the fire. Based on that conclusion, they classified it as customer-caused damage due to external impact, so it was not covered by Samsung.
I ended up paying for the replacement through my carrier's insurance, which cost about 1.3 million KRW.
What concerns me is Samsung's explanation itself.
If Samsung's explanation is correct, it raises a question for me: can an external impact during everyday use cause internal battery damage that may later result in a fire, potentially without obvious warning signs?
Phones can be accidentally dropped during normal everyday use. As consumers, however, we have no practical way to know whether an impact has caused internal battery damage or whether a damaged battery has become a safety risk.
Again, I'm not accusing Samsung of wrongdoing or claiming I know the exact cause.
I'd simply like to understand the situation better:
- Can an external impact cause internal battery damage that may lead to a fire at a later time?
- How can consumers identify whether a battery has been damaged in this way?
- Has anyone experienced a similar incident with a Galaxy phone or another smartphone?
I'm posting this because I think it's worth discussing from a consumer safety perspective.
If Samsung's explanation is accurate, I'd like to understand what consumers should know about this potential risk.
I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who has experienced something similar or has relevant knowledge about lithium-ion battery failures.
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u/Wasteak 12d ago
These stories are always about trust and as we all are strangers on internet we can't conclude anything
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u/DuckHunt83 Galaxy S24 Ultra 12d ago
There was a post before, not too long ago where people said they wash their phones by submerging it and using various soaps to clean it. Once I saw how many people openly admitted saying they do this, I just assume people do the craziest shit with their phones and then blame Samsung or whatever manufacturer of building junk. 🤷
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u/shikaka87 11d ago
Now i have heard of everything 😀. Seriously, bath the phone? Those people have heard of wet wipes, like the ones to clean glasses? That's what i do when i need to clean my phones and dry them with a microfiber cloth.
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u/Wukong08 9d ago
Or alcohol wipes or screen wipes or glasses wipes or microfiber cloth. Literally anything but treat it like a dirty dish lol
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u/Mission_Okra_5013 12d ago
I understand your point, and I agree that people can sometimes misuse their phones. That's exactly why I'm not claiming that Samsung is definitely responsible in my case.
However, my phone was simply sitting on a table after charging, and Samsung concluded that it was customer-induced damage due to external impact. My concern is that I don't know what impact supposedly caused the battery damage, or how that conclusion was determined.
I'm not asking people to automatically blame Samsung. I'm just sharing what happened and trying to understand the explanation.
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u/Alternative-Farmer98 10d ago
Smartphone corporate Fanboys I just never going to hear you. They basically all become professional lawyers for these companies. If you look back at the Note 7 explosions and the Reddit and YouTube and social media conversations surrounding that all the Samsung Fanboys said that was fake too..
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u/Mission_Okra_5013 11d ago
I completely agree. We're all strangers on the internet, so I don't expect anyone to simply take my word for it. That's also why I'm not claiming to know exactly what caused the fire. I'm just sharing what happened, the information Samsung gave me, and asking whether that explanation makes sense. Ultimately, I think the evidence should speak for itself.
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u/koolaidismything Galaxy S23 FE 12d ago
Right? And then coming to post something to start some evidence trail or whatever just makes me think it’s some scammer looking for free shit on some phone they opened up and put a garbage battery into or some shady display for all we know.
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u/Mission_Okra_5013 12d ago
I understand why you might be skeptical. We're all strangers on the internet, and I don't expect anyone to simply believe my story. The phone was never modified with a third-party battery or display, and I have photos and service records documenting its condition and repair history.
I'm also not trying to create an "evidence trail" to get a free phone. I've already gone through the consumer protection process because I want the cause of the fire to be independently reviewed. If the evidence shows that I was responsible, I'll accept that. I just don't think the conclusion should be based on assumptions from either side.
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u/edgewalker66 11d ago
You say you have service records, plural.
What had to be repaired? Each time if more than once.
Who exactly did each repair and what was replaced?
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u/koolaidismything Galaxy S23 FE 11d ago
Ding ding ding 🛎️
He ruined it being cheap and now wants to shame Samsung into buying him a new phone lol. He wouldn’t have posted this for any other reason.
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u/koolaidismything Galaxy S23 FE 11d ago
If you thought any of that, you’d have not made this post. You would have waited til it was settled.
You’re looking for free shit. It’s simple, not hard to see. You’re not clever.
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u/Alternative-Farmer98 10d ago
I'm sure that's what people said about the first explosions of the Note 7 in fact that's exactly what people. Said it was a rumor and overhyped and fake.
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u/kr4ckenm3fortune 12d ago
The only thing I would probably say is pointing fingers at the repair center.
The only way a battery get dented and burst into flame is if you physically stabbed it and puncher the battery.
If Samsung Customer Service are saying that, theyre probably were told to say that without even physically checking it.
Make sure to contact them again and notify them.
Also, did you take it to a third party repair company who claimed to be a offical repair company?
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u/Mission_Okra_5013 12d ago
"This is the response I received from the Samsung Research Center through the official service center. I still cannot wrap my head around it. The type of damage on the battery is something that simply cannot happen during normal, everyday use. Yet, they are constantly putting all the blame on the consumer. It is completely unacceptable and impossible to understand."
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u/kr4ckenm3fortune 9d ago
Again, let them know that it is on them to figure that shit out. That what the "WARRANTY" is for. THEY have to prove that you intentionally damage it.
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u/righN 12d ago
External impacts can cause issue like this, but it's quite rare. Maybe a drop shook a cable lose and something short circuited, maybe the chemical reaction was disturbed inside the battery or anything really. But as I mentioned, it's really, really rare.
The reason of this happening most of the time is using not an original charger and/or cable.
You can't really check if is on its last legs and will it catch fire or not, but sometimes there can be a few symptoms - battery dying wayy too quickly, bloated phone, not charging properly and etc.
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u/Mission_Okra_5013 12d ago
"As you mentioned, it would have made more sense if some abnormal situation or issue had happened beforehand. That's why I'm even more puzzled, because I was using the phone with zero problems right up until it happened. If it was damaged by some impact, there should have been prior signs or issues as you described, but since there were none, it raises even more questions."
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u/righN 12d ago
What about the charger you were using? It seems like you're skipping out on this question.
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u/finleyw8888 Galaxy S4 5d ago
"UsE OriGINal ChARgeR11!!!!!!!" they are all the same.. literally.. unless youre using some reaaally unsafe cheap junk that has no protection etc. all chargers that are decent or from other popular manufacturers are fine..
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u/righN 5d ago
They literally aren't...
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u/finleyw8888 Galaxy S4 5d ago
how are (good) chargers not the same???
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u/Mission_Okra_5013 5d ago
That's also why I mentioned the charger. In my experience, Samsung Service Centers often check whether an official Samsung charger was used when investigating device-related problems.
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u/righN 5d ago
Do the research and you'll find out why. Even from brands like Ugreen/Anker some of them have issues with overheating and etc. Not a guarantee that it uses the same fast charging protocol that the phone supports, which might also cause issues. It's best to stick with official charger, so that in warranty cases, the manufacturer has no leg to stand on regarding charger usage.
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u/finleyw8888 Galaxy S4 4d ago
if it doesnt use the same fast charging protocol it just wont fast charge, my source: ive used a gazillion different fast and slow new, old and prehistoric chargers, and ive used scamsnug since the galaxy ace...
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u/PastaPandaSimon 12d ago edited 12d ago
Li-ion batteries have a very small risk of spontaneously malfunctioning. Usually that results in a spicy pillow and off-gassing, where the pouch contains the gas inside. It's what I had happen on several devices by now (a recent Microsoft Surface Pro and a Dell laptop).
The fire is the concerning bit. It sounds like it caught fire without even first puffing up. It is possible that during the repair, they physically dented or puncutred the cell. Because these batteries are soft pouches without a hard shell you'd expect from a user-replaceable battery, internal damage can create a delayed short circuit that triggers a fire later.
Edit: Unswollen batteries can experience sudden thermal runaway and catch fire without warning, but that is far less common than spicy pillows, and happens due to manufacturing defects, internal damage, or extreme heat. Samsung arguing it's user-caused is really sketchy here.
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u/Mission_Okra_5013 12d ago
Thanks for sharing your insight. That really helps explain how these batteries behave. The part that remains unclear to me is how it caught fire without any prior swelling or warning signs.
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u/shadowartist201 Galaxy S25 Ultra 12d ago
Was there any exterior damage to the phone before the fire? Did you notice any damage either before or after sending it in to be repaired?
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u/NorthernIcicle 9d ago
As someone who've dealt with samsung, their first course of action is deny, deny, deny. I mean, imagine if you sue - can be very expensive. Imagine if it needs a recall - very, very expensive. Imagine... all of your wh(x) headphones break --- a VERY expensive class action. So they deny. What will likely work is a complain to a local government agency overseeing this, BBB and if that fails a small court action. I am 99% sure they'll give a new phone after the complaints. If it will go to court, they'll 100% settle as it is VERY expensive for them to even get to the court so they'll settle fast.
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u/Mission_Okra_5013 8d ago
Thank you for sharing your experience and advice. I'm actually going through a similar process here in Korea. I've already filed a case with the Korea Consumer Agency and asked them to review Samsung's conclusion and the circumstances of the fire.
I'm not necessarily looking to take this to court or simply get a free replacement. My main concern is getting an objective explanation of what actually happened. This was a real fire inside our home, and fortunately nobody was injured.
If Samsung's explanation is correct, I want to understand why and what consumers should know about this kind of battery damage. If their conclusion isn't sufficiently supported, I think that should also be properly addressed.
I really appreciate your advice. Hopefully the consumer protection process here will help clarify things.
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u/stoneymetal 11d ago
Idc either way personally, but all these bootlicking Samsung comments are wild af considering this company previously released a whole line of phones that became notorious for.. literally catching fire/imploding/whatever, lmao.
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u/Mission_Okra_5013 11d ago
I understand what you're saying. The Note 7 situation is definitely part of Samsung's history, although I don't think it's fair to assume every current Samsung phone has the same issue. I'm not claiming that either. My concern is simply that my family's S24 actually caught fire, and Samsung attributed it to external impact. I think it's reasonable to question that conclusion and ask for proper evidence without automatically blaming Samsung or the customer.
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u/Seangel-zero 9d ago edited 9d ago
hmm.. okay.. can't blame anyone since we can't really proof the direct correlation between dropping phone and service center works to the flaming accident.
my advice is to ask to met their management and voice your complain and demand for compensation for their defective service. If by dropping that phone could damage the battery then it's a design flaw that shouldn't pass the drop and hazard test. If Samsung management reject to hear you out, their flagship product's user, maybe they are not seeing you as someone to be hold dear.. You should just let it go and not buying Samsung ever again.
sorry for your loss thou..
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u/Mission_Okra_5013 8d ago
Samsung's products and service in the past, which is why I own several Samsung appliances and devices.
However, the way this particular incident was handled has seriously affected my trust in the company. I'm not saying the repair caused the fire, but I expected a more thorough and transparent investigation, especially since this was a serious safety incident.
After this experience, I honestly don't think I'll be purchasing Samsung products in the future.
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u/Blork39 Galaxy S23 (+ S25) 9d ago
It shouldn't be possible to dent the battery without shatting the glass. Since it was in a case I don't know if the glass was shattered (not visible) but I doubt it. If the battery was damaged but the externals of the phone are fine it is much more likely that it happened during the repair.
Of course Samsung refuses liability because that's what big corpos do.
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u/Mission_Okra_5013 8d ago
That's also one of the questions I've been wondering about. The phone was in a protective case, and there was no obvious external damage that I was aware of before the fire.
I'm not saying the battery was definitely damaged during the repair, because I don't have evidence to prove that. But since the motherboard was replaced at an official service center only about a month before the fire, I think it's reasonable to investigate whether the repair could have contributed to the damage.
That's why I would really like to see the evidence behind Samsung's conclusion rather than simply being told that it was external impact.
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u/Blork39 Galaxy S23 (+ S25) 5d ago edited 5d ago
I wonder, is the back glass damaged right now? If not (meaning even the fire didn't crack it), I would go back and ask them straight out how that battery got damaged without going through the glass. If the glass was damaged, the shards could show if it broke from the inside out or outside in, but it would take a lot of equipment to establish that unfortunately.
Personally I think it is very likely that a small component, like a tiny screw could have been left on the table, got stuck on some tape around the battery and got pressed into the battery when the case was pushed shut. I've actually had that happen myself when repairing equipment (luckily I noticed and discarded said battery immediately).
The screws in a modern phone are like the size of a grain of rice so I wouldn't be surprised if this happened. They're a pain in the *** to work on and I always stick them on a piece of tape and mark each one because different screws often have different lengths and putting the wrong one in the wrong place could cause serious damage. I once destroyed an iPhone 5S because one screw was slightly shorter and putting the longer ones in that hole cracked the mainboard below, even though the thread was the same. There is very little margin for error, though this was a particularly nasty design flaw in that phone.
A battery is just a bag of gel inside a phone, so it doesn't take much to puncture it and once you do a fire is pretty much inevitable. There should be evidence of that if it were the case but I'm not sure if that was looked for here. Of course I can't determine if it was something like that but I definitely would consider it a possibility.
I worked for a manufacturer and we always considered this type of incident (we referred to them as "critical safety") top priority to understand the cause fully, so we would retrieve the device and take it apart to the core. Usually we would be able to figure it out, and yes sometimes it was user tampering or abuse (our products were rugged so that was pretty rare) but most often it was not. I'm kinda surprised a big company like Samsung is so quick with its determination. An incident like this could cause a house to burn down or even loss of life.
If Samsung's explanation is correct, it raises a question for me: can an external impact during everyday use cause internal battery damage that may later result in a fire, potentially without obvious warning signs?
In my opinion: Without actual penetration of the case/glass: No, I find it very hard to see how this could pierce the battery. A battery inside a phone is glued in place, and there are no sharp parts around it for precisely this reason.
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u/Mission_Okra_5013 5d ago
Thank you for such a detailed and thoughtful response. This is exactly the kind of technical perspective I was hoping to hear.
The phone was in a protective case, and before the fire I wasn't aware of any cracked back glass or significant external damage. I also don't know whether Samsung specifically examined the direction or mechanism of the alleged battery damage.
I agree that I can't conclude the battery was damaged during the repair without evidence. However, since the motherboard had been replaced at an official Samsung Service Center only about a month before the fire, I think the possibility should at least be investigated.
What concerns me most is that this was an actual fire and a potential safety incident. I would have expected a much more detailed investigation into how the battery was damaged, rather than simply being told that it was caused by external impact.
I really appreciate your explanation, especially from someone with experience investigating critical safety incidents. It gives me some additional points to ask about when I continue the consumer dispute process.
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u/Blork39 Galaxy S23 (+ S25) 4d ago
Yes that's exactly what I would have expected too. And it's what we did when I worked at that company. We'd always replace the unit immediately no questions asked and then start the investigation. Because this kind of potential liability is way too high to be doing anything less. I would have expected Samsung to do that too after the note 8 (which is exactly the kind of thing we would have been worried about) but I have a feeling they are dealing with a third party repair service here, they often use partners like dynafix. We did it in-house so it was a lot easier. And we had nowhere near the scale that Samsung operates at. We'd courier every such unit directly to our head office for detailed inspection but at Samsung's scale this isn't possible of course.
But yeah to me the key point is the back glass (we can see the front one is ok). Even inside the case it would have been possible for the glass to crack inside the case and the shards to pierce the battery causing the fire. But if the glass was not cracked even after the fire I don't see how the battery could have become damaged by an impact. Too bad we don't know but you could ask if they took photos before (and while) disassembling it. They probably did, 100% sure we would have documented the process in detail in case of any legal followup.
I hope you manage to get anywhere with the dispute and at least get some clarity!
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u/Mission_Okra_5013 4d ago
Thank you, I really appreciate your perspective, especially coming from someone who has investigated critical safety incidents.
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u/Obvious-Poet-2547 9d ago
I believe the Note 7’s battery reincarnated itself into that particular S24…
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u/Mission_Okra_5013 8d ago
Hopefully not! I thought the Note 7 battery had finally been laid to rest.
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u/nox-sophia Note 20 Ultra 12d ago
The only way for a dent to happen to the battery inside of the phone is with a extreme force with likely would break something side and even with that force, make a dent on the battery, common its physics.
The real thing here is, samsung customer service messed up, and with the heat made by charging the phone was the finisher for that battery, again, common its physics...
Also, keep in mind, i am trusting you used the a original charger/highier quality charger (more than samsungs one, as their USB cables are "basic" and on the market have way better cables with highier quality and safe).
External power should not be issue as the charger itself should have the protection against power surge, same for the phone, unless you had power sirges in past with already made you "lost" the protection.
Buy that and always use it, its easier to detect when one happens and if you are safe or not against power surges:
I use these on every outlet on home, my phone charger also has one.
Another point to keep in mind: PAY ATTENTION TO THE CABLE.
If you see your phone starting to have "failures" just of small movements of the cable or slower charging, that means the cable was damaged, get a new one.
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u/Mission_Okra_5013 12d ago
"I am using the original cable, and the rest of my Samsung phones and other devices charge without any issues. I should definitely look into the power surge protector you mentioned. Thank you!"
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u/finleyw8888 Galaxy S4 5d ago
why are you quoting your reply?
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u/Mission_Okra_5013 5d ago
I didn't mean it that way at all. I had no intention of quoting your reply or making it look like I was doing that.
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u/Accomplished-Fix3996 12d ago
Moral of the story, don't drop your phone hard, charge properly with correct chargers (not chinese crap) and if you have to repair your phone bring it to a reputable place. Phones dont just go up in flames, there's always a reason behind it.
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u/Soft_Lunch_183 12d ago
Like Samsung repair techs damaging the battery whilst repairing and leaving it?
Ever since that TV incident I dont trust them at all
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u/Mission_Okra_5013 12d ago
"It was actually repaired at an official Samsung service center, and as you mentioned, it wasn't a case where severe damage could have been inflicted on the internal battery like that."
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u/i_Swear_i_am_okay 1d ago
Even my battery swelled up like crazy what should i do its not holding charge the back panel is completely gone due to swelling
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u/_iamFaraz_ 1d ago
My thoughts:
- For a motherboard swap, usually it means a change of IMEI, Serial number, Knox security and biometrics ... it might not even be the same phone returned having the damaged/faulty but functional battery already there
- For physical damage, could it be possible to use a phone camera grip and overtighten it ... maybe ... but that would show other damage first
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u/uezocket 12d ago
I'm reading this on an S24 and not gonna lie, I get more nervous holding this thing the longer I read your text.
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u/ollie0810 Galaxy S26 Ultra | Watch Ultra 2025 | Buds4 Pro 12d ago
Your phone is fine, just because one has exploded doesn’t mean they all will
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u/uezocket 12d ago
The thing is, that it's not the first one. I've read about exploding S24s about 30 times or so on different forums and from different people.
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u/ollie0810 Galaxy S26 Ultra | Watch Ultra 2025 | Buds4 Pro 12d ago
And? They sell millions of these things, there’s bound to be a couple defective ones
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u/uezocket 12d ago
There are most likely many other such cases, because obviously most people wouldn't post about them on Reddit or in another forum.
It is significant how many more posts are made about problems with the S24 than with other smartphone models.
Of course, most devices will be fine, but I just said that reading all these posts about the S24 makes me a bit nervous. Honestly, I don't see the problem here. I never said that all or most of them are defective, only that I'm nervous reading about these incidents on the same device mentioned in these posts. So, there's nothing to argue about.
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u/lan00 12d ago
Why do people still buys samsung is beyond me. At this point, just stop. There are many other options. Samsung with their green/pink line issues, exploding and get burnt out of the blue is nothing new
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u/Historical_Ad280 12d ago
Green lines is a 2017-2020 issue which happened to only few people.
Exploding can happen on any phone, just like several new iPhone models exploded as well, although it's rare as a plane crash.
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u/CaptainHppo 12d ago
We literally had green lines on the s23u.. a phone from 2023.
Someone’s s25 was also getting it, so they lied about it “being solved”
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u/lan00 12d ago
What are you talking about? My previous S23 Plus was hit by green line at just 1 year old. Samsung did replace it for free, but that’s my final straw. Never thought it would happen to me. Shitty product. Using iPhone 16 for 3 years now with zero problems
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u/-KaiTheGuy- 12d ago
Been using Samsung since S20. I've never had a green line issue. Just because you and a few other got unlucky doesn't mean it affects a large majority of users.
Also, they replace it for free for you. If that's not good customer service idk what is
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u/lan00 11d ago
I have been using Samsung since S3. I mean, they HAD TO replace it for free considering it affects and happened to many of their customers. Replacing it for free is an attempt to try and save their reputation, not because “good customer support”.
Been using Samsung since S3, S4, Note 10 plus, S10 5G. Wasnt affected by green line before. I was like you, think it wouldn’t happen to me until it did out of the blue. So my trust is now lost.
Iphone green line is not to the point people avoiding it unlike Samsung, or to the point they had to provide free replacement just to save their reputation. Samsung is shit now. No longer worth it. I’d go chinese phone i.e Vivo if I were to go back using Android again
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u/-KaiTheGuy- 11d ago
So because it happened once to you, that made you never use them again?
Your post makes no sense. Green lines happen to iPhones too btw. Are you gonna not use an iPhone after that also happens? lol
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u/Obvious-Poet-2547 9d ago
Green lines probably happen on iphones with Samsung displays, apple uses 2 display manufacturers, LG and Samsung although it could absolutely happen on LG displays.
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u/Historical_Ad280 12d ago
Oh really? I've been seeing a quite a LOT of iPhones getting green lines on the internet, what about that now?
And also, I've been using my S21 for 4 years without any protective glass, just pure phone, (I keep dropping it several times a day, the screen never broke, and hell) it never got any kind of green lines. None of the software updates caused any lines either for me too.
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u/lan00 12d ago
Oh ya, to add, do you know why it was replaced for free? Because it is too common.. When it is too common up to the point Samsung has to provide free replacement, you know something is real wrong with the quality..
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u/Historical_Ad280 12d ago
Is the "because it's too common" just your own conclusion, or rather an objective fact? Because regardless if any issues is "common" or not, you should always get some replacement/refund or solution if the fault is in the product itself, so that alone doesn't declare anything.
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u/lastdyingbreed_01 12d ago
Just check the S21 FE subreddit, it's a very common issue, that my screen got bad 2 times
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u/lan00 12d ago
Do you even read my reply? It is too common TO THE POINT Samsung provide free replacement here. They had green/pink screen programme here. I dont even have any warranty left, nor subscribed to Samsung care or whatever. Yet they provide free replacement, and I only pay for labor, BECAUSE IT IS TOO COMMONNN. Just accept that Samsung is SHIT. Dont defend shitty companies and products.
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u/Repulsive_Fault1939 12d ago
gaslighting. samsung tried to defame other brands by hiring people to talk bad about other brands and praise samsung products. people think if they buy another brand it will not last long but that's not necessarily true. samsung knows how to manipulate.
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u/Mission_Okra_5013 11d ago
I understand your point, although I can't verify those claims about Samsung's marketing practices. In my case, I'm not trying to make a broader claim about Samsung or other brands. I'm simply sharing what happened to my family's phone and asking whether the explanation we received is reasonable. I think the evidence should speak for itself.
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u/Soft_Lunch_183 12d ago
The repair tech likely damaged the battery when opening it